WHEREAS the UFT passed “Resolution on Specialized High School Admissions Policies” on December 12, 2012; and

WHEREAS members and alumni from each of the Specialized High Schools served on an admissions task force that, through months of research, debate and consensus building, resulted in the March 2014 publication of “Making the Case for Change: Redefining High Performance for Entrance into Specialized High Schools,” and

WHEREAS the Specialized High Schools continue to represent less than one percent of the New York City schools offering a quality high school education to the hundreds of thousands of teens enrolled; and

WHEREAS despite public opposition to the current single-test admission to the city’s specialized high schools, admissions continue to fail to reflect the diversity of our citywide student body and

WHEREAS the current public controversy over this issue has been fueled in part by the administration’s admitted mistakes in explaining its goals and means; therefore be it

RESOLVED that the UFT’s position is that all our students — of all races and ethnicities — deserve the opportunity for a high-quality education, an opportunity that cannot be limited by the results of one test, or admission to a small group of schools; be it further

RESOLVED that the UFT reaffirms the findings of “Making the Case for Change” and the “Resolution on Specialized High School Admissions Policies;” be it further

RESOLVED that the UFT reaffirms our support for a multiple measures admissions policy for the city’s specialized high schools that takes into consideration the content students must know and skills students must excel in order to succeed in these schools; be it further

RESOLVED, that the UFT specialized high school task force will reconvene to discuss ways educators in these schools may work together to develop and implement policies that will improve representation in these schools and that will promote inclusive and respectful school culture and tone; and be it further

RESOLVED that the UFT continues to support efforts to expand the definition of academic ability beyond a single test and to ensure that high school admission policies acknowledge the range of talents demonstrated by New York City’s students.