I am a Hispanic Middle School Student: I Want to Take the SHSAT

My name is Samantha Acevedo. I am thirteen-years-old, in 7th grade, and I believe in merit. My parents taught me that one must earn things through hard work and effort, not cutting corners.

I have been preparing to take the specialized high school admissions test, the SHSAT, for the past four years. I started my journey in the 4th grade. Many students like me have been preparing for the specialized high school entrance exam for years before taking it.

I’ve spent hundreds of hours giving up my weekends and summer vacations to go to tutoring. I’ve studied material found from past exams and worked hard to perfect my practice exam scores by retaking tests. Studying new materials was so hard that I cried-more than once. In the end, I expanded my learning and understanding of all the math and ELA curriculum that I knew little to nothing about before.

Politicians are protesting the SHSAT. They say the test is racist and that Hispanics and African Americans cannot perform on these exams. I think it’s the politicians who are being racist by grouping us all and assuming we can’t study for a test. These politicians say we can’t when I know we can. I saw it with my own two eyes in my own home.

The Department of Education, parents, politicians, and whoever else believes entrance exams should end needs to realize there is nothing wrong with the test but everything wrong with the access to resources to study and prepare for this test.

I’ve attended free programs and a paid one, Kweller Prep, which is the same one my older brother attended for a year before getting accepted to Stuyvesant High School.

My brother, Sebastian Acevedo, was only one of 33 Hispanics to get accepted into Stuyvesant High School in 2019. His acceptance landed him television and news interviews.

I was too young to understand the impact of a minority beating the odds, but I saw first-hand all the countless hours he put into attending studying and attending Kweller Prep, which was a one-hour drive each way from our home in Brooklyn. I dream to follow in his exact foot-steps and earn a seat into Stuyvesant High School as well.

Many Hispanics and African Americans want tough entrance exams to exist. They don’t wish their academic future or education decided by a random lottery or unscreened schools.

Mayor Bill de Blasio is also fighting to take these exams away even though his children took these same exams. Mayoral Candidate Maya Wiley sent her daughter Naja Wiley to Mark Twain Middle School in Brooklyn. She then sent her to a $70,000 per-year private boarding school for high school. My parents could never afford that. The choices Ms. Wiley makes now for minorities attending public schools are not the same ones she made for her daughters.

NYC Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza’s daughter attended the Lowell School, a screened high school known as the “Stuyvesant” of San Francisco. She then graduated from the University of Southern California, USC. Why can’t I have these same opportunities?

NYC Mayor De Blasio’s son attended Brooklyn Tech, a specialized High School, and his daughter attended the screened Beacon High School. It’s not fair. De Blasio’s son Dante graduated from Yale University, an Ivy League. His daughter graduated from Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley, a top private university in California where tuition is $54,00 a year. My family could never afford that for my brother or me. Why are these politicians own children attending specialized and screened high schools and then top private colleges then telling minorities we cant strive for the same things? We want these great opportunities too. Their double standard is so unfair!

DOE Chancellor Josh Wallack graduated from Harvard University with two higher degrees. He sent his son to ICE; a screened Manhattan middle school. Why is Mr. Wallack now unscreening District 15 schools in Brooklyn for families like mine? Why didn’t he send his son to the school he unscreened?

Brad Lander’s daughter attends the screened Bard High School. Her school only has a 2.5% acceptance rate. Before that, she attended screened District 15 Brooklyn Middle schools. Why did his daughter never attend unscreened schools? Why is he telling minority families like mine that we can’t have screened school options now? It’s just so unfair.

Richard Carranza’s former Deputy, Cheryl Watson-Harris, put both her kids in screened middle schools. Her daughter walked right into IS 87, the Christa McAuliffe School, while her son for into Mark Twain Middle School for the Gifted and Talented. Every other student had to apply by auditioning, but her kids’ seats were given to her by the Chancellor. Again, it’s just so unfair.

High standards and screens should be the essential thing to competitive High School admissions. The politicians know the truth; that’s why they all sent their kids to screened and specialized high schools. Their kids had to provide test scores, interviews, attendance, grades, or artistic talent auditions to get into great schools.

Minorities like me want to earn our seats at great schools. We aren’t politically connected or wealthy. I’m proud of all the hard work and study my older brother did to get into a specialized high school; I want to work hard just like him and earn my seat. Please help me.