Mayor Bill de Blasio
Jan. 19, 2020 By Kristen Torres
Nearly 81 percent of four-year high school students in Queens graduated in 2019, according to the Mayor’s office.
About 20,000 high school students who entered 9th grade in 2015 graduated on time in the borough last year, following a trend of increased graduation rates throughout the city. A record high 77 percent of high school students graduated across all five boroughs in 2019.
“I have never accepted the status quo and I certainly won’t when it comes to the future of our children,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio in a statement Thursday. “For the sixth year in a row our record graduation rate is proving that when you invest in equity and excellence for every student in every neighborhood, success follows.”
Graduation rates have increased 9 percent citywide since 2014, according to de Blasio.
DOE
But Council Member Robert Holden—a vocal critic of de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza’s educational policies—said the graduation rate is based on false numbers.
“It’s great to see that despite many schools having single digit passing rates on state exams, our graduation rates are rising,” said Council Member Holden in a statement.
“I’d like to commend Chancellor Carranza for continuing to turn a blind eye on grade fraud, and touting artificial graduation rates, while our children suffer the consequences of failed education policies at the hands of Mayor de Blasio and the New York City Department of Education,” he added.
Holden has previously brought up issues surrounding academic fraud and misconduct in NYC public schools, and has urged the Mayor to investigate claims of lax grading practices among city teachers.
The Council Member also previously called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate allegations of grade-fixing throughout New York City public schools.
