Mamdani Guts NYC gifted programs Harming low-income students.

Mamdani’s Proposed Changes to Gifted and Talented Program.

Socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced plans to scale back the city’s Gifted and Talented program, including ending it for kindergarten students and delaying entry until third grade. This move has sparked concerns among education experts, who warn that it could limit critical academic opportunities for high-achieving students, especially those from low-income families. Critics argue that weakening accelerated learning options in the nation’s largest school district would hinder educational equity rather than promote it.

Criticisms from Education Watchdog Group

The plan has drawn sharp criticism from Defending Education, a national watchdog group that successfully defended New York’s gifted programs in a years-long legal battle against claims of discriminatory admissions and racial inequities. Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow at the group, emphasized that the courts upheld the program’s compliance with state laws and equal protection requirements. She accused Mamdani, a product of expensive private schools, of hypocrisy for pushing to eliminate opportunities that have helped students from humble backgrounds reach their full potential, suggesting that only the privileged should access such education.

Impact on Low-Income Families and Broader Concerns

Paul Runko, senior director of strategic initiatives for K-12 programs at Defending Education, highlighted the potential harm to working-class families, noting that the group’s court efforts aimed to preserve these programs against racial injections into school policies. He warned that Mamdani’s changes could eliminate accelerated learning for students who benefit most, particularly lower-income ones, advocating instead for academic excellence over a one-size-fits-all approach that might weaken education overall. Critics further contend that dismantling selective programs fails to improve outcomes for struggling students while directly disadvantaging high performers.

Mamdani’s Defense and Additional Backlash

Mamdani’s office countered the criticisms, stating that while they oppose testing five-year-olds for gifted programs, the administration is not eliminating advanced learning opportunities entirely but reshaping the system to offer rigorous instruction for all students without early separation. Despite this, Mamdani faced heated opposition during his mayoral race and from outlets like the Washington Post, which sarcastically criticized the plan for holding back gifted students in the name of equity, questioning why parents of bright children shouldn’t have access to suitable schooling. and add 1 header title for each paragraph describing it

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