NY Post
Mayor Bill de Blasio is phasing out New York City’s Gifted and
Talented program, he announced Friday — bowing to critics who assert
that the coveted model is racist.
Current students in the accelerated learning program can stay in
their separate schools and classrooms to completion. But new cohorts
will be completely eliminated by fall 2022, ending testing for kids as
young as four.
The model — which admits roughly 2,500 kids per year — is being
replaced by Brilliant NYC, a program offering students aged 8 and up
chances for accelerated learning while staying in their regular
classrooms with other pupils.
The Department of Education said teachers would identify kids best suited for the new initiative.
De Blasio announced the major overhaul despite being in the final months of his term in office.
The candidates to replace him, Democrat Eric Adams and Republican
Curtis Sliwa, have both made clear they did not want to completely
eliminate the program, which critics have attacked in part because of
the higher number of white and Asian students that gain entry through
the exam.
“Brilliant NYC will deliver accelerated instruction for tens of
thousands of children, as opposed to a select few,” de Blasio
said. “Every New York City child deserves to reach their full potential,
and this new, equitable model gives them that chance.”
But critics quickly ripped Hizzoner for making the decision so late
in his administration after earlier calls for him to leave it to his
successor.
“This is utterly irresponsible and reprehensible,” state Sen.
John Liu (D-Queens) told The Post. “This is the worst act I’ve seen
under this mayor. And there have been many of them.”
Liu had previously ripped City Hall for failing to engage parents on
the polarizing issue — and intensified his critique after Friday’s
rollout.
“The problem here is that the Gifted and Talented program has been
part of city schools for a long time,” he said. “The premise is that
kids learn at different rates. Changing that policy should involve a
full public discussion involving all stakeholders. Instead, he chose the
easy way out — fiat in the waning days of his administration when they
can’t implement anything
