My junior/senior high school charged no tuition -- just fees and books. Entrance was based on grades/test scores/personal interview. I did not grow up in NYC,

My junior/senior high school charged no tuition -- just fees and books. Entrance was based on grades/test scores/personal interview. I did not grow up in NYC, but there are several free public high schools for gifted scientists and engineers to be including Stuyvesant High School and the Bronx School of Science. Entrance is based on merit. So, it is certainly possible to get a top rated education not coming from "privilege." Other communities offer Magnet Schools and more should be offering them. A huge systemic problem in this country is that we spend enormous sums of money for "special education" but very little for academically gifted children. That is a real problem. If one is concerned that children "without privilege" can get to be scientists and engineers and so on, then they should be solving a systems problem which is not enough public Magnet Schools for academically gifted children.