The best high school in NY has no gym, no auditorium and no cafeteria

Queens High School for the Sciences at York College deserves a better facility

I have been deep in research for my next project and now my kids are back from camp so we will spend the last few days of summer hiking and trying to get ready to back to school (does anyone else left the school summer assignments to the last week and is now panicking?).

But this week, U.S. News & World Report released its list of the best public high schools in the country, highlighting the exceptional education offered by New York's Specialized High Schools (SHS), which primarily serve low-income students.

Out of the top 10 public high schools in New York State, 8 are SHS schools, and 6 of these schools serve at least 50% low-income students. Among the top 25 public high schools in the country, the only representative from New York is Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, which serves 66% low-income students. Out of the 21 schools on that list for which we have data, only 4 serve a majority of low-income students.

Despite this impressive record, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College is housed in inadequate facilities. For 23 years, the Department of Education has neglected to provide better accommodations. The school boasts a 100% graduation rate, 100% participation in Advanced Placement exams, and a 99% pass rate on at least one AP test. However, it has no gym, auditorium, and cafeteria. According to the Citywide Council of High Schools, "the meals provided to the students are cold and not freshly cooked; they are delivered from Hilcrest High School and prepared the day before." Last year, the council passed a resolution requesting the school's relocation to a new building, which is currently under construction and expected to be completed by Fall 2026.

Angela Li, a 10th grader at the school, wrote about the facilities:

The candidates for NYC Mayor should be asked by journalists:

• Are you planning to expand and invest in the schools that are offering a high quality education and serve a majority of low-income students?

Any candidate serious about expanding educational opportunities for low-income kids would expand SHS and charter schools - both models have a track record of delivering for low-income kids in NYC.

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What I am reading this week

• “Equitable” Grading Through the Eyes of Teachers (Thomas B. Fordham Institute)

• Zohran Mamdani’s War on Charter Schools (RealClearEducation)

• The U.S. ignores home-grown ed ideas that are accelerating progress overseas (Flypaper)

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Contact me if you want to help bring universal education choice to NY! #SchoolChoiceNY