FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 2, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 33
oped letters & comments
Keeping specialized
high schools special
BY STATE SENATOR
TOBY ANN STAVISKY
I am a vigorous,
unapologetic supporter
of the specialized
high schools. To eliminate
the Specialized High
School Admissions Test
(SHSAT) is to throw
the proverbial bathwater
out with the baby. For the instant gratifi cation
of improving ethnic diversity, the chancellor
ignores the real problem—lack of student
achievement in the early grades. Too oft en, when
there is a problem it easier to off er distractions
when we should be looking at the big picture and
fi xing the problem.
Unfortunately, n either the Mayor nor the
chancellor met with the parents, local community
leaders or elected offi cials. I was notifi ed on a
Saturday morning in April two hours prior to the
Mayor’s announcement. It would have been preferable
to work together to improve all schools.
It’s not too late. Th ere are several things the
Mayor and Chancellor can do. Our gift ed and
talented programs prove to be an eff ective way
of challenging young people. By recognizing
more students at an early age, they would be prepared
for high schools. Instead of parents “opting
in” for children to be tested before entering
third grade, I introduced legislation to make
the test automatic unless the parent “ops out”. In
addition, gift ed and talented programs should be
off ered in all 32 school districts.
Th e DREAM Specialized High Schools Institute,
created by the Department of Education (DOE)
prepares middle school children for the exams—
in a very limited way. Th ere are two programs,
one aft er school and one during the summer and
fall, prior to the exam in 20 locations. Th ere were
approximately 607 seats last year. A second program,
the SHSAT School Day Initiative can be
found in 50 middle schools. Both of these programs
must be expanded to all school districts for
all students who are eligible, considering the fact
that more than 28,000 middle school students
apply for approximately 5,700 seats.
Another suggestion is to improve outreach to
economically and racially under-served communities.
Many parents are not aware that these
schools exists because they do not have access to
these programs.
In addition, we should provide test preparation
for all sixth grade students, as well as practice
SHSATs. People scrimp and save so they can
send their children for test preparation classes.
I believe the City should do this free of charge.
Lastly, we should establish more specialized high
schools.
It has been said, “Don’t lower the bridge.
Raise the water.” I believe we must keep the test
because SHSAT does not recognize race, gender,
religion or ethnicity. It is still the most objective
method to determine admission. Th e solution
is to improve K-8, identifying youngsters at
an early age and providing resources. Th ere are
no quick fi xes.
Senator Stavisky is a graduate of the Bronx
H.S. of Science, the parent of a Science graduate
and has taught at Brooklyn Technical HS.
She is the Ranking Member of the Senate Higher
Education Committee.
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPERS!
How disappointing that recent
major staff layoff s at the New York
Daily News comes aft er celebrating 98
years of publishing in June.
We live in one of the few remaining
free societies, with a wealth of information
SUPPORTING ISRAEL
ALL THE WAY
Editor’s note: Th e following is a
response to a letter from reader Marty
Miller by the author which has been
shared with us for publication.
Th ank you for contacting me to
express your support for U.S. military
aid to Israel. Since its founding, Israel
has been under nearly constant siege
and I strongly agree that Congress
should provide Israel with the resources
necessary to meet its security needs.
Since Israel dismantled settlements
and withdrew from Gaza in 2005,
Hamas has launched thousands of
rockets and mortars into Israel. I will
continue to work with my colleagues
in the Senate, as well as Secretary
of State Pompeo and the Trump
Administration, to pressure Hamas
and Hezbollah to end these intolerable
attacks and recognize Israel’s right to
exist. I am also focused on the existential
threat posed to Israel by a nuclear
Iran.
I opposed the Iran nuclear deal
spearheaded by President Obama
and voted for the renewal of the Iran
Sanctions Act which will maintain
punishing sanctions against Iran for
another ten years. I will do everything
in my power to prevent Iran from
obtaining nuclear weapon capability.
I continue to support a robust
peace process and hope that Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
and Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas will soon re-launch direct negotiations.
A peace agreement can only
work if both parties enter into it willingly,
feel vested in it, and commit to
implementing it.
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer
BLASTING OCASIO
CORTEZ’S ISRAEL
CRITICISM
I tend to be a very direct individual,
so let me say what I have concluded
up-front:
When a nation is confronted with
an attempted violent invasion from a
border by armed terrorists (purposely
“camoufl aged” amongst civilians),
launching bombs and other incendiary
devices, following suicide bombing
attacks, murders by vehicle, stabbing
attacks and every concoction of terrorist
evil — and when you say that only
the state of the Jewish people, Israel,
does not have the right to defend
itself where every other nation in the
world does — then you are Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez.
When every human alive today with
any modicum of gray matter knows
that socialism, since its inception,
has stifl ed human development and
destroyed societies everywhere it has
been implemented — and yet you seek
that path — then you are Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez.
When you are the elected council
members, assembly members, state
senators, congress members of the
Queens Democratic Organization —
and you are purposefully silent on the
emergence of Ocasio-Cortez as your
new political face — then your intellectual
integrity is no better than Joe
Crowley’s in proclaiming his “welcome”
and endorsement of Ocasio-
Cortez to replace him.
I would personally ask my friend Joe
Lieberman to appear with Joe if he had
the “cajones” to run for re-election as
an independent, as Joe did.
Bipartisan support for Israel is critical.
Th e Democratic Party has crossed
the Rubicon: Sure, there are and have
been Democratic Congress members
from New York who are not in love
with Israel, but none of them hostile.
However, for an incoming member
(unless Crowley revives his principles
and runs nonetheless) to state
up front, as Ocasio-Cortez has, that
defenders against organized terror are
themselves “murderers,” we are at a
new frontier. She is being underwritten
by hard left groups to travel the
country and spread her poison in the
districts of other candidates.
Jeff rey Wiesenfeld, Queens
Editor’s note: Wiesenfeld is a former
senior aide to Democratic and
Republican officials, including
Governor George Pataki, Senator
Alfonse D’Amato, Mayor Ed Koch,
Borough President Claire Shulman and
Congressman Tom Manton.
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sources available for any citizen
to access. However, sadly, most
American cities and suburbs are down
to one local daily or weekly newspaper.
Most papers have to deal with
continued increasing costs for newsprint,
delivery and distribution along
with reduced advertising revenues and
declining readership.
Th ese fi nancial challenges on maintaining
the bottom line have also
resulted in less resources being devoted
to investigative reporting and a
greater reliance on wire service stories.
As a result, original newspaper content
continues to shrink.
Th ere has also been major growth
in weekly papers based in neighborhoods
all around the fi ve boroughs of
NYC and Long Island. Neighborhood
weekly newspapers like our very own
Queens Courier, Ridgewood Times
and other Schneps Communications
publications provide real coverage of
local community news stories usually
overlooked by other media.
Th ere are still many like myself and
others who have a continued thirst for
news provided by either daily or weekly
newspapers covering Washington,
Albany, NYC and Queens Boro Hall.
I continue to be grateful that the
Queens Courier aff ords me an opportunity
to express my views, as well as
diff ering opinions.
Please join me along with your neighbors
in continue reading the Queens
Courier, Ridgewood Times and other
Schneps Communications publications.
Patronize their advertisers; they
provide the revenues necessary to keep
them in business. Let them know you
saw their ad. Th is is what helps keep
our neighbors employed, the local
economy growing and provide space
on a daily or weekly basis for your
favorite or not so favorite letter writers.
In the marketplace of ideas, let us
hope there continues to be room for
everyone including the Daily News,
our own Queens Courier and other
Schneps Communications publications
regardless of the price. Th ey fi ll
a valuable niche in the information
highway.
Larry Penner, Great Neck