New York City schools remain some of the most segregated in the nation, more than seven decades after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Brown vs Board of Education. We made sure it was not ignored.
Spring 2023-2024: “Schools By Us for Us: Give Us Back Our Schools”
Mayoral control has only been implemented in predominantly Black and Latine school districts around the country. Most of them have since abandoned mayoral control. Ever since mayoral control started in NYC in 2002, Mayors have continuously shut out and dismissed the opinions of those most impacted by education inequity — public school students. Adults typically assume that low youth participation on advisory panels and boards is due to a lack of interest, when in fact, reasonable accommodations and accessibility are not considered for meaningful participation.
It’s time to give us back our schools. We want schools for us, by us”
Give student members on community education councils the right to vote, adequate accessibility accommodations, and leadership development support.
Change eligibility requirements for student representatives in school governance to reflect diversity in school experience and academic achievement
End mayoral control and restore community control of NYC Public Schools.
Increase student members on the PEP from two to five.
Reduce mayoral appointees on the PEP from thirteen to five, and replace those seats with elected parent positions.
Spring 2023- “The Youth Justice Fair”
“The Function” was a restorative care event for young people by young people! Intended to be a re-introduction to sharing in person space, this conference featured youth facilitated workshops from allies such as the Restorative Justice Initiative and the Ya-Ya Network. It was a day of music, food, arts, community and connection with the intention to (re)build and amplify student voice in NYC education advocacy.
Spring 2021
#FtheTest
Standardized testing creates stressful and overly competitive learning environments that harm students’ growth as learners and people.
High stakes testing is racist.
Ever since they were created, standardized high stakes tests have largely favored and been beneficial to white students and families who had access to better resources and educational support. While some students were being advantaged by standardized testing, it has caused other students to be actively prevented from getting the opportunities and education they deserve due to their race, financial status, ability, home language, and other identities.
Every year it perpetuates discrimination against already marginalized groups in society. As it has in so many ways, COVID-19 exacerbates these problems and makes the impacts of standardized testing harm students of color at an even larger scale than before.
It has always been inhumane to administer a test that caused harm for disadvantaged students, and this is even more true in the middle of a global pandemic.
In partnership with NYC Opt Out, we call on The Board of Regents to cancel Spring 2021 Regents for all high school students and New York State to halt the Spring 2021 3rd-8th grade state tests.
Signatory organizations
Summer 2020
End Discriminatory Admissions Screens
New York City has the most competitive admission screening process in the country. While the high school admissions process is called “open choice,” the choices students have are dictated by factors like zip code, grades, number of suspensions and arrests, and if a student is able to attend an in-person interview.
This process does not offer an accurate measure of a student’s potential. Instead, it has created a school system that privileges wealth, whiteness, and access. In honor of the 66th anniversary of Brown vs Board of Education, more than 50 organizations and 200 community leaders have already joined us and a coalition of integration advocates in calling for the end to discriminatory admissions screens that perpetuate segregation.
We are calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chancellor Richard Carranza, and the NYC DOE to eliminate all exclusionary public school admissions "screens”.
In NYC, our schools are some of the most segregated in the nation. How is this still possible 66 years after Brown vs Board of Education?
Candy package that looks like a red skittles package at the center of the page, the package says original students, original in yellow handwritten font and students in white bold font, In the background there is a graph paper tablet, there is a pencil cup in top left corner and pencils can be seen in it, there is also a paper stopper which is a copper colored and the description cannot be determined due to top view of it, and a greenish crocodile shaped stapler, on the right side there is a double sided blue and red colored pencil and orange highlighter. The video starts with the crocodile grabbing the candy package and moving it the bottom left corner and disappearing to reveal the candy in the package, which represent 1.1 million New York City public school students. The cup holder, the other paper stopper, the pencil and highlighter move off screen. The candy is then separated in groups according to color to represent different races, afterwards the candies merge to create one big dollar sign to represent economic diversity. To represent language diversity and the different countries students come from the candies move to form a circle and then a circular frame around many different ways to say hello including in arabic, italian, and spanish. Around the frame the flags of many countries are scattered around. They then move to bunch together in a circle. A yellow toy car appears to the left of the circle and the circle of candies then splits in half to let the car through. A toy bus then appears on the left side and opens it door, the candies enter the bus to represent the beginning of the journey through high school admissions. The bus moves across the screen and the background then changes. Background shows a white wall, small jar holding colord pencils to the leftmost side and a gray lamp to the right most side. At the center is the yellow bus toy with a sign that says admissions at the top. The moves and approaches a school made of cardboard, it is red. A swimming pool then appears, the diving platform is made of blue and brown legos, and the pool is made out of blue colored paper with lines to represent divisions. Candies are seen surrounding the pool and one on top of the diving board. For a second the camera zooms into the pool to just show the pool or colored paper and a candy. Then a baseball field appears, Also made out of colored paper, it is the shape of the quarter of a circle, green colored paper on the outside and red on the inside, tiny white papers were cut to represent the baseball plates. Surrounding the baseball field is a paper that says state champions in red font, and two brown bleachers. First shot shows any empty field but the next shows a field full of candies both on the bleachers and the field. It then turns to a classroom where there is a green chalkboard at the front and brown papers represent seats, there is a candy on each of the small brown papers. The screen then shows the shot locating the bus outside the school shown previously. There is a then a birds eye view of the school and bus, the school is at the top center, bus at the left and we can also see the graph paper tablet. Candies move out of the bus and into the school, yet the school locks before all candies get in. There is then a red sign that says not you in white font and no longer in birds eye view the camera zooms into the candies located in front of the school with the sign in between students and the school. They then get on the admissions bus and the bus starts to move again. It reaches another school also made out of cardboard but it is gray. Candies start to move into the school but then the camera zooms into the doors of the school there are many candies inside to show how crowded the school has become and how quickly seats filled up. Some candies did not get in and got back on the admissions bus. The bus then moves and seen in passing is a newspaper that says 65 years later retire segregation. The bus approaches another school, also made out of cardboard but clearly beaten up. At the front is seen a lego figure with a pair of lego handcuffs in its hand. Another lego figure drives up in blue lego cop car. Candies get off the bus and go through a lego metal detector before the get into the school. Final shot of a candy going into doors of school is shown. Then it returns to the graph paper tablet background and candies reconvine placed in a rectangle shape at the top of the screen, at the bottom are the walls of the schools. From left to right are, the beaten gray wall from the last school, the gray wall from the second school and the rightmost is the red brick wall from the first school. The crocodile stapler returns and pushes candies into different groups on top of the different walls to represent the separation of the admissions process. Next shot shows the crocodile chasing a candy. There is then a shot of the crocodile behind the sorted candies on the different walls of different schools. It then turns to a birds eye view of where the crocodile in on the bottom and sorted candies on top. The lego figure and cop car move into the screen from bottom left and separate the red brick school from the other two schools. Another shot of classroom with chalkboard upfront and brown paper desks shows. Most candies are red and orange, with one green candy in shot. Slowly each candy get a black paper laptop. The screen then shows a bird eye view of candies separated with those on the red brick wall still sorted, the others were bunched up into a sun shape, lego cop car is seen at the top right corner, the sorted red brick wall candies then disappear from the screen. It is shown that most of the remaining candies are blue, green and orange, unlike the candies sorted into the red brick wall school. The candies sorted into the red brick wall school then appear and join the other candies and they all get onto the yellow bus on top of the screen which appears as they are joined. Final animated shot shows red paper steps with many candies on them, some holding up integratenyc logo signs, surrounding the red step is a cardboard city background there are billboards on buildings, and on top of the stairs is a picture of many skittle candies. The next shots are different angles of this image with the candies on stairs alternating from full to emptier. Some shots show candies holding up newspaper with title 65 years later retire segregation. It then transitions to a slideshow of real life pictures, each picture is shown for about a second. The first is of students from integratenyc at times squre holding the newspaper that says 65 years later retire segregation, and holding signs that say It's time to #retire segregation, the second is a headshot of leanne nunes speaking into microphone, third is a student wearing neon pink t shirt with the newspaper cover on it, while holding the newspaper up in front of train, third of adult ally also wearing neon pink t shirt with the newspaper cover on it, while holding the newspaper in front of a building while students look at him, next picture of student wearing neon pink shirt talking to another student, picture after that shows a student wearing neon pink shirt giving newspaper to a parent with their child, next picture shows adult ally showing newspaper to a pedestrian, another person in background is shown reading a newspaper, next picture shows three construction workers, four students and an adult ally holding up the newspaper with title 65 years later retire segregation, picture after that shows many students wearing neon yellow t shirts in a circle getting ready to hand out newspapers, next picture shows a student and adult ally holding newspapers on the street ready to give them to the many people shown passing by, in the next picture four students pose in front of camera holding their newspapers up, next picture shows three students wearing neon green t shirts holding up different sign from left to right each student holds, a pink brooklyn sign, a green it's time to #retire segregation, and a yellow queens sign, picture after that shows students running down the street with newspapers in hand. Finally, the headshot of a student is shown with a white label covering their mouth on the white label is the link integratenyc.org/sign. The video ends with the integrateNYC logo which has multiple elongated ellipses of colors pink, orange, yellow, green, and blue overlapping at different angles overall logo has a circular aspect
Trascription: These are the students of New York City public schools. There are 1.1 million of them. They are racially diverse, economically diverse, They speak hundred of different languages, come from different countries and lead different lives. Every year eighth graders go through the high school admissions process to discover which school they will attend in the fall. [music in background]. Like this school here it seems like it has a lot of opportunities. A swimming pool, a baseball field, advanced classes --- there's so much! Wouldn't you think a lot of kids would want to go there? Well yes! A lot of studetn do want to attend but admissions are based on screens they can't just waltz in there. This school's screen is that it accepts students who can afford a tutor, had sports teams in their middle and elementary school, and live in the wealthier part of the city... with all that I don't think this school is for you. Back on the admissions bus everyone! Hopefully the next school will be a bit more... "attainable" for you. Here's the next school coming up ahead, and look, no screens! There may not be a field, pool or that many advanced classes but in this one the teachers are amazing and the cafeteria has windows! [different voice] Those seats are going to fill up quicky! [back to original narrator} We still have some great students looking to learn! Where will they go? This is our last school? [second voice] Driver, is this a school? It is.. ok! [original narrator] Let's take a look at students we enrolled along our journey! These screens select. sort. and separate us. and not just in high school. There are middle school screens that select, sort, and separate ten year olds. These make New York City one of the most segregated schools systems in our country. These screens make it easier for students with privilege to access more resources. The students who are screened out are often low income students and students of color. The same students who are feeling the most impact from COVID-19 right now. But students from these schools across the city have been joining together to inform and mobolize a movement for real integration and real youth power. Where integration isn't about the movement of bodies but the movement of minds. We are those students. In 2020, 66 years after Brown v. Board, our schools are still segregated. We can change that. Join us in calling fro an end to discriminatory screens. [third voice] Our Future is Integrated.
Summer 2020
Segregation is Killing Us
Contrary to popular belief, COVID-19 is no great equalizer. In New York City, the damaging effects of the virus mirrors the destruction left by generations of segregated communities and schools.
In response to the deep impacts of COVID-19 on our community, we developed the Admissions Impact Score with the help of Territorial Empathy. This policy tool proposes a data-driven method of prioritizing youth in the hardest hit communities. Our goal is to end cyclical racism, which is deeply embedded in the NYC admissions system.
The Admissions Impact Score accounts for key variables:
Neighborhood-level COVID-19 deaths
Lack of insurance
Linguistic isolation
Poverty
Multigenerational housing
Lack of computer access for online learning
In addition, individual student circumstances are taken into consideration, so factors like being a multilingual learner or in temporary housing. These come together to determine a student’s application priority.
The report, Segregation is Killing Us, examines the data that links COVID-19, Redlining, and school segregation. The report also outlines our solution.
Spring 2019
Retire Segregation
On May 17, 2019, the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, we demand we #RetireSegregation.
Ahead of the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, we compiled our policies and 5R framework into an eye-catching, newspaper-style zine titled The News. It was inspired by a photograph taken on the eve of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, The News includes games, photographs, student testimonials, quotes, and more. Our goal was to create a document as informative as it is engaging and symbolic.
On May 17, 2019 it came down to five boroughs, five teams, and one goal: to flood NYC with a total of 25,000 copies of The News.
Students from all boroughs helped distribute the paper in trains, streets, residential buildings, you name it. That day, it would have been impossible not to see someone with a copy on your commute home.
Once we had distributed enough copies, we came together at Times Square to throw a retirement party for segregation. After all, 65 years sounds like retirement age. That evening, as young people from across the five boroughs enjoyed cupcakes, loud music, and spirited chants, Times Square was more vibrant than usual.
People from all over the world came to the commercial mecca of NYC to glare at the big screens but left with a fresh perspective on the fight for educational equity.
Spring 2018
Still Not Equal
Red filter is present for the video, the video starts with a shot of a student from shown from shoulder up and a plain background. She has aviator glass and long earrings, and is wearing a sweater. 1954 the flashes in front of the screen it is transparent so the white background can be seen as well as the color of student's brown skin. As the 1954 and the red filter remains on screen the background image then becomes a newspaper where the headline is segregation in public schools ended by court in bold black font, subheadings say ruled unconstitutional by supreme court; date to end practice not set. The background image then goes back to student. The red filter remains as a new student appears on screen, there is a similar plain background and she is wearing a hijab and sweater. Soon after an image from the 19 fifty's or sixties of a Black student with white people surrounding them, one white woman is seen screaming at the student right behind them pops up on the screen as the red filter remains. The image is shown a bit zoomed in but slowly zooms out of it. It fades away and the first student is shown. The red filter then goes away and another student pops up on screen. She has a bob and is wearing a collared white shirt with a sweater over. In the background shows an empty room that has white walls and empty shelves. The screen then shows a video recorded in a classroom of a child in their desk chair being picked up and thrown on grown by a cop while still in their chair. The video pauses on the image on the cop holding down the chair on top of the student as the hit the ground, and a red filter flashes over it with the hashtag Still Not Equal in white font over it. The video continues as to show the cop continue dragging the student's chair while the student remains in the chair. The red filter goes away and a fourth student appears on the screen he is wearing a black shirt with the word black in white font seen on it. The background shows white and brick walls. Then the picture of a school lunch appears on screen. It is on a styrofoam tray, in the top left compartment is a yellow blob which appears to be eggs, in the top middle compartment is some dark red jelly, in the top right is a white blob of some sort of starch either oatmeal or grits. Below are two bigger compartments. On the left are some string beans and on the right is a grilled cheese sandwhich. As the camera zooms out the red filter appears with the hashtag still not equal in white font appear over the image. A fifth student appears she has her hair in a pony tail and is wearing a pink sweater, the background is an empty room with white walls. Then the image of three ships appear which are presumably drawings of the three boats Christopher Columbus navigated when he colonized the Americas with a red filter over it and the hashtag still not equal in white font. Fourth student with black shirt with the word black in white font appears again. Then the video shows a recorded video of students at a pool lined up in sections. The red filter appears with the hashtag still not equal in white font appear over the image. Third student with collared white shirt and sweater returns and the video then shows a stack of A.P prep textbooks for advanced placement courses such as chemistry, macroeconomic and microeconomics, u.s government and politics, biology, physics, united states history, and calculus. It moves down the stack of books and The red filter appears with the hashtag still not equal in white font appear over the image. First student appears without the red filter and she has a blue sweater, long earring and aviator glasses on, the background shows an empty room with white walls. A picture of Betsy DeVos at the top right corner is the 60 minutes suggesting this is screenshot from an interview on the show, The red filter appears with the hashtag still not equal in white font appear over the image. Third student with collared white shirt and sweater returns and the video then shows the back of the heads of many students walking down a crowded hallway it then zooms out to show the hallway The red filter appears with the hashtag still not equal in white font appear over the image. Fourth student with black shirt with the word black in white font appears again. First student appears again this time with the red filter over her. Sixth student appears she wears a black beret hat and has hoop earring and long braids background is white. The image then fades into a classroom where four students are around a table and a teacher is with them at the table in front of each student is a piece of paper. It then zooms into student who writes on paper. It returns to student with long earring avaiator glasses and blue sweater no red filter over her. The next image is of a group of students in graduation gowns with a red filter over it. It then switches to students walking on stage. It changes back to fourth student with black shirt with the word black in white font again with the red filter appears and hashtag still not equal in white. It then switches to first student with long earring avaiator glasses and blue sweater, later the student with collared white shirt and sweater returns. Afterwards a black and white picture appears of Linda Brown, with linda brown in red font on the center bottom. Next is a black and white picture of students walking down the stairs labeled the little rock 9 in red font on the center bottom. Then a picture of Sylvia Mendez appears sitting in front of policymakers with the label Sylvia Mendez in red font. A picture of five men standing in front of a group of microphones, the man at the center holds fist up, the label the young lords is at the bottom center in red font. Then is a black and white picture of women lined up on grass with the label the black panther party at the bottom center in red font. Another student's headshot is shown he wears glasses and white t shirt with a black jacket over it. Fourth student with black shirt with the word black in white font appears again. Third student with collared white shirt and sweater returns. First student appears again. Second student reappears holding her hand up, her hand has two black lines over it one on her palm other across her fingers. Another student who has not appeared has glass and wears a gray crewneck sweater also holds up a hand with two lines across his hand. Fifth student reappears she has her hair in a pony tail and is wearing a pink sweater, she is also holding up her hand with two lines across it. Fourth student with black shirt with the word black in white font appears again holding hand up with lines across it. Another student who have not appeared has her hair down and hold her hand up. First student appears again holding her hand up. Third student with collared white shirt and sweater returns holding her hand up, it goes back to first students who continues to hold up her hand and then the video shows the screen split into four rectangles each with a student in it holding their hand up a red filter is over the screen with the hastag still not equal in the center in white font. Fourth student with black shirt with the word black in white font returns. Student in grey crewneck sweater and glasses returns in an empty room background appears all white. fifth student with pony tail and pink sweater reappears. Screen then goes to second student in hijab and sweater with red filter over image and the link still not equal dot org slash sign shown to left of the screen in white font, stacked.. Sixth student with black beret hat, hoop earring and long braids appears with the red filter on the screen and the same link to the right of the screen in white font, stacked. It then returns to first student talking who then holds hand up and as she spreads her fingers the red filter appears. It remains as shot switches to Fourth student with black shirt with the word black in white font, then to Third student with collared white shirt and sweater returns. Finally the video ends with an image with red background with a hand sketched in white in background the hand also two lines across it. In black font is the link still not equal dot org
Transcription: In 1954, Brown Versus Board of Education ruled that separate was not equal and segregation in schools became illegal. And yet it keeps on keeping on. Who get punished and how. Still not equal. Our school lunches still not equal. Whose history is being told is being told. Still not equal. Which sports are available in what schools. Still not equal. Access to A P courses. Still not equal. Who teaches us. Still not equal. Over crowding. Still not equal. Music and arts programs. Do you even have a music class? In your classroom do you connect with people who have different backgrounds? Speak different languages? Live different lives? Because we think that's important. Across the United States schools are more segregated than they were fourty years ago. And separate is still not equal. We are here to change that. We are building a national monument in honor of Linda Brown, the little rock nine, Sylvia Mendez, the young lords, the Black Panther Party and all of the other people who have fought for equality in our country up until now. The monument is made up of students raising their right hands. Acknowledging the limitations of our educational system. So we can resolve those challenges together. I raise my right hand. I raise my hand. I raise my hand. I raise my hand. I raise my hand. I raise my hand. I raise my hand and I declare that separate is still not equal. Separate is still not equal. Separate is still not equal. That separate is still not equal. Over the next month our hope is to unite students across the country in the name of integration. If you're a student leader under the age of 25, sign our constitution for real integration on still not equal dot org. If you're an adult ally who wants to amplify student voice donate to support our movement. To join our movement post your raised right hand, hashtag it still not equal. Still not equal. Still not equal.
Most history textbooks will refer to 1954 as the year that school segregation was ended when Brown v Board of Education passed the verdict that segregated schools were inherently unequal.
And yet, it keeps on keeping on. Across the U.S., schools are more segregated than they were 40 years ago.
By May 17, 2019, the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, we the students demand:
Relationships
The city release money for schools to design curriculum for an ethnic studies electives in all high schools and pay teachers to do that work.
Race and Enrollment
That the DOE builds on IntegrateNYC’s algorithmic prototype and Teens Take Charge’s 3-Point Enrollment Equity Proposal to release a comprehensive plan that will racially, socioeconomically, and academically integrate public high schools. This plan must be created by a working group with meaningful student representation, alongside community leaders, educators, parents, and experts.
Resources
The DOE releases the first equity report, as outlined in the student Constitution for Real Integration, documenting resources available to students across the city.
The state releases a plan for providing $1.6 billion owed to public schools from the 2003 lawsuit Campaign for Fiscal Equity v. State of New York.
Representation
The DOE names a group of educators, policymakers, and advocates like NYC Men Teach, and students to design a blueprint for a teaching fellowship that provides scholarships for NYC students to become educators who serve NYC public schools.
Restorative Justice
The DOE invites Center for Popular Democracy, Urban Youth Collaborative, Teachers Unite, and the Dignity in Schools Campaign to join the citywide and district level desegregation planning efforts so that their amazing work on restorative justice is included in desegregation planning.
Fall 2017–2018
D15 Diversity Plans
District 15’s schools are among the most socio-economically and racially segregated schools in New York City.
The following text was adapted from the D15 Diversity Plan Final Report
In June 2017, the New York City Department of Education (DOE) shared Equity and Excellence for All: Diversity in New York City Public Schools, a citywide plan that stated the DOE’s commitment to making its schools more diverse. The plan set forth a citywide vision, but also recognized that, in a city as diverse as New York, it can be difficult to create a uniform policy that works well for each community.
Throughout this process, local engagement provided an opportunity to overcome the challenge of adapting a citywide policy to meet the unique needs of each community.
Video courtesy of WXY Studio
So in the fall of 2017, the DOE initiated a community planning and engagement process, The District 15 (D15) Diversity Plan, aimed at creating diverse, meaningfully integrated middle schools in a way that would meet the needs of the district.
The D15 Diversity Plan followed years of previous advocacy work led by local parents, school leaders, and elected officials. The Plan’s community-based process sought to build off these earlier efforts, to engage the larger D15 community in conversations on race, class, diversity, and integration, and to use community engagement to develop solutions reflective of the diverse needs of D15’s school community.
Through the guidance and leadership of a Working Group—comprised of school community members from across D15 including, IntegrateNYC students, parents, teachers, principals, administrators, community advocates and members of local community-based organizations—the D15 Diversity Plan evolved through four large public events, more than 80 stakeholder meetings including Spanish- and Mandarin- language meetings, a community-based survey and a website all in an effort to understand key concerns, gather feedback and develop recommendations.
D15 MS Students
D15 Suspensions
The Working Group’s recommendations fell within two major themes: Integration and Inclusion.
Integration recommendations address the mechanisms necessary to create integrated school communities, such as school screens, admissions priorities, access to information, transit, and the need for transparency, coordination and ongoing monitoring.
Equally as important are the Inclusion recommendations which reflect the need to create and provide support for welcoming and inclusive school environments for all students by addressing issues related to restorative practices, resource inequity, students with special needs, and physical access.
In the fall of 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza approved the D15 Diversity Plan and launched a $2 million school diversity grant program for other school districts and communities across the City to develop their own community-driven diversity plans.
“We believe that our schools can reflect our whole city and we are proud to support and invest in the future of New Yorkers for generations to come. This isn’t going to be one size fits all. This is a ripe moment and this community built a powerful grassroots plan. Now, we have to execute and deliver on it to show parents across the city this approach can work,” said Mayor de Blasio.