Did a New York State Board of Regents Member Really Just Say This About Black Students?

This is a textbook case of soft bigotry of low expectations, but it's not the first time we've seen this from Democrats. A few weeks ago, Wisconsin's Democrat Gov. Tony Evers said we shouldn't bother teaching certain demographic groups because "those kids that are struggling in those areas are never going to read anyway. He was referring to black students in MPS, who test at the bottom nationally in reading and math despite massive spending in the district.

In New York, the State Board of Regents — which oversees the State Education Department, sets education policy, and runs the Regents exams NYC high school students take — has the same low expectations of certain students.

Specifically Felicia Thomas-Williams, a State Regent for the 10th Judicial Distict, who said that asking black high school students to have basic literacy and math skills is like "asking a fish to climb a tree."

Saying the quiet part out loud, this NYC regent claims that asking a black high school student to have basic competence in reading and math is like “asking a fish to climb a tree” pic.twitter.com/Img9dFcZEF

— Diane Yap (@RealDianeYap) September 15, 2026

This comes after the state decided that high schoolers will no longer have to pass the Regents exam to graduate, and this starts with the class of 2028.

🧵TODAY: New York has decided it will no longer require high schoolers to pass Regents exams to graduate

Goes into effect for the Class of 2028 pic.twitter.com/xdUMNE46Kf

— Neetu Arnold (@neetu_arnold) September 14, 2026

The racism is apparent.

New York Regents member Felicia Thomas-Williams on why she thinks students shouldn’t have to take Regents exams to graduate:

“You don’t assess a fish on climbing a tree because fish can’t climb trees”

Maybe asking a student to read or do math on a test is a little more… https://t.co/vfDFZPMBfX pic.twitter.com/FV8mVDjFSa

— Neetu Arnold (@neetu_arnold) September 15, 2026

As we have seen, removing testing sets up students for failure. Reading and math skills are how we function as adults in society.

The entire purpose of schools is to teach kids how to read, write, and do math. The New York Board of Regents just admitted they've failed. They're publicly saying the state's education system cannot turn out literate adults who know two-plus-two equals four. They are derelict in their duty and there will be no accountability.

But Democrats know this. They want a generation of illiterate, mathematically incapable adults who are dependent on government to pay their rent, their healthcare, and their groceries. Public schools are no longer institutions of learning; they're houses of indoctrination that Democrats use to churn out the next round of Democrat voters.

Editor's Note: President Trump is fighting to ensure America's kids get the education they deserve.

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