NYC Politicians Botched Common Core, Failing Black & Latino Students
A Broken Promise: How Education Reform Left Black & Latino Students Behind
Common Core was a multi-state educational initiative of the Obama Administration to establish a common set of standards for the United States, which would place American students in a position to compete within the global economy. I liked the Math Common Core standards and approach to teaching. Malcolm X said, “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs only to the people who prepare for it today.”
When Common Core launched, it promised to raise academic standards and close achievement gaps. Instead students saw their math scores decline while political leaders who championed the initiative remained silent about its failures. Worse, when backlash against testing emerged, the response wasn’t to improve the system—but to abandon it, leaving many students with no alternative path forward. This article dives into the data, the policy missteps, and the consequences that continue to shape NYC’s classrooms today.
Introduction: The Rise and Fall of Common Core
It has been years since the national Common Core educational initiative collapsed under criticism. New York State implemented Common Core in 2009, with testing beginning in 2013. This article presents data-driven insights, highlighting the alarming shifts in student performance over the past two decades. By analyzing NYC educational data by race from 2006 to 2023, a clear picture emerges: Common Core was a well-intentioned but the deeply flawed American education system could not contend with the curriculum. American students currently rank 28th out of the 37 Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development countries. The OECD countries comprise of the US, Western Europe, Japan, Korea, and Australia.
Common Core was designed as a nationwide educational reform under the Obama administration, aimed at standardizing learning benchmarks to enhance American students’ global competitiveness. While I appreciated the mathematical rigor of Common Core, many educators in New York State did not. The initiative was ultimately too challenging for America to implement effectively. Initially, 46 states and the District of Columbia adopted Common Core, but due to widespread backlash from educators, parents, and politicians of both parties, 14 states eventually banned it via legislation. Imagine a law prohibiting a curriculum—only in America, right?
This is not a new debate, but what is often overlooked is how student performance trended before and after Common Core. NYC’s annual math assessment tests for grades 3-8, scored on a 4.0 scale, classify Levels 1 and 2 as failing and Levels 3 and 4 as passing. Understanding these trends is key to evaluating Common Core’s true impact and the broader failures of political leadership in addressing racial disparities in education.
How Common Core Impacted NYC Students
The Rise of Level 2 Under Achievers
Data trends reveal why many parents were alarmed. Between 2009 and 2013, the number of White and Asian students scoring at Level 2 spiked, reflecting concerns within these communities. Black and Latino students also saw a sharp increase in 2009 but experienced a steady decline until COVID-19 disrupted testing in 2021. The political outcry around Common Core and the emergence of the Opt-Out Movement largely stemmed from its perceived negative impact on White and Asian students. In contrast, the struggles of Black and Latino students received far less attention, because they have continued to struggle with no political out cry.
The Growth of Level 1 Under Achievers: A Crisis in the Making
In 2009, Black and Latino students scoring at Level 1—far below proficiency—rose dramatically, alongside a notable increase for White and Asian students. Despite a brief dip after Common Core testing began, these numbers remained constant until COVID-19, when Level 1 scores surged again. The fact that so many Black and Latino students remained trapped at the lowest achievement level is not just unfortunate—it is a policy failure.
The most damning revelation comes when combining Level 1 and Level 2 results, which paints a bleak picture of educational stagnation. Instead of rising to the challenge and seeing the importance of educational achievement to maintain America’s dominance in the global economy and accepting the challenge and growing to meet the internationally accepted standards of Common Core, we coddled and failed our children.
The Opt-Out Movement: Protest Without a Plan
In New York State, Common Core tests were widely criticized as too difficult and stressful, fueling the rise of the Opt-Out Movement. Many parents, particularly in suburban and affluent communities, saw excessive standardized testing as a burden rather than a tool for academic growth. Instead of adapting and improving the educational framework, many political leaders—especially in progressive circles—supported widespread boycotts of the tests. By 2016, 21% of New York State students opted out.
Instead of refining and properly supporting Common Core with better teacher training, curriculum adjustments, and resource allocation, New York State politicians allowed it to collapse. The failure to implement a meaningful replacement left Black and Latino students further behind. It is one thing to opt out of something in favor of a superior model, but to opt into nothingness is educational malpractice. Today, 65% of Black and Latino students in NYC perform below math standards—yet the political outrage that once fueled the Opt-Out Movement is conspicuously absent.
The STEM Achievement GAP
Looking at the Level 4 achievement by race, we can clearly see that the achievement gap existed pre and post-Common Core. The Opt-Out movement helped to maintain the status quo with the American educational system concerning educating Black and Latino children. There has always been an achievement gap in STEM Education for Black and Latino kids. This has been a tension point for society, not a pain point. A pain point needs to be resolved; a tension point hurts but is something that people can live with. Tension points are not big enough problems for society to garner the focus of the political establishment. Since we are not seeing any alarm from the New York political establishment about the achievement gap, my focus is to change the narrative and give our elected officials something to focus on.
Common Core eliminated the number of Black and Latino Level 3 achievers. This is upsetting, but being where you are is better than having an illusion of success. It should be noted that post-COVID, the climb in Level 3 for Black and Latino kids is encouraging. However, we still have a long way to go.
Political Silence and the Achievement Gap
New York City boasts numerous vocal politicians, including Letitia James, Hakeem Jeffries, Eric Adams, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Except for Adams, all are progressives who strongly supported the Opt-Out Movement but have since been silent on the academic consequences for Black and Latino students. However, Adams’s school chancellor, David Banks, acknowledged the achievement gap issue and attempted to address the issue but failed to select and effective curriculum causing test scores to tank. When Bank’s launched NYC Solves program in June of 2024 he stated “And nearly 66% of black students and approximately 64% of Latino students scored below proficiency … I don’t know about you, but I think that is wholly unacceptable.”
In 2021, Ocasio-Cortez argued in a congressional hearing that education is not the solution to the racial wealth gap—policy is. AOC, boldly stated that Education is not the solution to the wealth gap, policy is. The video is embedded at the end of the article for people to view. I like AOC and am a fan of hers, but using the word “myth” combined with “education” was, is, and forever will be problematic to me.
She then articulates that the wealth gap was created via public policy and will be solved by public policy mentioning the WWII GI bill, etc.. I was a bit disappointed with the analysis. AOC also cited a study that proved that white high school graduates have more wealth than Black college graduates. I am not trying to misrepresent her, so I added the video. What I want to do is add to the analysis; there was this thing called slavey, and if anything helped to create the white wealth gap, that did it. You can throw in Jim Crow, targeted lynchings for economic gains. If anyone reads Richard Wright’s Black Boy, we see the concept of targeted lynchings for economic gains exemplified. A racial component is ignored that policy has failed to address and will not be able to address. What Black people can control is their destinies through education.
Instead of promoting rigorous educational standards with the necessary support structures, political leaders abandoned efforts to improve outcomes, leaving vulnerable students even further behind. Progressive politics moved on and focused on other social justice issues. The issue that launched the Civil Rights era, equal education for Black Children with the Brown vs the Board of Education case of 1954, has been forgotten, amnesia!
History Demonstrates the Transformative Power of Education
In 1829, David Walker, a Black Abolitionist in Boston, wrote a book, Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World, a call to action to revolt against the evils of slavery. The book was out lawed in the south and slaves were put to death if they were caught reading it. Walker died in 1830, but shortly afterwards an educated enslaved African, Nat Turner, led his famous rebellion. I mention these things to highlight the importance of education is has been and will always be towards racial progress. Frederick Douglass famously said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free,” understanding that education is fundamental to liberation and advancement.”
Lessons from Asian American and Immigrant Communities
Addressing the racial wealth gap requires multiple solutions, but education remains central. Consider the income disparity across racial groups in America: Asian Americans have the highest median household income. Why? Education and tight-knit economic ecosystems. In 2017 most of New York Cities 411 private test prep centers were in the Asian enclaves of Flushing Queens and Sunset Park Brooklyn.
New York City’s specialized high schools, which admit students based on the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT), reflect these dynamics. Despite making up only 18% of NYC public school students, Asian students account for 53% of specialized high school admissions. Meanwhile, Black students, who constitute 19.5% of the public-school population, represent just 3% of specialized high school enrollees. Similarly, Latino students comprise 42.7% of NYC’s student body, accounting for only 6.7% of specialized high school students. The equivalent education from one of New York Cities elite private-schools costs upwards of $60,000 annually.
There is a conflict over the lack of Black and Latino Students in the Specialized High Schools of New York City, juxtaposed with the overrepresentation of Asian students, which has created some racial tension. NYC progressives lead by Bill DeBlasio attempted to Opt-Out of the SHSAT being a requirement for these schools, Asian New Yorkers protested this calling it discriminatory. I am a Black immigrant from Guyana, and I side with the Asian American community on this issue. It is important to keep the academic standards of these institutions intact. Education is deeply embedded in Guyanese culture. Guyanese Americans have a median income of $84K—higher than White Americans, whose median income is $74K. Similarly, Nigerian and Ghanaian immigrants in the U.S. boast median incomes around $72K. In fact, 77% of Black doctors in America are Nigerian. These communities prioritize education and build strong academic ecosystems, proving that a commitment to learning and competition yields tangible results.
What distinguishes these immigrant communities is cultural values and practical educational approaches: communal tutoring programs, multi-generational academic support, and a strong emphasis on STEM disciplines. These communities have created parallel educational structures when mainstream institutions fall short. Instead of criticizing Asian students for their high levels of preparation, we should focus on fostering a culture of academic excellence among Black and Latino students and learning from these successful educational models.
A Call to Action: A Path Forward
There are only three ways to close the racial wealth gap:
- Black Americans forcibly take wealth from White Americans (impractical and unrealistic).
- The government pays reparations (a just cause but politically unlikely in the near future).
- Black Americans generate wealth through education and economic strategy (the most viable path forward).
While racism in education persists, ignoring academic achievement is not an option. The United States is already falling behind in the global STEM race, with China producing more computer scientists than the rest of the world combined. Artificial Intelligence and advanced technology will shape the future, and America needs all hands-on deck.
Policy Recommendations
To address these persistent inequities, we need:
- Creation of public and private partnerships, where STEM professionals engage public school children and provide expertise to teachers
- Culturally responsive approach to learning that engage all students while maintaining high standards like my product – Driving To Success STEM Kit
- Expanded access to early childhood education programs that build strong academic foundations
- Creation of a city or statewide task force of educators, STEM professionals, elected officials and parents to properly address the issue
- Expanding ICT model of two teachers in the classroom the standard model for all elementary schools and high schools
- Transparent accountability measures that track progress by demographic groups
Opting out of rigorous education was a mistake. NYC politicians failed Black and Latino students by supporting protests without a plan. The choice is clear: continue down the path of neglect, or invest in the future of millions. The cost of inaction is not just economic disparity—it’s national decline.
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