Photo Credit to Success Academy Charter Schools Facebook of Success Academy Bensonhurst
(New York, NY) We, Chinese American Citizens Alliance Greater New York Chapter, Asian Wave Alliance, and New York City Residents Alliance support Governor Hocul’s budget proposal to eliminate the regional cap for New York City Charter schools as it will provide families with expanded options, promote higher quality education with healthy education competition, and benefit student learning without introducing new costs to families.
While Governor Hochul’s 2023-24 budget plan would keep a statewide cap of 460 charters in place, it would eliminate a regional cap for New York City, allowing an increase of 100 new charter schools in the Big Apple. However, several members of the NY Senate Education Committee – including NYC Senators John Liu, Robert Jackson, and Jessica Ramos – have opposed this proposal by calling it a “non-starter.”
The lawmakers' rebuke fails to consider several salient points critical to the needs of Asian-American families. For the past three years, we have witnessed numerous attempts at removing Gifted and Talented (G&T) and screened academic programs from our public schools. Although G&T and other programs were eventually preserved, a lottery-style admissions has been implemented, leaving NYC Asian families who value merit-based options to chance. “There has been a great deal of anxiety around school applications. Asian families who are trying to make ends meet do not have the resources or know how to explore other school options where academic rigor is a high priority.”, said Phil Wong, President of CACAGNY.
Our support for charter schools stems from their impressive academic results – many charter schools consistently outperform comparable public schools in math and ELA state tests, and are able to accomplish it with less funding per student. In 2022, six out of the twenty NY state schools which received the National Blue Ribbon School Award were from New York City, and all six of these schools are charter schools located in the Bronx. “It is no wonder that Asian parents have begun including charters as an option for their children. The number of Asian students attending charter schools has jumped 54% in the past five years.”, said Yiatin Chu of Asian Wave Alliance.
We strongly urge lawmakers who oppose Gov. Hochul’s Proposal to Lift the Charter School Cap for NYC to listen to their constituents — particularly parents — when it comes to the lack of alternative quality, academically rigorous options for public education and wanting choice in this matter. Donghui Zang of NYCRA remarked, “Gov. Hochul’s proposal is a big step in reversing the former Mayor’s destructive policies against academically rigorous curriculum and education opportunities in the name of “equity” and “diversity” and every family should be afforded a choice.”
Note: Table consists of data from the NYC DOE Demographic Snapshot SY 2017-18 to 2021-22 and NYC DOE School Quality Reports.
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