STATEMENT FROM ANDREW M. CUOMO ON MAMDANI’S PLAN TO END NYC’S GIFTED & TALENTED PROGRAM, FLIP-FLOP ON SHSAT, ROLL BACK MAYORAL CONTROL
“Zohran Mamdani’s latest proposal to eliminate New York City’s Gifted & Talented program is not just another political stunt– it’s destructive and emblematic of a deeper problem in today’s Democratic Party– the surface level appearance of a solution is sufficient.
"The Department of Education’s own survey shows that 40 percent of parents who left the public school system did so because they wanted more rigorous instruction. If there are tens of thousands of applications for limited G&T spots, parents are telling you something: They want more of it, not less. The answer isn’t to say good riddance to those families. If there are issues with how young children are selected, then fix that and expand opportunities– give more at the start of education and more on-ramps later. Don’t eliminate the program.
"Eliminating opportunities for excellence doesn’t help underserved kids, it perpetuates the problem. It creates a false equality, by eliminating any opportunity to excel.
"This latest reversal comes after Mamdani’s repeated flip-flopping on the SHSAT. Three months ago he wanted to abolish it, today he hedges. This on top of his promise to roll back mayoral control – that’s not leadership, that’s pandering. Our kids deserve clarity, not chaos, when it comes to their education.
"The Democratic ideal has always been about providing more opportunities for historically marginalized students to access these programs—not eliminating academic excellence altogether. That’s why my plan takes the opposite approach: Double the number of Specialized Highschools, expand prep programs in underserved neighborhoods, keep the SHSAT in place while making sure every child has a fair shot, and replace failing schools with ones that will allow our children to succeed, not condemn them to generations of failure. That is how you build a better, fairer, more successful New York City—not with a race to the bottom by eliminating excellence.”
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