獨家╱國會議員促紐約市教育局批准SHSAT合同 批故意拖延

11日，布朗士國會眾議員托瑞斯(Ritchie Torres)致信教育政策小組(PEP)，敦促其即刻批准特殊高中入學考試(SHSAT)合同，並批評該小組延遲批准合同的行為對SHSAT造成干擾，「破壞州法」。

對紐約市公校有監管職權的教育政策小組，原本應在10月投票決定是否與運營特殊高中入學考試的NCS Pearson公司繼續簽署五年合作，但這項投票提案卻兩次被推遲。由於擔心延遲批准該合同會影響特殊高中2026年招生，目前，布碌崙(布魯克林)華人學生最密集的第20學區已通過決議，呼籲教育政策小組盡快通過該合同。

托瑞斯在信中強調，根據1971年通過的「赫克特-卡蘭德拉」(Hecht-Calandra Act)州法案，標準化考試是進入特殊高中的唯一錄取標準。「教育政策小組對合同的無期限拖延甚至故意抗拒」，托瑞斯寫道，「實則是在破壞州法」。

同時，托瑞斯也指出，有關SHSAT存續的意識形態爭論「極具分裂性」。他表示，自己在與亞裔社區的交談中認識到，SHSAT為亞裔群體實現「美國夢」提供了重要途徑；而對於特殊高中內非洲裔、西語裔學生不足的批評，並未提出如何系統性提高這兩族裔的教育成果，只會加深亞裔社區對政府的不信任，「停止政治化SHSAT」。

同日晚，教育政策小組將在市府舉行公聽，預計將討論SHSAT合同問題。

以下為托瑞斯致函中、英文原文：

致市教育局教育政策小組成員，

我寫此信是為了呼籲市教育局教育政策小組(Panel for Education Policy)立即批准與培生(Pearson)公司簽署的將特殊高中入學考試(SHSAT)電子化的合同。教育政策小組一直拖延實施電子化SHSAT的工作，這顯然是在試圖破壞考試本身。電子化是數位化時代的自然發展趨勢，其本身並無爭議，也沒有任何合理的理由拖延這份合同。

1972年的「赫克特-卡蘭德拉法案」(Hecht-Calandra Act)規定，標準化考試是進入特殊高中的唯一錄取標準。因此，教育政策小組必須將SHSAT的實施視為一項法定義務，而不是政策選擇。

教育政策小組對合同的無期限拖延甚至故意抗拒，明知其可能對SHSAT的實施造成干擾，實際上是在破壞州法律。其拖延戰術可能正是為了實現削弱SHSAT的目的。

政府應傾聽基層民眾的聲音，而不是迎合那些以施壓手段迫使政客和政策制定者屈服的利益集團。我與無數紐約市民交談過，尤其是亞裔社區，他們認為對SHSAT的攻擊是對他們實現「美國夢」途徑的攻擊。對於許多來自背景不佳的人來說，SHSAT提供了一條從貧困邁向繁榮的可靠途徑。教育政策小組非但沒有為實現「美國夢」鋪平道路，反而設置了障礙，這可能會給那些與特殊高中存亡息息相關的紐約人帶來噩夢。

長期以來，對特殊高中的意識形態爭論已被證明是極具分裂性的。這種爭論並未提出任何可以系統性改善非洲裔和西語裔社區教育成果的解決方案，只是疏遠並激怒了亞裔社區，加深了市民對市府和州府的不信任危機。我們面對的是最糟糕的局面：分裂紐約人民，卻不解決他們的問題。在紐約失敗的政治運作中，「分裂而無解決方案」已成為慣用手段。現在是選擇解決問題而非製造對立的時候了。

我對教育政策小組有一個簡單的建議：停止將SHSAT政治化，停止分裂紐約人民，開始著眼於系統整體的根本改進。教育政策小組負責監管超過1500所學校，而對其中八所特殊高中的過度關注可謂捨本逐末，加劇了分裂卻無法解決問題。

紐約州國會眾議員

瑞奇·托瑞斯

Deal Panel Members,

I am writing to call upon the Panel for Education Policy (PEP) to immediately approve the contract with Pearson to computerize the SHSAT. PEP has been delaying the administration of a computerized SHSAT in an apparent attempt to sabotage the test itself. Computerization is a natural development in a digitized world. There should be nothing controversial about computerization, and there is no good reason for delaying the contract.

The 1972 Hecht-Calandra Act requires a standardized exam as the sole standard of admission into specialized schools. PEP must therefore treat the implementation of the SHSAT not as a policy choice but as a statutory obligation.

By delaying the contract indefinitely and even defiantly, knowing the disruption it could cause to the administration of the SHSAT, PEP is subverting state law. Its delay tactics could have the intended effect of undermining the SHSAT.

Government ought to listen to the people on the ground, rather than pander to interest groups that browbeat politicians and policymakers into submission. I have spoken to countless New Yorkers—especially in the Asian community—who see an attack on the SHSAT as an attack on their path to the American Dream. For many hailing from humble origins, the SHSAT provides a proven pathway from poverty to prosperity. Instead of paving the road to the American Dream, PEP is setting up roadblocks that could create a nightmare for New Yorkers who see their own futures tied to the survival of specialized schools.

The longstanding ideological crusade against specialized schools has proven to be deeply divisive. It proposes no solution that will systemically improve educational outcomes for Black and Brown communities. It simply alienates and antagonizes the Asian community, deepening the crisis of confidence in both the City and the State. We have the worst of both worlds: dividing the people of New York without solving their problems. Division without solution has been the modus operandi of our failed politics in New York for far too long. The time has come to choose problem-solving over polarization.

I have a simple message for PEP: stop politicizing the SHSAT, stop polarizing the People of New York, and start focusing on fundamentally improving the system as a whole. PEP oversees more than 1500 schools; the outsized obsession with eight of them misses the forest for the trees and divides people rather than solves problems.

Sincerely,

Ritchie Torres

Member of Congress