Pro-SHSAT Activists have Spent over Quarter Million Dollars Lobbying NY Democrats

Some advocates for keeping the test have decided to invest in lobbyists. The alumni foundation for Bronx High School of Science, one of the elite high schools, signed a $96,000 contract with lobbying firm Bolton-St. John, according to public filings. Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation, which renewed a $120,000 contract with firm Yoswein, has lobbied for the test since at least September 2017, filings show.


Another group called the Scholastic Merit Fund, comprised of more advocates who want to preserve the test, hired Parkside Group LLC for $60,000 to lobby in support of the test.


Sen. Shelley Mayer, a Yonkers Democrat who will chair the Senate education committee, said she has “serious process concerns” about how de Blasio’s office handled the rollout of this plan, but she declined to comment beyond that. She deferred to newly elected Queens senator John Liu, a Democrat who will chair the New York City Senate education subcommittee, who says he acknowledges the city’s segregation problem but feels the Asian community should have been consulted.

https://chalkbeat.org/posts/ny/2019/01/08/heres-your-albany-education-cheat-sheet-for-2019-shsat-charter-schools-and-mayoral-control-will-be-among-hot-topics-this-session/

The lobby groups that have been paid to protect the SHSAT include

How are we supposed to compete against the Parkside Group, who are paid BY Democrats to help them win their seats? This is their homepage…