New York lawmakers hold hearing on elite high school testing
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York State lawmakers will hold a public hearing Friday on the admissions process for New York City's elite high schools.
Mayor Bill de Blasio is backing a plan to scrap the single admissions test for the city's specialized schools in an effort to fix racial disparity.
Right now, only 9% of students entering specialized high schools are black or Hispanic.
Parents who oppose the changes plan to hold a rally before the hearing.
The City Council is considering half a dozen bills that would expand gifted and talented programs, which were cut back under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The chancellor and the mayor are facing criticism for considering changing the admission standards for the elite high schools.
Specifically, much of that criticism is coming from Asian-American families who believe a test is the best standard.
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