From Fox News: The Washington Post editorial board slammed New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani Friday for “holding back gifted students in the name of equity” following his proposal to phase out gifted education programs in the city.
“Who could have guessed that Zohran Mamdani (D), the leading candidate to become the next New York mayor, would provoke a firestorm by announcing this week that he intends to phase out the city’s early elementary school programs for gifted students in the name of equity? Parents of bright children want access to schooling that meets their needs?” The Post questioned. “Shocking.”
In response to a New York Times questionnaire on Thursday, the mayoral hopeful revealed his plans to eliminate gifted programs for public school children in NYC until they enter third grade.
The headline for the Post’s editorial read, “Holding back gifted students in the name of equity.”
Slamming Mamdani’s plan, the Washington Post explained: “Mamdani’s plan, first revealed in response to a questionnaire from the New York Times, would eliminate gifted programs for all children in public schools until they enter third grade. Currently, students can enter these programs as early as kindergarten based on nominations from their preschool teachers, as well as other measures such as report cards. The gifted program, which has spots for only about 2,500 children out of roughly 55,000 citywide, teaches the same curriculum but at a faster pace.”
The post further writes:
But what Mamdani and school systems that have made similar changes don’t seem to appreciate is that gifted children have different learning needs from their peers, just as children with cognitive disabilities benefit from education plans that are specific to them. It’s one thing to critique how the city identifies gifted students, which at young ages is not a perfect science. Mamdani’s proposal, however, would essentially create a one-size-fits-all educational experience that might not serve these children well. That would complicate teachers’ ability to tailor their lesson plans for their students.
“Politicians tread on dangerous ground when their pursuit of equity comes at the cost of children’s opportunities,” the Post concluded.
“Politicians tread on dangerous ground when their pursuit of equity comes at the cost of children’s opportunities,” the Editorial Board writes.https://t.co/yfU6AkWHSk
— Washington Post Opinions (@PostOpinions) October 5, 2025
Law Professor Jonathan Turley warned Mamdani’s plan will have disastrous results. He wrote:
Zohran Mamdani appears to have a plan for leveling the playing fields in education. Faced with a huge number of students with comparably dismal scores in math, English, and science, Mamdani is going to bulldoze higher-achieving programs…
…By eliminating gifted and talented program in lower grades, Mamdani will increase equity through mediocrity. It is a pledge that only Soviet central planner would relish.
…By eliminating gifted and talented program in lower grades, Mamdani will increase equity through mediocrity. It is a pledge that only Soviet central planner would relish.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) October 6, 2025
Mamdani will end Gifted and Talented programs in NYC; no new admits next fall and will refocus on desegregation initiatives that DeBlasio started. Yes, Mamdani will be DeBlasio 2.0. https://t.co/UKPf46BiOq
— Yiatin Chu (@ycinnewyork) October 2, 2025
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