NYC to phase out Gifted and Talented program

Mayor Bill de Blasio is phasing out New York City’s Gifted and Talented𝓀 program, he announced Friday — bowing to critics who assert that the coveted model is racist.

Current students in the accelerated learning program can stay in their separate schools and classrooms to completion. But new cohorts will be completely eliminated by fall 2022, ending testing for ki💖ds as young as four.

The model — which admits roughly 2,500 kids per year — is being replaced by Brilliant NYC🎶, a program offering students 𝐆aged 8 and up chances for accelerated learning while staying in their regular classrooms with other pupils.

The 🎃Department of Education said teachers would identify kids best suited for the new initiativ𒆙e.

De Blasio announced the major overhaul despite being in the final months o🐠f his term in office. 

The candidates to replace him, Democrat Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa, have both made clear they did not want to completely eliminate the program, which critics have attacked in part because of the higher number of white and Asian students t꧒hat gain entry throᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚugh the exam.

“Brillian💦t NYC will deliver accelerated instruction for tens of thousands of children, as ༺opposed to a select few,” de Blasio said. “Every New York City child deserves to reach their full potential, and this new, equitable model gives them that chance.”

But critics quickly ripped Hizzoner for making the decision so late in his administration after earlier calls♋ for him to leave it to his successor.

“This is utterly irresponsible and reprehensible,” state Sen. John Liu (D-Queens) told The Post. “This is the worst act I’ve seen under this mayor. And there have been many of them.”

Liu had previously ripped City Hall for failing to engage parents on the polarizing issue — and intensified his critique after Friday’s rollout.

“The problem here is that the Gifted and Talented program has been part of city schools for a long time,” he said. “The premise is that kids learn at different rates. Changing that policy should involve a full public discussion involving all stakeholders. Instead, he chose the easy way out — fiat in the waning days of his administration when they can’t implement anything.”

Mayoral frontrunner Eric Adams thinks that “clearly, th𝕴e Department of Education must improve outcomes for children from lower-income areas,” his spokesman Evan Thies told The Post.

But “Eric will assess the plan and reserves his right to implement policies based on the needs of studentsꩲ and parents, should he become mayor,” Thies stre🍌ssed.

Bronx-born bIllionaire Ronald Lauder, who has warred with City Hall over its push to modify admissions for the city’s specialized high schools, also weighed in Friday.

“If Mayor de Blasio was serious about making public education more equitable, he would propose real changes and real solutions,” Lauder said. “I hope and expect that the next mayor will immediately reverse this policy. And I will dedicate the time and resources necessary to make sure that happens.”

Both de Blasio and schools Chancellor Meis꧅ha Porter appeared on WNYC Friday to unveil their new Gifted and Talented vision.

Pressed on the lack of parent outreach, Porter said the DOE planned to hol🍷d community meetings in coming weeks and months to help refine the plan.

“This is a blueprint for the plan we intend to implement,” she said “Engagement is a critical part to moving this plan forward.”

Supporters of G&T have long hailed it for giving academically advanced kids the opportunity to learn at an appropriat𒉰e pace and serve as an educational springboard.

𓆉Detracﷺtors counter that the admissions model favors families of means who are better able to prepare for the test and that the exam serves as a poor marker of talent in young children.

But the debate has also focused on claims that the racial makeup of the classes reflects an unfair bias. Asian students account for 43 percent of G&T students despite being just 16.2 percent in the 🐓school syste🤪m.

White students make up 36 percent in G&T classes, ๊with Hispanics at 8 percent and African-Americans at🐼 6 percent.

Some backers concede that the single-test admissions model requires change and stress that the entire pꦍrogra🏅m should be expanded in low-income areas rather than junked outright.

The city’s education department contends that its new model will offer accelerated learning opportunities to 26 times as many pupils,🦂 from 2,500 to all 65,000 city kindergartners.

All 4,000 Kindergarteℱn teachers will need extra training in preparation, and the🃏 city will hire additional teachers trained in accelerated learning in areas with historically little to no gifted and talented programming.

Seven specialist teams of experts will also be on hand to help🎐 implement the sweeping new proposals.

All pupils going into third grade will now be screened in different subjects to see if they would benefit from tailored accelerated instruction — but they will remain in regular classrooms, accordin🍃g to the plan.

Several teachers cautioned Friday that teaching different groups of kids with starkly varying aptitude✅s will be a challenge for the new program.

🦋The accelerated model will also focus on real-world skills, with subjects such as coding, robotics and even community advocacy.