The battle over New York City’s Gifted & Talented program is back, and this time it’s being led by Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, who wants to eliminate the program for 4- and 5-year-olds entering kindergarten. He says he’s doing it in the name of fairness and early childhood equity. Critics call it a quiet step toward erasing academic excellence in America’s largest school system.
What Mamdani Is Actually Proposing
Mamdani’s plan would end the Gifted & Talented entry point for kindergartners, while leaving the program in place for grades one through five—at least for now. The program currently serves about 2,500 students, roughly 4% of all NYC kindergartners. Under his proposal, kindergartners would no longer be tested or separated into accelerated classrooms. Instead, his administration would push for a universal early childhood education and child care plan, open to all families regardless of income.
His Reasoning: Equity and Early Development
Mamdani argues that testing 4- and 5-year-olds is unfair and developmentally inappropriate. He says early separation reflects privilege more than potential, since wealthier families can afford test prep or extra tutoring. In his view, labeling a child as “gifted” at that age divides students before they’ve even learned to tie their shoes. He says his goal is to “deliver excellent quality public education for each and every New Yorker” without sorting children by test scores.
A Broader Vision: Universal Child Care
Alongside the gifted program change, Mamdani has proposed a sweeping universal child care initiative for children from six weeks to age five. His plan calls for opening new centers in public spaces, co-locating with schools, and paying early educators wages equal to Department of Education staff. It’s an ambitious and costly promise meant to show he’s focused on fairness—but one that critics say replaces competition with collectivism.
Cuomo and Sliwa Push Back
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo blasted the plan as “a giant step back,” arguing that the Gifted & Talented program is one of the few chances for extraordinary students to excel in the public system. Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa echoed that, calling himself the “education candidate” and vowing to expand gifted programs and specialized high schools. “The way you raise achievement is by giving every child opportunity, not by pulling down those who excel,” Sliwa told reporters.
Even Eric Adams Isn’t Buying It
Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, who expanded the Gifted & Talented program citywide in 2022, also pushed back. He noted that the program had given “thousands of Black and Brown kids a real shot to excel” and challenged Mamdani for wanting to scrap something that helped him personally—since Mamdani attended Bronx Science, one of New York’s elite specialized high schools. Adams’ question to his successor was blunt: “Why take away the same opportunities that shaped your own future?”
Parents Say It’s Not About Privilege, It’s About Promise
Many parents—especially Asian-American families who see the G&T program as a rare public-school ladder to success—are furious. For them, this isn’t about test scores; it’s about keeping their children challenged and motivated. At Sliwa’s campaign event, parents said eliminating the program “drags down” bright students instead of lifting others up. They argue that instead of ending selective programs, the city should improve instruction for all kids.
Critics Fear a Slippery Slope
Mamdani insists this plan is only about kindergartners, but many believe it’s step one in a longer campaign to dismantle merit-based education altogether. His proposal closely mirrors former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s 2021 “Brilliant NYC” plan, which began with kindergarten testing and would have eventually replaced all selective programs. The worry is that once you remove the first rung on the ladder, the rest follows.
The National Trend Toward Lowering Standards
This debate isn’t unique to New York. From San Francisco to Virginia, progressive school boards have scaled back honors classes, eliminated advanced math, or replaced letter grades with “equitable” assessments. The pattern is clear: excellence is being reframed as exclusion, and fairness is being measured by equal outcomes instead of equal opportunities. It’s a philosophy that sounds compassionate but leaves every student worse off.
Is This Fairness or Failure?
To his supporters, Mamdani’s gifted program plan represents progress—a more humane, inclusive vision of public education. To his critics, it’s another attempt to make everyone “equal” by lowering expectations for all. Whether you see this as a correction or a collapse depends on one simple question: should schools focus on equality of opportunity or equality of outcome?
Editor’s Note: This article reflects the opinion of the author.
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