​More black and Latino students got into New York City's top high schools than in 2011, putting a halt to several years of decreasing admits among these demographics.

The New York Times reports that Education Department stats show that 730 black and Latino students were admitted to top-tier institutions such as Stuyvesant High School and Bronx High School of Science -- 14 percent more than in 2011 and 12 percent more than in 2010.

Blacks got 6 percent of admission offers, while Latinos got 8 percent.

Asians got the highest number of offers for specialized high schools -- 46 percent, according to the Times -- while whites got 23 percent.

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​New Yorkers trust their gov more than the public school teachers union to protect kids' interests, according to a Quinnipiac University poll that came out this morning. The study has been released shortly after another survey in which voters said they trust the union more than Mayor Mike Bloomberg -- who has a bit of a tendency to piss off profs.

Fifty one percent of voters with children in public school believe in Gov. Andrew Cuomo -- compared to 38 percent of them who have faith in the union.

In labor-leaning households, 47 percent back Cuomo.

Slightly more New Yorkers like the way Cuomo handles education. They "overwhelmingly" support his proposed education reforms.

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​New Yorkers are hot for teachers: A new Quinnipiac University poll has found that the city's residents think that profs are more likely to protect the interest of public school kids than Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

Fifty-six percent of voters trust the teachers union to help children learn, while only 31 percent have faith in the mayor. They tend to be supportive of Bloomberg's educational policies -- though they don't really like him, according to Quinnipiac (via City and State.) (With parents, 69 percent trust the teachers union; only 22 percent confide in the mayor.)

Seventy-one percent like the idea of merit pay, 54 percent think that firing public school teachers should be easier, and 81 percent said that layoffs should be performance based.

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​Updated: Woman on the train blogs about witnessing the incident, after the jump.

Update 2: The pencil was a pen, and the stabber (the Post calls him "deranged stoner Cordero Coroberto, 35") had been attempting to light no innocent tobaccey cigarette but "a blunt"! (That's marijuana cigarette to you. Happy 4/20. Don't do that.) Via the Daily News, he said, ""I was just trying to light my blunt and the b---- wouldn't leave me alone, so I hit her." Buzz. Kill.

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