Dear John,

Today is the anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka which prohibited school segregation based on race. What can we learn about school segregation during the COVID-19 crisis? And can we really do anything about it amidst a pandemic?

I think we can. I believe that what we’ve done over the past few years in District 15 points the way to facing some of the unique educational challenges of this moment, and far out into the future.

As in so many other realms, the COVID-19 crisis is revealing and exacerbating racial and economic divides in our school system. Six decades after Brown v. Board, New York City’s schools remain some of the most segregated in the country.

As a result, some of our schools bear dramatically unequal burdens, disproportionately full students of students who lack the necessary technology, parental help with lessons, a quiet space to study, or even a home at all (homeless students are heavily concentrated in a small percentage of our schools).

Our school system also faces a unique challenge at this moment: How will we assign students to middle and high schools, which we’ve often done through grades, attendance, and test scores, when we know those don’t mean much about our kids during this period of remote learning?

Last year, right here in District 15, after a lot of work together, we took an important step towards more integrated and equitable schools [[link removed]] by eliminating middle school admissions screens. I’ve been so inspired -- both before and during this crisis -- by the work of students, parents, and educators to build supportive communities that welcome and support all of our families. Through that work, our middle schools are showing that it’s possible to achieve both integrated admissions and high-quality education.

Now, our work in District 15 can serve as a model for middle-school admissions across the city. So, on this anniversary, I’m sending a letter to Chancellor Carranza, asking him to utilize our District 15 model for middle-schools across the city for next year’s admissions process (and to heed a set of thoughtful recommendations [[link removed]] for New York City’s high schools as well).

By making changes that advance admissions equity for the coming year, the DOE can mitigate the deleterious effects of the COVID disruption on the long-term educational outcomes of students in our city -- and lay the groundwork for longer-term planning (since more permanent decisions will need a more participatory process than is possible at the moment) to introduce more equity into admissions policies in the years to come.

If you agree that the model we developed together in District 15, through data-driven analysis, inclusive planning, and ambitious action is a good way to build a better, fairer, and more resilient city for future generations, I’d love your help. Because I’m running for NYC Comptroller to bring an equity lens to rebuilding our city.

We are running a campaign based on grassroots support and public matching funds, so that we can be sure to include and represent all New Yorkers. If you’re able, could you make an 8-to-1 matched donation to support my campaign so we can make school integration a city priority? [[link removed]]

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In so many ways, the COVID-19 crisis has turned gaps into gulfs, with communities of color bearing the brunt of the public health and economic crisis. But it has also shown us just how much the health and wellbeing of others impacts our own. Taking the right lessons from this crisis means tackling the underlying inequalities -- in education, in housing, in the economy -- that puts us all at risk.

We can rebuild our city to be more resilient -- in fact, we can only really rebuild our city to be more resilient -- if we break down the walls of segregation that continue to divide us.

By working together across lines of difference, investing in our collective future, allocating resources equitably, and evaluating where we are still falling short, we can build a future where all of our children have the same access to good schools, good jobs, and healthy, sustainable neighborhoods.

This is the kind of leadership that I brought to the community process to integrate District 15 middle schools, and it is the approach I will bring to citywide office. I’m grateful for any support today to help us get there together.

Your donation will be matched 8-to-1 by public financing -- can you chip in any amount today? In these difficult times, anything you can give is greatly appreciated! [[link removed]]

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Thank you so much, please continue to stay safe and support each other,

Brad

P.S. If you want to talk more about what the legacy of Brown v. Board means at this moment, join Ruth Messinger and me for our weekly “Justice in Action” conversation on Thursday at 2 pm [[link removed]] , as we are joined by Mark Winston Griffith, host of School Colors, a podcast about how race, class, and power shape American cities and schools and Executive Director of the Brooklyn Movement Center, and Emma Rehac, a student director with IntegrateNYC (a youth-led organization that stands for integration and equity in NYC schools) who served on the panel that developed the admissions recommendations for next year.

Lander for NYC
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