Assemblyman William Colton (D – Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, and Dyker Heights) believes that Mayor De Blasio still wants to eliminate the SHSAT test. That is why he calls upon the parents to speak up and demand that the Mayor and Chancellor must comply with the state law and set up a date for the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT).

SHSAT determines entry to eight high schools, including Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, and Brooklyn Tech. The parents and students are upset with Mayor de Blasio and NYC DOE Chancellor Carranza for not scheduling the exam, which was supposed to be given the weekend of November 7, 2020 but was canceled. Parents are afraid that NYC DOE Chancellor will use COVID-19 as an excuse to get rid of the SHSAT.

“I believe that SHSAT is a gateway for all children to achieve the American dream,” Colton stated.

The current lack of diversity that is being experienced in specialized schools over the last 20 years is not caused by the test rather Assemblyman Colton believes it is caused by the DOE’s systematically closing of gifted programs in the early and middle schools in those very districts which currently are underperforming in admissions to the Specialized High Schools.

Assemblyman Colton said “I have introduced legislation to require NYC DOE to establish gifted programs in every school district in the city. I was a teacher in the NYC public school of gifted and talented classes for three years in District 13. My students, who were overwhelmingly African American were performing well above grade level. This is why I strongly believe that all children have the ability to learn and excel if they are not deprived of the opportunity of gifted classes and other enrichment programs which meet each child’s individual needs.”

My office is circulating petitions and anyone who would like to  help get signatures may call 718-236-1598 and ask for Declan Hong or sign it online by copying the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQHBaG2baxEt8ZOXmFpsXmMW8hVuR2vt5IvBcv4WkohU9mwg/viewform

Many parents are fed up to the point where they are asking Governor Cuomo to intervene and end mayoral control of the NYC DOE.