Assemblyman William Colton (D – Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, and Dyker Heights) and Assemblyman Peter Abbate 49^th AD (Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights and Sunset Park) joined to continue the fight in restoring screenings and auditions for Middle Schools’ admissions.

Both Assembly Members will be asking other state and city legislators to sign onto a letter to Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza demanding they revise and reverse the policy to eliminate all screens and auditions for the Screened Middle Schools and instead use a lottery to select students for these schools.

“I am calling for the Mayor and Chancellor to overturn their decision on the elimination of Middle School’s screens and auditions. This illogical policy replaces such screens and auditions with a lottery of chance, instead of by the student’s hard work and special talents. All children are equal, and they should not learn the sad lesson that hard work does not matter but only the luck of a draw and chance will determine which children are selected,” Colton stated.

 “We must demand quality education for all children, including those with advanced skills and talents, including those children who are underperforming and who need quality remedial programs, including special needs children who the DOE must comply with their educationally sound IEP’s and including all children who must be provided with quality programs that meet their unique educational needs,” Colton continued.

“Parents must not accept any changes to the existing Middle Schools’ admission, especially at the last-minute right before the implementation of the admission process is to start. We cannot allow the Mayor and Chancellor to scrap Gifted and Talented admission policies. The Mayor and Chancellor must know that we will not stand by and permit them destroy our children’s future. The fight will continue until parents are heard. Together we will prevail in our fight against such unsound educational policies by this administration,” Colton added.