NYC Abandons De Blasio-Era Admissions Policies as Families Flee Public Schools

New York City is changing its admission policies implemented by former Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio, now basing admissions to selective high schools and middle schools on test scores amidst the city’s enrollment drop, according to a press release by New York City Schools Chancellor David C. Banks.

In an effort to admit “top-performing applicants,” the top 15% of students with a grade point average (GPA) of 90 or above, will be vetted first for the selective schools, according to a press release by Banks. The previous admissions policy was a random lottery that allowed underperforming students to receive admission to the screened schools, introduced during the pandemic.

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New York City to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccine for Entire City Workforce

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that all New York City municipal workers would be required to have a COVID-19 vaccination.

All municipal employees, including police and firefighters, will have until Oct. 29 to receive their first shot or risk losing their jobs, according to de Blasio. City employees will receive an additional $500 in their paychecks after receiving their first dose.

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New York City to Remove 200-Year-Old Thomas Jefferson Statue from City Hall

The New York City Public Design Commission voted to remove a historic statue of one of America’s leading Founding Fathers from City Hall, according to The Hill.

On Monday, the commission unanimously voted to relocate the statue from the City Council chambers. The vote comes after State Assemblyman Charles Barron (D-N.Y.) and his wife, City Councilwoman Inez Barron, first began the movement to remove the statue. Assemblyman Barron claimed, without evidence, that Jefferson was a rapist, while Councilwoman Barron insisted that removal of his statue was “not being revisionist.”

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NYC’s Likely Next Mayor Says He’ll Expand Gifted Student Program, Not End It

Eric Adams of New York

Eric Adams, the likely next mayor of New York City, said Friday he would keep and expand the city’s gifted program which current Democratic Mayor Bill De Blasio planned to eliminate.

“[De Blasio] can’t get rid of it until next year. There’s nothing to put back in place,” Adams told a CNN host when asked if he would reinstate the city’s gifted program.

Adams said New York needs to expand accelerated learning by testing children throughout their educational experience. Under the current system, children are tested for the gifted program at four years old, before they have entered the school system.

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Commentary: A School Movement Targeting Minorities That Works, Progressives Don’t Like It

Michael Landsbaum hit bottom after his father lost his job and couldn’t pay rent, leaving the teenager homeless in Dallas. He slept on friends’ couches for months until he was rescued by an unlikely source: his high school.

But Pathways in Technology Early College High School did much more than provide him with a place to stay at a counselor’s home. Its accelerated program, including college courses, gave Landsbaum the drive to get through the tough times and the hope for better days.

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Bill De Blasio Calls on Cuomo to Resign After ‘Absolutely Unacceptable’ Sexual Misconduct Allegations

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio became the latest Democratic lawmaker to call on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign after a sixth woman accused him of sexual misconduct.

After the Albany Times Union reported that a woman accused Cuomo of reaching under her blouse and touching her at his Executive Mansion last year, de Blasio said that the governor “could no longer serve.”

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National Retail Chains, Restaurants Flee New York

The New York Times reports that national retailers and restaurant chains such as J.C. Penney, Neiman Marcus, Le Pain Quotidien, and Subway are permanently closing locations in New York City in response to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s management of the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to a “mass exodus” of residents and businesses.

Business leaders warn that the city is facing a crisis of “historic proportions,” according to the Times.

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De Blasio Announces COVID-19 Checkpoints on Tunnels and Bridges to Enforce Quarantine Order

Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday COVID-19 checkpoints will be established on tunnels and bridges leading into the city in order to enforce Governor Cuomo’s quarantine order.

The mayor tweeted, “New Yorkers worked too hard to beat back COVID-19 — we cannot lose that progress. 35 states have dangerously high infection rates. We won’t let the virus spread here.”

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‘Absolute Monarchy’: Catholic Priests, Jewish Congregants Sue Cuomo, De Blasio Over Double Standards on Worship, Protests

Catholic priests and Jewish congregants have filed a lawsuit against Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio over double standards on worship and protests.

Two Catholic priests from upstate New York and three Orthodox Jewish congregants from Brooklyn filed lawsuit June 10 against Cuomo, de Blasio, and Attorney General Letitia James in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York.

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Bill de Blasio Enters Race for the White House

by Evie Fordham   Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday that he is entering the crowded 2020 field for president. “Doesn’t matter if you live in a city or a rural area, a big state, small state. Doesn’t matter what your ethnicity is. People in every part of this country felt stuck or even like they’re going backwards,” he said in the video announcing his bid. He said he’ll be running on the platform of “working families first,” and mentioned paid sick leave as well as raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. De Blasio, 58, assumed office in 2014 and has become known for his progressive statements and policies. He has repeatedly said the “money in this country” is “in the wrong hands.” The mayor has been quietly tapping into City Hall staffers with national political experience. That includes Mike Casca, who became spokesman and communications strategist of de Blasio’s federal political action committee in April, reported The New York Daily News. Casca worked on Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign, reported Politico. De Blasio also handpicked experienced City Hall employees Jon Paul Lupo and Jaclyn Rothenberg in February to help with…

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New York Mayor Bill De Blasio Heads for Early-Voting State New Hampshire Ahead of Potential 2020 Run

by Evie Fordham   Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is heading to the early-voting state of New Hampshire ahead of a potential 2020 presidential run, sources close to the mayor told Politico Monday. De Blasio’s plans include a classic voter meet-and-greet at a diner in Nashua, New Hampshire, Friday morning after a meeting with Mayor Jim Donchess, reported Politico. Then he will hop over to the state’s capital city of Concord to meet with organizers from the group Rights & Democracy, New Hampshire. The group’s website says its purpose is “sending the message to our elected officials that we want policies that lead to happy, healthy, and just communities for all Granite Staters.” “[De Blasio] wants to make sure ideas like pre-K for all, paid personal time and mental health are on the table as Democrats debate the party’s vision for the future,” City Hall communications director Mike Casca told Politico. De Blasio has been quietly tapping into City Hall staffers with national political experience like Casca, who worked on Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign, reported Politico. De Blasio has also tapped experienced City Hall employees Jon Paul Lupo and Jaclyn Rothenberg for his…

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