4 OCTOBER 21, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Queens offi cials, parents protest elimination of G&T program
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMED@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Several Queens lawmakers were
joined by a group of concerned
parents outside of P.S. 203 The
Oakland Gardens School on Friday,
Oct. 15, to protest the elimination
of the Gift ed and Talented program,
which has been widely criticized
for exacerbating segregation in the
nation’s largest public school system.
“I’m afraid for my youngest child
next year if the G&T program is
cut,” said Bayside resident Jie Liu, a
parent of two children who are in
the program. “I think they should
expand the program citywide, and
not cut it because a lot of kids want
to get a better education and more
opportunities.”
Another parent, Amy Tse, of Fresh
Meadows, says she is fi ghting for all
children, who have diff erent learning
capabilities.
“Children learn at diff erent levels.
It’s really hard, and I know this from
personal experience to service kids
with varying levels from where
they’re at in one classroom with 30
kids — it’s near impossible,” Tse said.
Jie and Tse were among the lawmakers
gathered outside of P.S. 203,
located at 53-11 Springfi eld Blvd., for
Queens lawmakers and parents protest the termination of the Gifted and Talented program in New York City
public schools on Friday, Oct. 15. Photo by Carlotta Mohamed
a press conference organized by City
Council Democratic nominees Sandra
Ung and Linda Lee, who criticized
Mayor Bill de Blasio for scrapping the
G&T program without consulting
parents, educators and stakeholders
in the community.
De Blasio announced the end of the
G&T program on Oct. 8, that will be
replaced with accelerated learning
for individual kids beginning in
third grade that won’t separate them
into special classes.
According to the mayor, G&T students
will remain in their programming
without disruption to their
learning, and the city’s new plan,
Brilliant NYC, will be phased in for
grades one through three. Starting
with kindergarten in September
2022, accelerated learning will be
off ered to all 65,000 kindergarteners.
Teachers will receive training to
provide individualized instruction
for students.
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution,”
Ung said. “Our students learn
at different paces. There are kids
who excel and need more help, and
we need to make sure we accommodate
all those different levels
of learning. The teachers will be
given all of that burden to run these
classes.”
Lee is calling for an expansion
of G&T programs in every school
district.
“We need to expand opportunities.
In District 20, we do not have
a G&T program and that’s an issue,”
said Lee, whose son attends
P.S. 203. “Every student should not
have to travel far to get a quality
education. We should also think
about the services to family members,
making sure they have after
school programs and tutoring that
they need.”
Congresswoman Grace Meng
shared Lee’s sentiments, citing a
few school districts that have multiple
G&T programs or none at all.
“These programs should be more
equitable for every single child in
every neighborhood regardless of
socioeconomic status,” Meng said.
“The G&T curriculums enrich our
kids and provide them with crucial
opportunities that help them excel
and reach their full potential inside
and beyond the classroom.”
Senator John Liu, chairperson
of the Senate’s Committee on NYC
Education and a graduate of the G&T
program at P.S. 203, said the elimination
of the G&T program has sent
thousands of families and students
into limbo and uncertainty, as a new
mayoral administration is taking
place.
“It is politics at its worst and it’s
a reminder of the terrible legacy
that de Blasio will leave behind as
we boot him out from City Hall on
Dec. 31,” Liu said. “The G&T program
has to remain an option since
it recognizes that children learn at
different rates and should be given
the opportunity to learn as much as
they can within the confines of the
city’s public schools.”
Meanwhile, Councilman Barry
Grodenchik said the city’s plan has
no input from the most important
people — parents, children and
educators who weren’t involved in
the process.
“It is dead on arrival here in
New York City. My dear late mentor,
friend and former boss, Claire
Shulman, used to say you can kill
anything. Well, this plan is going to
be killed, and I can guarantee you
that. I have no doubt about that,”
Grodenchik said.
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