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De Blasio Redux: Democrats Target Academic Excellence
This is not the first time a Democrat mayor has tried to erase gifted programs. In 2021, Bill de Blasio unveiled his “Brilliant NYC” plan to phase them out. The effort collapsed when Eric Adams took office, recognizing that gifted programs especially benefit Black and low-income students who need structured academic acceleration.
Across the country, other Democrat-led cities have followed the same script. Seattle eliminated its gifted and talented schools in 2024 under the guise of “equity.” From Anchorage to Boston, municipalities have cut or altered these programs, claiming fairness while stripping opportunities from the very students who rely on them most.
Research from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute shows that high-achieving Black and low-income students identified early are far more likely to attend college. Without early recognition, these students lose the guidance and stimulation they need to reach their full potential. Mamdani’s plan removes that crucial advantage.
Gifted Programs Help the Students Who Need Them Most
Paul Runko from Defending Education emphasized the stakes for working-class families. “Students from lower-income families benefit enormously from New York City’s gifted and talented programs – these aren’t just perks for rich kids,” he explained.
Studies support this. A 2016 Florida analysis found significant benefits for Black and Hispanic students placed in gifted classrooms. Similarly, research in Ohio showed that identified Black high achievers outperform non-identified peers on college entrance exams and in college attendance.
Experts studying gifted programs agree: acceleration, which moves students ahead in subjects where they excel, is far more effective than enrichment, which keeps all students at grade level with supplemental activities. Enrichment often delivers little real academic growth, essentially serving as “busy work” for high achievers.
The Socialist Escape Hatch: Private School Privilege
Mamdani’s policies expose a stark hypocrisy. Wealthy families can bypass public school limitations by paying for private schools or tutoring, leaving low-income families to face fewer options. Perry put it bluntly: “He got his advanced education at costly private schools, then pulls up the ladder so public school kids can’t climb.”
The National Association for Gifted Children notes that schools rarely identify and challenge gifted students early, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Programs like Thrive Scholars have found thousands of high-achieving low-income teens who enter college unprepared because they lacked early academic challenges.
Mamdani’s plan delays gifted identification until third grade, ensuring years of boredom and underachievement for children who could have been challenged from the start.
Parents and Experts Push Back
Families are already leaving New York City public schools in search of more rigorous options. Gifted programs and specialized high schools are among the few places providing that rigor. By cutting kindergarten entry, Mamdani risks driving more families away while the DOE budget balloons beyond $40 billion.
Critics note Mamdani attended Bronx Science, one of the city’s elite specialized high schools requiring an entrance exam. He previously supported eliminating the exam, only to reverse when politically convenient—a move former Governor Andrew Cuomo called pandering.
Mamdani’s office insists he’s not eliminating gifted programs entirely, only delaying kindergarten entry, and claims the goal is to provide rigorous instruction for all students. This is the same doublespeak De Blasio used, which failed to meet the needs of high-achieving students without extra resources.
Education research confirms the problem: without separate gifted tracks, advanced students languish while teachers struggle to meet the needs of all. Even left-leaning outlets like The Washington Post have criticized the approach, noting that parents seeking advanced education for bright children shouldn’t be “shocked” by their children’s needs.
The Consequences of “Equity” Through Mediocrity
Mamdani survived the mayoral race despite widespread criticism of his gifted program proposals. But as his policies take effect, New Yorkers will witness firsthand what happens when ideology trumps opportunity: gifted children stuck in ordinary classrooms, falling behind while the promise of academic excellence slips away.
