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Timeline
Look through this timeline to learn more about all the things that have happened since the fight for diversity at HCHS began!
(most recent events are at the top)
City Council Higher Education Committee holds a hearing on Admissions Policies at CUNY’s Early College High Schools
9 HCHS4D members and 2 HCHS teachers testify. Testimony highlights the key flaws within Hunter’s admissions process and our school's climate, discussing underrepresented student isolation, and emphasizing our administration’s stonewalling tactics. Learn more here.
Hunter College President Jennifer Raab creates her HCCS Task Force on Racial Equity
Created as an indirect response to elected official pressure; 5 HCHS4D members are put on the task force of 30 people. It consists of 3 groups: admissions, climate, and curriculum
38 elected officials sign on to a letter calling for suspension of the 2021 Test and commitment to long-term admissions reform
The letter clearly laid out three main demands:
1) suspend the 2021 admissions test
2) implement an alternative 2021 admissions system that promotes equity and diversity
3) work with integration experts to make permanent changes and formulate an admissions system that balances excellence with equity.
This letter and the efforts to create a fair admissions system was championed by Council Members Barron and Lander, Assemblymember Carroll, and Senators Jackson, Hoylman, and Ramos. Learn more here.
2/25/2021
2/23/2021
HCHS4D partners with The Century Foundation to host a summit on admissions reform and equity at our nation’s top public exam schools.
Over 90 students, alums, civil rights activists, and researchers across the country came together at the February 25th “Bridging Collectives” summit of exam school activists. Learn more here.
Junior rep Aruna Das writes an op-ed in The Nation entitled “My Selective High School Looks Nothing Like America”
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2/23/2021
2/11/2021
2/1/2021
HCHS4D hosts a press conference along with 5 elected officials to announce the electeds’ call for change at hchs
Over 3,300 have watched the press conference on Facebook and news sites including Daily News, AMNY, Politico, and other local outlets have written articles on the conference and the demands that were made there.
1/29/2021
The New York Times Editorial Board features the HCHS4D fight in their “Reopen Schools, and Reform Them”
12/20/2020
HCHS4D senior Chloë Rollock and Stuyvesant HS senior Sarai Pridgen write, “NYC, suspend high-stakes admission tests,” an op-ed in the NY Daily News
11/30/2020
Nov 2020
HCHS4d Students write a call for immediate admissions reform, with over 900 signers
With the admissions cycle approaching quickly and no word from the Hunter administration, HCHS4D writes a second call for action, specifically aimed towards ensuring equity and safety for the 2021 admissions cycle. Read it here.
The letter demands that Hunter:
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Suspend the Hunter Test for the 2021 admission cycle to ensure equity and safety for all staff and students.
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Consult with integration experts to address the 2021 admissions emergency.
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Release admissions data to support a transparent and accountable admissions reform process.
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Commit to a meaningful and permanent Diversity, Equity & Inclusion plan.
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9/25/2021
Students from HCHS4D meet with President Raab to discuss admissions reform for 2021 and onwards
Students meet with President Jennifer Raab, Dean of Diversity John Rose, and Hunter College legal heads to ask for her to address the urgent admissions equity crisis. Raab agrees that the school’s diversity is a major issue and makes the initial commitment to hire integration experts to help consult on the admissions process for 2021 and onwards.
HCHS4D hold a protest outside of Hunter College President Jennifer Raab’s office
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9/18/2020
HCHS4D and parent group MOSAIC host teach-ins to educate the Hunter community on admissions reform and Hunter’s diversity crisis
Sept 2020
10/22/2020
HCHS4D submits a scope of work proposal for integration experts
The proposal recommended that Hunter retain Dr. Sean Corcoran from Vanderbilt University and NYU’s Research Alliance for New York City Schools (RANYCS) to lead admissions consulting work. This would entail providing quick-turnaround analysis and recommendations for the 2021 HCHS admissions cycle, followed by a more extensive report and recommendations with options for future years. The proposal also recommended former member of the US DOJ Anurima Bhargava as head legal consultant.
7/23/2020
Parents and students meet with HCCS administrators to discuss DEI at the Campus Schools
Parents and students from both HCHS and HCES meet with administrators to discuss issues within the curriculum, school climate, and faculty hiring. They ask that Hunter reprioritize work within these realms for the coming school year.
7/22/20
Parents and students meet with Hunter administrators to discuss admissions
The student/parent group submits admissions reform proposals to the HCHS admin, HCCS Director Lisa Siegmann, HCCS Admissions Director Sabra Pacheco, and Hunter College Dean of Diversity John Rose recommending multiple alternative admissions processes. Despite meeting with the student/parent group, these administrators do not respond to the submitted recommendations nor do they agree to connect with admissions experts.
7/23/2020
HCHS Alumni Association forms subcommittees for their Diversity Committee
Hunter students and alumni worked together to focus on three sub committees over the summer, researching and writing on admissions reform, school recruitment, and student retention. The subcoms studied successful admissions models and connected with experts that culminated in a presentation for the alumni association board, to convince them that diversity is a fight to be involved in.
7/3/2020
Students create @HCHS4Diversity
Students create social media platform @HCHS4Diversity—on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter—to serve as the hub for diversity and equity at Hunter. Students use the platform to increase transparency about issues at the school, constantly update the Hunter community, and organize student activism surrounding the fight for educational equity!
June 2020
Hunter Summer Antiracism Initiative (HSAI) forms
Hunter community members come together to form summer working groups to address curricular, faculty, climate, and admissions issues. Over 200 people participate in this effort throughout the summer, helping hire new faculty of color and submitting a proposal for a permanent curricular reform group.
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Sept 2020
Admin’s Initial Response to the student letter
Admin originally only responds to curricular needs. The department chairs from Social Studies and English & CT meet with student leaders that wrote the “Call for Diversity.” HS admin follows up by scheduling two follow-up meetings to address other issues raised in the student call.
Student Call For Diversity
A group of Hunter students pen “Student Call For Diversity,” a 27 page letter laying out a list of demands to call for immediate action to remedy the diversity and equity issues within Hunter’s curriculum, faculty representation, student retention rate, and admissions process. The last nine pages of the letter display student experience with all four areas. 1,895 students, parents, alumni, and faculty members sign on, prompting administrative action.
Parents also wrote their own letter.
6/3/2020
2011
Faculty members write an open letter calling for administrative action
Several faculty members write an open letter in response to Hunter’s lack of response to the suggestions brought by the Middle States Accreditation process.
Justin Hudson (HCHS ‘10) speaks out about Hunter’s segregation in his graduation speech
Hudson makes a powerful concluding statement that leaves the Hunter and New York City community to reflect on Hunter’s segregation: "If you truly believe that the demographics of Hunter represent the distribution of intelligence in this city, then you must believe that the Upper West Side, Bayside and Flushing are intrinsically more intelligent than the South Bronx, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Washington Heights, and I refuse to accept that."
June 2010
2003 & 2010
Faculty organize and present two different reports on admissions flaws
The Strategic Planning Initiative Committee on Admissions in 2010 presents their findings to Hunter College President Jennifer Raab; however, the Hunter College administration rejects almost all of their suggestions, stifling meaningful change.