Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman blasted Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s goal of phasing out part of the Big Apple’s Gifted and Talented program — arguing student achievement should be “colorblind.”
The Nassau County executive, during a press conference at the Guangdong Association in Manhattan, attempted to tie Gov. Kathy Hochul to the Democratic socialist’s education policy as the Long Island politician vowed to expand the initiative.
The city’s Gifted and Talented programs have been a controversial issue that’s spanned mayoralties, with critics insisting the advanced learning model is racist because more white and Asian students clinch seats through exams.
Supporters have argued that tossing away the classes would reduce opportunities for impressive pupils from low- and middle-income families.
“All admission policy should be based on one thing, achievement and excellence,” Blakeman said when asked about efforts to get more black and Hispanic students into the top-tier classes.
“It should be colorblind. It should be blind to race,” he added. “It should be blind to religion. It should be blind to your family’s status.”
He also vowed to expand the specialized high schools for trades.
“Oh, absolutely, if there was a need, and I understand there is a need, I understand that the line to get into these schools is very, very long,” Blakeman said.
Mamdani said on the campaign trail he wants to eliminate the high-performing program for kindergartens — though the portal for next year’s classes remains up.
The mayor also said before taking office he would embrace a policy similar to one dating back to Bill de Blasio’s era that would phase out the program in the lower grades in elementary schools.
Mamdani’s new Department of Education Chancellor Kamar Samuels has also had a history of targeting gifted classes.
Hochul avoided answering where she stood on the G&T classes, stating, “This is a matter for the city,” she said at an unrelated press conference Thursday.
State Sen. Steven Chan (R- Brooklyn), who introduced a bill last year to expand G&T programs, vowed to fight any attempts to pare down the controversial classes
“And I believe all parents who have kids in those specialized schools, and gifted and talented, want that program to continue, but it’s going to be a long fight,” he said.
