During the height of the pandemic, the NYC Department of Education (DOE) suspended the middle school admissions screens, which sorted 9-year-olds based on test scores, grades and attendance. In its place, the DOE implemented a lottery system, which gives every applicant an equal chance of acceptance. Students still rank schools of their choice.

We must make sure the suspension of screening is made permanent. We need you to write to the DOE and urge them to do so. There are some people who want to bring back the old discriminatory system. We can not let their voice be the only one. Please write TODAY.

Eliminating discriminatory screening has resulted in diverse student populations in many middle schools. It has also led to a simpler and easier admissions process for families, who no longer had to navigate a complex system with multiple admissions criteria that differed from school to school. Most importantly, 9-year-olds are not judged based on their test scores, grades or attendance.