Zohran Mamdani’s foray into Zohran Mamdani in the future of gifted and talented programs this week has rekindled an animated controversy on the popular program in New York public schools which sculpts a distinct learning track for some students.
Despite New York’s status as the largest public school system in the country, up to a few days ago, the mayor’s race had so far largely underlying educational problems, except the controversial declarations of the Mayor of the then, the mayor Adams on the use of the bathrooms by transgender students.
But Mamdani launched a controversial debate on the gifted programs Thursday in a candidate survey to end admission to the program for children’s gardens.
Mamdani’s opponents entered his answer – quickly.
The next morning, Andrew Cuomo, the former governor and independent candidate for the mayor, joined an Asian American political club to announce a plan aimed at expanding gifted programs in the five districts, responding to the demand.
For this fall, schools have made around 2,500 offers to current children’s gardens, on nearly 10,100 candidates, according to education data. 1,100 other seats are reserved for students entering programs gifted in the third year.
Friday afternoon, Curtis Sliwa, the nominated of the GOP, spoke with journalists outside PS 9 Sarah Anderson in the Upper West Side in Manhattan, undertaking to double the number of programs gifted throughout the city at more than 200, according to its campaign.
“He threw red meat at Cuomo and Sliwa campaigns on the whole question of meritocracy,” said David Bloomfield, professor of law and education policy at Brooklyn College and Cuny Graduate Center.
“It seems that it is one of his rare strategic blunders where he was, at least education, playing a” roser garden “strategy,” added Bloomfield. “And now it is open with a particularly controversial proposal.”
This is not a new debate.
For years, New York was unique in that it tested children on accelerated learning from the preschool. The former mayor Bill of Blasio began to eliminate the program at the end of his second term, and when Adams took over and extended the initiative without examination in place, he replaced it with a lottery based on teachers who helped close the racial divisions.
Despite progress, gifted classrooms still do not represent the wider school system. According to the latest diversity report of the school system, only 24% of students in the program were black or Hispanic during the school year 2023-24, compared to almost 70% which were white or Asian American.
But gifted programs remain popular among parents who fear that their advanced students are not challenged in most classrooms, and families who can afford it for greener pastures in private schools or in the suburbs.
“NYC’s gifted and talented programs serve thousands of students in the five districts, providing the rigorous study program necessary to contest and feed their potential from an early age,” said Yiatin Chu, co-president of parents of parents for the accelerated program and education (NYC). “Eliminate them does not promote equity; He erodes education based on merit. “
A few days after Mamdani’s comments, Place on Saturday approved Cuomo for the mayor, citing his plans for gifted and talented as part of their justification.
Mamdani’s opposition to gifted programs in the early years was revealed for the first time in a New York Times questionnaire.
“I was asked a question about kindergarten, and if I thought that children at this young age should be separated on the basis of an evaluation, and I said” no, I do not think that should be the case for these children’s gardens “,” said Mamdani at a press conference not linked to a press conference.
“I continue to believe that it is incredibly important for us to provide an excellent quality public education for each New Yorker, and that for children’s gardens, we should not have a gifted and talented program that is separated on the basis of the evaluation.”
No current student would lose access to their programs, and potential families could still apply for the third year, according to the Democratic candidate’s campaign.
James Borland, professor of education at the Columbia University Teachers College who studies gifted education, said that Mamdani’s stages were in the “good direction” by increasing the age of students who enter talented programs.
“Children whose parents can do so can really allow them to give them lightness with regard to kindergarten admission, where a large part of the experience of children to date is based at home and reflects the inequalities of our city,” said Borland, adding that public schools, while being perfect, “attract the differences that children bring to school with them.”
“It’s much easier for me to preach from ivory tower than so that schools really do it,” said Borland. “In the ideal situation, we would have classrooms [where] Children with different needs would have their needs. We would not have to have gifted and talented lessons. »»
Matt Gonzales, a former member of a school diversity consulting committee under Blasio, noted that students in gifted programs represent only 2% of all kindergarten alumni.
“For me, I am interested in the whole system,” said Gonzales, who is also a research researcher at New York University. “The majority of New York students – the vast majority – do not participate [gifted] Models. “”
“I think this is the right direction – I think it will only arouse controversy.”
With Evan Simko-Bednarski, Chris Sommerfeldt and Josephine Stratman
