State Senator John C. Liu publicly called on city Schools Chancellor David C. Banks Monday to fix the city’s high school admissions process.
Liu called for the abandonment of the current lottery-based application system which was implemented during the pandemic and return to the process that favors academic achievement, performance and diligence.
Many NYC families have previously criticized the lottery system which saw students apply for their top 12 school choices, after many students failed to get into any of their choice schools.
“As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no reason to continue the admissions lottery, especially given the resounding failure of last cycle’s random admissions process,” said Senator Liu in his letter Sept. 26. “Overwhelmingly, families demand that the NYC DOE retire lottery admissions as a relic of the pandemic and reinstate an admissions system that values diligence and achievement. Equity and excellence do not have to be mutually exclusive.”