A look at the figures in a recent report, "The State of Learning," reveals that for the students in New York City, who are almost one third of all those in the State's public schools system, the state of learning is deplorable. The children who are most at risk receive fewer resources than their more advantaged peers. Minorities constitute 82 percent of the City's public-school enrollment, and the City has by far the greatest concentration of poor children and students with language deficiencies. In addition, 11.1 percent of the City's students are in special education. New York City spent substantially less per pupil than comparably-sized districts in the downstate area and received less state aid per pupil than the state average. The City had the largest number of uncertified teachers, the greatest percentage of inexperienced teachers, and fewer teachers and staff per pupil than other state districts. Almost uniformly, the City's schools had the lowest levels of performance on state-administered tests. While the report reiterates the state's commitment to the principles that every child can learn and that every child is entitled to the resources necessary to provide opportunity, the current inequities must be addressed in order to focus on the children's needs. Six tables provide supporting data. (SLD)