This message from David Williams makes the viewer wonder why such a seemingly successful school with a supportive community was deemed to be “failing.” We question whether the act of evaluating schools and closing those deemed “failures” can ever be effective given the racism that exists in America today and the history of segregation and discrimination in NYC neighborhoods.
For too long, NYC Mayors like Bloomberg and De Blasio have been closing schools and disproportionately affecting students of color in low-income neighborhoods. Too often there is a discrepancy between how schools are evaluated and the experiences of the community within the school. The correlation between school closure and income-level shown in our map demonstrate how evaluative processes to determine whether or not a school is “failing” are ineffective and racialized.
We hope that future Mayors will instead consider holistic policies that aim to rectify historic oppression and give all young New Yorkers an equitable, comprehensive, and consistent and education.
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