26 • April 21, 2022 - April 27, 2022
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Education Banks and Adams expand gifted and talented programs. Why? By STEPHON JOHNSON Amsterdam News Staff
seen repeatedly that stand-alone G&T programs lead to racial segregation. Elementary school students In a complete reversal from what benefit from learning alongside the previous administration wanted, peers with different backgrounds, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and abilities, and interests. Let’s be Schools Chancellor David Banks anclear: that’s one of the core virtues nounced last week that they would of public education.” expand the gifted and talented proThe AmNews also reached out grams in city public schools. to the activist organization Teens The mayor and chancellor said they Take Charge. In an email, the group will add 100 kindergarten seats and reiterated its stance against any1,000 third-grade seats, which, acthing that separates students, in cording to the city, would expand their eyes, arbitrarily. entry points to all districts. The city “…We’ve advocated in the past said that this would expand and against the SHSAT exam as it was update the admission process, and created with racist intent and has the program would serve all five bora racially discriminatory impact on oughs. the demographics of the students Applications will be open to New admitted to these schools,” part of Adams/Banks reverse course and add MORE gifted and talented seats. (Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/ Yorkers on May 31. the email read. Mayoral Photography Offices) Banks said that, unlike the former The last four years in City Hall mayor’s desires, New Yorkers wanted more of During last week’s announcement, Adams mayed by today’s announcement regarding produced a different song. Previous mayor Bill what was already there. He told the AmNews said that these actions were about securing G&T programming. We are appalled that the de Blasio and former schools chancellor Richthat parents around the five boroughs spoke to city school children’s centers the right way. NYCDOE came to the conclusion of main- ard Carranza worked to rid public schools off him and said they wanted more gifted and tal“For the first time, there will be a gifted and taining programming that separates nd seg- the gifted and talented program and Specialented programs. talented program in every school district in regates our youngest children, often across ized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT). “So, the reason we did it was because we New York City,” said Adams to reporters. “We racial and socioeconomic lines, despite nuBanks talked to the AmNews about the were hearing steadily from parents and fam- are extremely pleased about this purchase merous reports, community engagement SHSATs and what it means to the public school ilies that this is something that they wanted, over and over again, and I cannot tell you how sessions, and research that cited the detri- system. He said that the testing is not a sign of say whatever you want to say philosophically important this day is. For far too long, we had mentaleffects G&T programs create for NYC intelligence, and it won’t make a person’s colabout it,” Banks said. “The parents were saying districts in our city that did not have gifted and students and the school system as a whole.” lege application look better because they went that they want it and there was no…cry from talented programs. We are giving every child New York Public Advocate Jumaane Wil- to one. He said the brouhaha over the exams folks to say get rid of it and so we see this chan- in every zip code the chance that has been liams wasn’t quick to praise the move. He and the schools connected to it (Bronx Scicellorship and this administration, as being denied too often. I heard this over and over wasn’t ambivalent either. He spent most of his ence, Brooklyn Tech and Stuyvesant) are the responsive to parents and channels. …I did again on the campaign trail, and that denial academic life in “gifted” classes but doesn’t noise and not the signal. not know until I got here that 120,000 families ends today.” want others to share that experience of isola“So somebody says that ‘what are the fights have left the DOE in the last five years. That’s This didn’t sit right with many. A spokes- tion and shame. that you want to have,’ right?” said Banks. “And important context, right? person from the organization New York App“As someone who benefited from those are not fights we’re looking to have. We “So many folks have voted with their feet to leseed, which pushes for equity of resources the gifted and talented program in its original want to create newer opportunities and lookleave the system,” Banks continued. “And I did for public schools, said that they weren’t fond construction, I know the value of accelerat- ing at a different set of criteria for stuff.” not want to be the guy that’s sitting here with of the recent news. ed and enriched education,” stated Williams. To further emphasize the departure from my own philosophical beliefs about special“New York Appleseed, along with many “Adding more seats, more access, more op- the de Blasio administration, Adams met with ized schools or gifted and talented or what- other organizations that advocate for equi- portunity is an improvement that will extend former New York City mayor Michael Bloomever while I really should be in service to the table learning opportunities for all NYC stu- these benefits to more students. At the same berg this week to announce a program called families of the communities and what it is that dents, particularly our most marginalized time, it is also an expansion of a program that Summer Boost NYC, whose goal is to give students, is incredibly disappointed and dis- is inherently inequitable. Even when I was en- public and charter school students a chance they’re looking for.” rolled, the gifted and talented program had to catch up academically due to the COVIDdeep inequities, which have only become 19 pandemic. more pronounced in the decades since.” “Together with a group of partners, we’re When asked for a response to the public ad- committing $50 million to help charter schools Dated: Tuesday, April 19th 2022 vocate’s statement, Banks said “…they’re enti- create or expand summer school programs tled to their own opinion. But this mayor and that will provide a coverage of an average of this chancellor spoke to folks. I used to be a part five weeks of additional instruction in math DEMOCRACY PREP NEW YORK SCHOOL of gifted and talented myself. …You have people and English,” said Bloomberg at a Monday MEETING OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES who weigh in on all sides. of the issue. But I’ve news conference. “All charter schools servbeen particularly paying attention to the folks ing students in grades K through 12 are eligiwho are currently parents in the system right ble to receive funding for the program, which now, and what they have been asking for, and will target students who are most in need of Pursuant to Section 104 Public Notice of the Open Meetings Law, and pursuant to that’s what I was responding to.” extra help. Schools can apply for funding startExecutive Order 202.1, this notice is to inform the public that the board of trustees of New York State Comptroller Brad Lander ing today through the website, summerboostDemocracy Prep New York School will hold a remote meeting by teleconference on: echoed Williams’ sentiments. nyc.org.” “Segregating learning environments for elAdams followed Bloomberg’s announceth April 26 , 2022 at 8:00 am., local time, + 1 646 558 8656, ementary students, based on a teacher’s or ment with three simple sentences. Meeting ID: 872 1204 8191, Password: 746010. test’s assessment of how smart they are, is not “Welcome back. Welcome back. Welcome sound education policy,” stated Lander. We’ve back.”
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