In New York City, English is REQUIRED for four years of high school (8 credits). This petition goes against the mandatory classes, meaning that English should not be required for US born citizens, or those fluent in it. English class in NYC should remain an option, and should be used as a class to IMPROVE skills voluntarily, instead of forcing those skills upon students.
A class such as English, for those that are fluent in it, is an extra workload added onto their brains, which the high stress of our education system causes most students to forget what they even learned quickly. Not making English mandatory will allow students to have less stress on their minds, which can increase performance in other classes and other aspects of learning outside of the classroom. It also frees up possibly millions of dollars in the education budget, as less teachers and textbooks will be required.
A clear understanding should be made that English should become an optional class, for those wishing to improve their grammar skills for the standardized tests or to improve their understanding of the English language, and not in any way removed from the education system or deprived the students of access to this class.
