Woke School Offi cials Ax Early
T
he election of demo- cratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani to be mayor of New York City ignited a
national debate over education pri- orities and equity in the classroom. Mamdani campaigned on elimi-
nating an early gifted program start- ing in kindergarten that currently serves 5% of New York City’s stu- dents. Instead, he would begin the program in third grade. Advocates argued it would cre-
ate a more level playing fi eld, while opponents called it part of a larger eff ort to “dumb down” education while claiming to promote equity. “The wealthy can always fi nd ways
through private schools and extra test prep, while immigrants, the working class, and the middle class will be most hurt,” Yiatin Chu, cofounder of Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum and Education (PLACE), told Newsmax. The debate is resonating with
parents across the country, as these programs risk being eliminated due to the spread of “woke ideology,” says education researcher Brandon Wright, editorial director of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. “There is a legitimate worry that
this is the fi rst step toward disman- tling these gifted programs in the name of equity,” Wright told News- max. At the core of the debate is Amer-
ica’s struggle with racial injustice. Critics of the gifted and talented programs argue that they often worsen disparities, mainly benefi t- ing white and Asian students from
Parents Fear It Will Hurt Kids
A
Giſt ed Programs Critics charge they benefit white and Asian students. BY MATTHEW LYSIAK
wealthy backgrounds at the expense of other groups. In New York City, Black and Lati-
no students account for 70% of the public school population, yet they only make up 25% of gifted program enrollees, according to the NYC Department of Education in 2023. According to David C. Bloom-
fi eld, an education professor at Brooklyn College and The CUNY Graduate Center, those advocating the idea that racial disparities can be addressed by scaling back or elimi- nating programs are creating a false dichotomy. “The concept of equity is
not about lowering expectations for certain children,” Bloomfi eld told Newsmax. “You can achieve both excellence and equity, but once they become politicized, both can be lost.”
Wright, who has studied the outcomes of gifted and talented programs, told Newsmax that limiting or ending the curriculum would have real-world consequences that go beyond the classroom. “We need to be giving these
kids as many on-ramps as possible,” he said. Data from the National Associa-
tion for Gifted Children shows that without specialized instruction, gifted students face higher dropout rates and mental health problems. Research indicates that accelerated curricula can improve long-term academic success by up to 20%. Removing advanced tracks cre-
ates an “artifi cial appearance of equity,” but comes at the expense of the students, according to Wright.
DECEMBER 2025 | NEWSMAX 25
cross the country, gifted programs — once seen as
centers of innovation — are being dismantled or reorganized, sparking protests from parents who worry their children will be held back. In Seattle, public schools began phasing out their Highly Capable Cohort (HCC) program in 2024, aiming to eliminate it by the 2027- 2028 school year. Demographic disparities drove the decision, as white students made up 52% of HCC participants despite representing only 47% of the overall student body. Consequently, Seattle’s move
to integrate advanced instruction into regular education to promote inclusivity faced strong opposition. Portland’s Access Academy, a school for gifted students in grades 2-8, is facing closure after of icials argued that the academy conflicts with equity commitments and diverts resources from underenrolled neighborhood schools. Supporters argue that shutting
down the academy, which requires students to score in the 99th percentile on standardized admission tests, would violate mandates to serve talented and gifted students. In Howard County, Maryland, budget cuts for the 2025-2026 school year have targeted gifted programs, sparking protests. Of icials justified the cuts by citing rising costs and stagnant funding. In Tennessee, Knox County Schools announced funding cuts in July 2025, sparking concern among parents who rely on gifted programs. A federal funding freeze led to about 28 layoff s, including gifted and talented coaches, as part of reductions to federally supported programs. Knox County’s gifted program serves roughly 4,500 students, or about 7% of total enrollment.
CHILDREN/GROUND PICTURE/SHUTTERSTOCK
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