City Councilmen Brad Lander and Ritchie Torres sign on to letter calling for citywide plan to desegregate schools

A coalition of advocates is calling for action to desegregate schools.

In a letter to Chancellor Carmen Fariña, first reported by Chalkbeat last week, a group of parents, students, educators, researchers and elected officials demand a “comprehensive citywide plan” that includes public input and sets measurable goals towards integration.

“We believe that all children in New York City have an equal right to quality public education, and that segregated schools are plainly antithetical to that right,” the letter states.

The city is expected to release a “bigger vision” plan by June to encourage school diversity.

The letter was sent May 26 and includes the signatures of Councilmen Brad Lander and Ritchie Torres, and representatives from New York Appleseed, the New York Civil Liberties Union and Center for New York City Affairs, among others.

An education department spokesman confirmed the letter had been received.

“We know that students learn better in diverse classrooms, and increasing classroom diversity through both systemwide and localized approaches is an ongoing priority for the DOE,” spokesman Will Mantell wrote in an email. “We have met with many of these signatories and welcome their continued engagement, advocacy, and partnership.”

Read the full letter below: