State legislators are postponing consideration of bill to replace a test-only admissions policy at the city's specialized high schools. The decision followed a swift response from alumni organizations and people of Asian origin, who comprise about half of students admitted to the city’s so-called “elite eight” schools than any other racial group.  

“Over the next few months and into next session, we will have discussions with all stakeholders and communities, including the Asian-American communities, to come up with something that is good for all students in the city of New York,” New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said in a statement.

The decision comes after the bill passed its first hurdle, and was voted out of the Education Committee.

Despite that, critics say Mayor Bill de Blasio’s push for changes to specialized high schools is disingenuous, having been introduced in the waning days of the current legislative session.

"It was politically easier for him to just give it to the legislature and blame the legislature for not passing his bill,” said CUNY Graduate Center's David Bloomfield.

He said the mayor has the power to end test-based admission at five of the specialized high schools, since the state law about the single-test based policy for specialized high schools only names three of them: Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech, and Bro

A Department of Education spokesperson said pulling some high schools from the specialized list to change their admissions policies could spark legal challenges, since the law does not offer a clear way to “de-designate” specialized high schools.

Others suggest the mayor may have anticipated the quick and vocal opposition to his proposed admission changes — and introduced the bill at this time to have a more engaged approach by the time the state legislature is back in session.  

"I think the mayor's doing what you're supposed to do. You put a proposal forward,” former Deputy Mayor Richard Buery said. Then, "you hear out the debate."