NYC Chancellor Joel Klein
“We have got to change, and change in dramatic ways, educational outcomes for kids who grow up in poverty, kids of color in this city and throughout this country. We have got to eliminate the racial and ethnic achievement gap in America today. The REACH program is another innovative, different way to try to change outcomes for our students in our city. I applaud its innovation and am grateful to The Council of Urban Professionals and The Pershing Square Foundation for stepping up to tackle the critical goal of increasing the number of students who perform at a high level on Advanced Placement tests.”
Mayor Bloomberg
“It was a pleasure to join you at the REACH Breaking Barriers Awards &Donor Appreciation Reception. Closing the achievement gap has been a landmark campaign for this Administration, and with the help of you and your organization we’re getting closer to doing so on student at a time.”
Elected Officials
Darryl C. Towns, New York State Assemblyman from Brooklyn and Chair of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus
“I am so excited about this initiative because this is one that’s coming to the students and saying, “What can we do to help you?” This initiative has students in mind. We don’t want to solve educational problems by lowering the bar.
“REACH is a great example of how private sector financing can help reinvigorate our communities. My colleagues in the Caucus know well that many students in low-income communities don’t participate in AP programs not because they don’t want to but because they have to work outside of school to make ends meet and can’t take on additional coursework. The financial incentives provided by REACH are an important tool to help our youth make this important investment in their future.”
Robert Jackson, NY City Council, Harlem, Chair of the Education Committee and Co-Chair of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus
“What we have here is an incentive to achieve at the highest level.”
Principals
Gregory Hodge, Principal at REACH participant The Frederick Douglass Academy in Central Harlem
“With these generous incentives and supports in place, there is little doubt in my mind that we will see a multifold increase in the number of our students who take and pass rigorous AP exams and who will gain acceptance into competitive colleges. We are all excited to take on this challenge because we know that our students appreciate how rewarding the challenge of academic rigor and high academic achievement can be. It takes some of the pressure off of the student. Believe me, this is going to mean we have more students wanting to take and study for the test.”
Geraldine Ambrosio, Principal at REACH participant DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx
“We are excited to participate in the REACH program because we believe that the lessons learned throughout the year will reaffirm what we tell our kids all the time: if you work hard and boldly take on the most important challenges, you will be rewarded with the gift of scholarship and the ability to choose your own destiny.”
William Bassell, Principal at REACH participant Long Island City High School in Queens, compared the program to a college scholarship, adding that it was just another way to reward students who have made academics a priority
“We don’t think Advanced Placement classes should be just an elitist thing. It should be for any kid who is willing to do the work. A lot of these kids surprise themselves. A financial reward is always a great motivator for teenagers.”
Tyona Washington, Principal at REACH participant Canarsie High School in Brooklyn
“I hope the students will see that hard work pays off. I want our students to be prepared for higher learning and to succeed in college. As educators we have to continue to find ways to motivate and reward academic achievement. I wish this program was around when I was in high school.”
Union Leaders
Ernest Logan, President of the CSA (NYC principals’ union)
“I support REACH’s mission of encouraging more New York City students to take and excel in AP courses and of enhancing AP programs within our schools. I want to thank the Chancellor for being creative and innovative in allowing us to present this program and also thank Whitney, Eddie and CUP because they had the vision to provide incentives so that you [AP students] could continue to do what you do best, which is to excel.”
Editorials
The Harvard Crimson
“[REACH] is a commendable initiative…it is hard to argue against any program that strives to increase students’ engagement in their education, especially when it is targeted toward low-income and minority students…the program does not spend money without measurable achievement. Unlike an underperforming teacher or an expenditure on unnecessary supplies, which both represent sunk costs for a school district, here, a student has to perform before money is spent.”
“Yes, the concept of providing monetary incentives on tests is controversial, but if it works, it will streamline the education system and serve as an invaluable tool in correcting the inequality in academic performance. Students from low-income and minority backgrounds will be given the opportunity to catch up to their peers while also enjoying a direct monetary benefit from studying hard.”
