Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Homeless Teen Denied Diploma, Missed Regents Exam During Eviction
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 4, 2010
Modified Feb 4, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 4, 2010
Modified Feb 4, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
This story's as sad as it is stupid: The state is refusing to validate a makeup English Regents exam taken by a Brooklyn High School senior, because she missed taking the test on the day her family was evicted. Last week Rosa Bracero, a student at Brooklyn's High School for Civil Rights, was stuck at a shelter when the test was administered. Though she insisted she needed to leave to take the 1:15 p.m. exam in order to earn her diploma, staffers at the city's family intake shelter told her they'd be denied shelter if the teen left. Given the choice between sleeping on the streets in January and taking a test, Bracero opted for survival.
But even though the school let her take the test on Friday, the state invalidated the results because regulations forbid makeup Regents exams to discourage cheating. "I'm homeless so I have to be set back in my goals for my life?" Rosa, 17, asked the Daily News. "Isn't it enough that I'm homeless?" State officials say she can take the exam again in June, but she's in academic limbo until then, despite being accepted into Lincoln Technical Institute and acing the entrance exam with a score of 490 out of a possible 500 on the English assessment.
Rosa's mother lost her job as an administrative assistant last April, and they were evicted last month after falling behind on rent. This is just the latest homeless experience for the teen; a decade ago her family was homeless. She moved various between shelters and elementary schools before finally getting accepted into a gifted and talented program in Manhattan. "I'm tired of being without a home," says Rosa. "I love learning ... but I want to further my education so I can get a job. I want to help take care of my family."
Tagged
homeless
regents exam
Student
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Calif. judge cites 'mountain of evidence' ICE racially profiled Latinos, drawing NY notice
Immigrants' rights activists in New York and elsewhere have raised similar claims alleging illegal stops by federal agents.
By
Herb Pinder
Published Nov 1, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. ET
Mamdani says Trump will 'immediately' grant visa to Ghanaian mom of slain Bronx teen
Javits Frimpong, whose family is from Ghana, was walking to school Thursday morning when he was shot and killed.
By
Christian Santana
and
Giulia Heyward
News
Mamdani says Trump will 'immediately' grant visa to Ghanaian mom of slain Bronx teen
Javits Frimpong, whose family is from Ghana, was walking to school Thursday morning when he was shot and killed.
By
Christian Santana
and
Giulia Heyward
Overflowing school in downtown Jersey City is hitting a crisis point, parents say
By
Michael Sol Warren
Bronx e-bike fire that killed a boy has claimed 3 more lives, NYPD says
By
Amanda Rozon
Donald Trump looms over New York attorney general’s race
By
Jon Campbell
and
Walter Wuthmann
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .