Christa McAuliffe Intermediate School PTO v. Bill de Blasio et al - Declaration of Joshua Wallack

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Marry

Declaration of Joshua Wallack in a U.S. district court case involving Christa McAuliffe Intermediate School PTO and others against Mayor Bill de Blasio and other defendants. The declaration explains his role in New York City’s Department of Education Office of Student Enrollment, summarizes the DOE’s efforts to foster diversity in New York’s Specialized High Schools, and describes the expansion of the Discovery Program announced in June 2018. It outlines the data review and decision-making process behind adopting race-neutral eligibility criteria intended to better identify disadvantaged students and increase diversity. The filing also provides historical background on admissions practices, including entrance exams and the Hecht-Calandra Act.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Background and Role

Employment and basis of knowledge

Opposition to preliminary injunction

Discovery Program Expansion and Current Criteria

Decision-making group and data review

Race-neutral criteria and diversity goals

History of Efforts to Maintain Diversity in Specialized High Schools

Origins of Specialized High Schools and entrance exams

Hecht-Calandra Act and subsequent debate

Civil Rights investigation in the 1970s

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTSOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEWYORK DECLARATION OFJOSHUA WALLACK ------------------X CHRISTA McAULIFFE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLPTO,Inc.et al, 18 CV 11657(ER)(OTW) Plaintiffs, -against- BILLDE BLASIO,in his official capacity as Mayor ofNew York,et ano., Defendants.------------------------------------------------X JOSHUA WALLACK declares,pursuant to 28 U.S.C.§1746,under penalty of perjury,that the following is true and correct: 1. I am Deputy Chancellor for Early Childhood Education and StudentEnrollment in the New York City Department of Education(“DOE”).As such,the DOE Officeof Student Enrollment,which among other things is responsible for enrollment in the SpecializedHigh Schools,reports to me.I have overseen the Office of Student Enrollment since 2015,and Ihave been employed at the DOE since 2014.This declaration is based on my personalknowledge,discussions with DOE employees,and the books and records of DOE. 2. I make this declaration in opposition to the Plaintiffs'motion for apreliminary injunction in the above-captioned case and to apprise the Court of the history ofDOE's efforts to foster diversity in the eight Specialized High Schools,and the reasons for thechanges to the Discovery Program that are being challenged by Plaintiffs.Those changes,namely,the expansion of the program and the adoption of different selection criteria,wereannounced by the Mayor and the Chancellor on June 3,2018. 3. I led the decision-making group that decided to expand the DiscoveryProgram and adopt the criteria for eligibility to participate in the Discovery Program that arecurrently in effect and are being challenged (the “current criteria”).After reviewing data andoptions developed by the Office of Student Enrollment concerning the expansion of theDiscovery Program and the revision of such criteria,the decision-making group recommended tothe Chancellor that the Discovery Program be gradually expanded during the 2019-2020 and2020-2021 school years and that the Chancellor adopt the current criteria.Specifically,thecurrent criteria define how to determine whether a student is "disadvantaged"for the purposes ofeligibility for the Discovery Program.The Chancellor adopted these recommendations,and Ibelieve that the decision-making group's recommendation was decisive in the Chancellor'sdccision to cxpand the Discovery Program and to adopt the revised criteria. 4. The Chancellor,the decision-making group,and I were in no waymotivated by a desire to harm Asian-American students or to limit the enrollment of Asian-American students in the eight Specialized High Schools.Instead,the Chancellor,the decision-making group,and I were trying to increase the ethnic,racial,geographic,and socio-economicdiversity of the student bodies of those high schools,which we believe will be beneficial to allstudents enrolled in those schools.The expansion of the Discovery Program and the currentDiscovery Program criteria,which are race-neutral,should better identify disadvantagedstudents,account for the impact of attending a school with a high percentage of economicallydisadvantaged students,and also expand the number of intermediate schools that send students tothe eight Specialized High Schools,and thereby motivate other students and their families,aswell as teachers and administrators in these intermediate schools,to pursue the entry of morestudents from these schools to the Specialized High Schools. # History of Efforts to Maintain Diversity in the Specialized High Schools 5. I have learned the facts set forth in the following history from discussionswith DOE employees and the books and records of DOE,and I believe them to be true. 6.Specialized High Schools have existed in New York City for more than100 years.The Specialized High Schools have consistently provided rigorous instruction toacademically gifted students in a challenging environment.The three original Specialized HighSchools were Stuyvesant High Scho

FAQs

Who is Joshua Wallack and what role does he have in the DOE?

Joshua Wallack is the Deputy Chancellor for Early Childhood Education and Student Enrollment in the New York City Department of Education. He oversees the DOE Office of Student Enrollment, including its responsibilities related to Specialized High Schools enrollment.

What changes to the Discovery Program are being challenged?

The declaration states that the program was expanded and different eligibility selection criteria were adopted. These changes were announced by the Mayor and the Chancellor on June 3, 2018.

Why does Wallack say the current Discovery Program criteria were adopted?

Wallack states the criteria are intended to increase ethnic, racial, geographic, and socio-economic diversity. He explains that the race-neutral criteria should better identify disadvantaged students and account for the impact of attending high-percentage economically disadvantaged schools.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Marry