Why were only three blacks accepted this year into New York City’s competitive Stuyvesant High School? Because that is the number of blacks who passed the admissions test—a detail not even alluded to until the fifth paragraph of the New York Times story on this alleged scandal. Why did... only three blacks (out of 777 admittees) pass the admissions test? Because, on average, blacks’ academic skills are so low. Nationally, the percentage of black 12th graders with advanced math skills is essentially zero on a national sample. Why continue to point out this doleful reality, which most well-meaning Americans would rather ignore? Because unless we understand that the low representation of blacks in meritocratic institutions, whether Stuyvesant High School or NASA, is due to the academic skills gap and not to systemic racism, we will continue to sabotage civilizational progress. (The next question: Why the persistent academic skills gap? This is the thorniest question of all.)show more

It's not thorny at all. One of the best established discoveries in social science over more than 60 years is the one standard deviation difference between average black and white intelligence. Only thorny if you're afraid of truth.

Watch my full conversation with @Rafa_Mangual:

@Bridge2Freedom The media, academia and the entertainment industry invert reality on every issue. A certain Thomas Sowell attended this high school long before affirmative action. Was this mentioned by the NYT?

@RobManess I always thought that environment was the primary driver of IQ, but was recently corrected and learned that it is almost all driven by genetics…

It was never a kindness to force No Child Left Behind on everyone. It held everyone back at the level of the least capable student. Pair that with the 'kindness' of 'soft racism' that gives automatic passing grades? Now we have an entire generation of completely illiterate kids.

Black culture needs to embrace academic achievement. Until then, the results will continue to be abysmal, at the expense of generations.

@snowstormyou You have to be one of the bravest people in this country. Most people just want to avoid this subject with a 10 ft pole. I honestly do not understand how we’re ever going to address this issue if we can’t speak about it honestly. Thank you!!

I am a nice and well-meaning American and I 100% want to be talking about this. Honestly, it’s the only way forward.

"academic skills gap and not to systemic racism," The idea that you can divorce the academic skills gap from systemic racism suggests a poor understanding of systemic racism in the US.

Grey matter, matters. Spinning or questioning the results doesn’t change them. Sub-Saharan IQ’s are on average 70.

This likely has a lot to do with the “thorniness.” They, on average, lack the mental capabilities required for complex thought processes.

There’s a second factor: self-selection. The additional blacks who were capable of getting into Stuyvesant are highly desired and competed for by super-expensive private schools who will happily give them scholarships not available to Sneetches without stars on their bellies.

If only black leaders cared about the facts and chose accountability not racism. But no, accountability doesnt sell.

Thank you, Heather. Your honesty is the first step in acknowledging the problem so that we can create an educational system that provides competent and curious children with the skills needed to succeed. The NY Times has a long history of burying the truth in order to promote an identity politics narrative. Those three black children and all the children who managed to qualify will hopefully grow up to become successful and teach their children that hard work and effort matter. Keep writing. You have a great mind and an unabashed integrity.

I taught English on a team with a math teacher who pulled off a Jaime-Escalante level achievement with our mostly poor black seventh graders. She was tall, Indian, and no-nonsense. She convinced the higher-ups to let her teach 7th grade content & on to algebra 1. By the end of the year, every child she taught scored proficient or above on state tests of ninth grade algebra. They topped the kids in the university town down the road. How did she do it? I don't know. Point is, it CAN be done. We just don't want to. Super teacher left that year and went to the uni town down the road. Rich get richer.

It’s actually important to mention that black students capable of getting into Stuy can almost always get a full ride at many different prestigious private schools - thus shrinking the pool of black kids testing into Stuy.

A black mother will have a screaming meltdown if her kid gets a failing grade or gets suspended/expelled for disruptive/violent behavior. But where is she for parent/teacher conferences or PTA? And don’t even mention the dads. IF the kid even knows who their dad is, the dad is either in prison or on the street selling drugs. Yet they blame whites for their child’s failure.

If you are consistently told that you are a victim and nothing that you do can change your oppression, it is unlikely you would try to improve yourself.

When they bury the important fact you know they're not being honest.

My father and grandfather both graduated Stuyvesant. As my father recalled he studied like a mad man for a very difficult test for admission to the NYC exam schools. He wasn’t admitted because his father went there. They didn’t care about legacy. Only pure academic excellence.

I don't think people understand what the 20th century did to Black families.

Families either value education or they don’t. That’s 90-99% of the issue. Teachers can only do so much. When you have elementary teachers now having to be trained to potty train children there is a serious issue.

Why the persistent academic skills gap? James DNA Watson -- 2007: "I'm inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa. All our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours -- whereas all testing says not really"

Stats tell us majority come from single parent homes which is an incredible hinderence. Until that tide turns, why should anyone expect any different?

Why isn't an improvement project at the top of the Left's political agenda? Not one word from the Left or Right about this? Perhaps, they are afraid of the teacher's union? Or, they have no idea where to start?

@Shugah007 The gap is due to IQ differences. The sooner we accept this, the sooner we can make much-needed societal changes.

Because teachers teach to the test to pass students to the next grade, thanks to No Child Left Behind. We need to eliminate the Dept of Education and give that power back to the states. Let the states and cities decide the curriculum. That's where the students are, not DC.

@TamaraInphilly If we could stop focusing on race (and sex) & just see people as individuals this wouldn’t be an issue. It’s this hyper fixation on identity that’s the issue. View people as individuals & you’ll get the right people in the right places at the right time-this benefits us ALL!

It’s only systemic within the black community itself. Any black youth striving for academic advancement is completely ostracized by their peers. It’s been this way for at least 40 years.

Also, this skills gap persists despite decades of government programs, academic research, philanthropy and private sector efforts. Even soft/cultural influences like STEM-themed children’s books full of black characters or films like “Hidden Figures.” You’d think the education policy mandarins might have learned some humility by now.

“Affirmative action calls into question the competency of all blacks by trying to help some blacks.” Thomas Sowell

@mjsb143 Easy. Genetics. Same reason East Asians and Jews do very well in academics and life generally. It’s like asking why Pitbulls are more aggressive than Golden Retrievers. Gee, I wonder.

I went to public school where 1/2 the class were black kids bussed in from the projects. They were all at leaat a year older and behind. The thing is they were not dumb. They just didn’t care. There is a large sector of that community that just isnt interested in western civ.

Policy makers need to accept the science concerning racial disparities in intelligence as shown in The Bell Curve (1994) by Herrnstein and Murray. Forcing equality of outcomes in education by lowering standards for everyone is counterproductive. People of different races are good at different things. A more enlightened society would simply accept the reality of the situation.