Urge NYC Public Schools to analyze admissions and improve access
The Issue
I am Dr. Jamēla Joseph, an education policy theorist and New York State-certified general and special education teacher. My research examines how the American K–12 education system can shift the consequences of unequal policies onto students, families, and educators. I call this pattern the American K–12 Parasitic Syndrome: a system that relies on people to absorb the labor and costs of inequity while the policies producing it remain in place.
New York City’s screened admissions process raises a question at the heart of my research: When students have had unequal access to preparation, what happens when the system uses their prior academic performance to decide who gets access to further opportunity? Families may have to navigate a complicated application process, educators may have to help students overcome gaps in preparation, and children may be judged by measures that do not tell the whole story of the opportunities they have received.
NYC Public Schools has published information about screened admissions. We need to go further and examine how the process works for students across schools and communities—and whether rigorous educational opportunities are available to children regardless of where they enroll.
I urge NYC Public Schools to:
Conduct a public review of screened admissions that examines who applies, who receives offers, and who enrolls, including differences by race, income, disability status, and school attended.
Hear directly from students, families, and educators about the time, support, and resources required to navigate admissions and prepare for screened programs.
Publish an action plan with measurable goals to address any barriers the review identifies and expand access to rigorous coursework and academic support across NYC public schools.
This is about more than an admissions decision. It is about whether our education policies distribute opportunity fairly—or leave families and educators to compensate for gaps the system itself must address.
Please sign this petition to call for a public review, meaningful community input, and a clear plan for fair access to rigorous education in New York City.
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The Issue
I am Dr. Jamēla Joseph, an education policy theorist and New York State-certified general and special education teacher. My research examines how the American K–12 education system can shift the consequences of unequal policies onto students, families, and educators. I call this pattern the American K–12 Parasitic Syndrome: a system that relies on people to absorb the labor and costs of inequity while the policies producing it remain in place.
New York City’s screened admissions process raises a question at the heart of my research: When students have had unequal access to preparation, what happens when the system uses their prior academic performance to decide who gets access to further opportunity? Families may have to navigate a complicated application process, educators may have to help students overcome gaps in preparation, and children may be judged by measures that do not tell the whole story of the opportunities they have received.
NYC Public Schools has published information about screened admissions. We need to go further and examine how the process works for students across schools and communities—and whether rigorous educational opportunities are available to children regardless of where they enroll.
I urge NYC Public Schools to:
Conduct a public review of screened admissions that examines who applies, who receives offers, and who enrolls, including differences by race, income, disability status, and school attended.
Hear directly from students, families, and educators about the time, support, and resources required to navigate admissions and prepare for screened programs.
Publish an action plan with measurable goals to address any barriers the review identifies and expand access to rigorous coursework and academic support across NYC public schools.
This is about more than an admissions decision. It is about whether our education policies distribute opportunity fairly—or leave families and educators to compensate for gaps the system itself must address.
Please sign this petition to call for a public review, meaningful community input, and a clear plan for fair access to rigorous education in New York City.
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Petition created on September 26, 2026