Education policy has taken center stage in the race for New York City mayor, with candidates offering sharply contrasting visions for the future of the city’s controversial Gifted and Talented (G&T) programs.

At the heart of the debate is the racial disparity in program enrollment. While 75% of students in New York City’s public schools are Black or Latino, 75% of students in the G&T programs are White or Asian—an imbalance that critics say reflects systemic inequity in early childhood education.

Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani is pledging a radical overhaul. If elected, Mamdani would eliminate G&T programs for the city’s youngest students, arguing that it is both unfair and premature to separate children academically at such an early age.

“Zohran knows that 5-year-olds should not be subjected to a singular assessment that unfairly separates them right at the beginning of their public-school education,” said a spokesperson from his campaign. Under his plan, G&T programs would not begin until third grade, allowing more time for equitable academic development.

Education expert and Brooklyn College professor David Bloomfield supports reevaluating how students are identified for the program, noting the difficulty in making such determinations at such a young age.

“The argument in favor of early G&T programs is that a small group of students benefit from an accelerated curriculum starting in kindergarten,” Bloomfield explained. “But it’s very hard to determine who truly needs that kind of specialized attention at just four years old.”

The debate is not new. In 2021, former Mayor Bill de Blasio moved to phase out G&T programs in one of his final acts in office, prompting widespread backlash from parents and educators. His successor, Mayor Eric Adams, reversed much of that decision and expanded the program, framing it as a tool for academic opportunity.

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, now vying for City Hall, said he would go even further.

“The Democratic ideal has always been about providing more opportunities for historically marginalized students to access these programs—not eliminating academic excellence altogether,” Cuomo said, emphasizing expansion with a focus on inclusion.

Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa echoed that view.

“I would not only maintain Gifted and Talented, because I saw it up-close and personal—I would expand it,” he said, stressing the importance of preserving academic rigor in public schools.

Experts across the education spectrum agree on one thing: children develop at different rates, and those who are academically advanced must be provided with curricula that challenge and support their growth. But how to do that equitably remains a deeply divisive issue in the city’s mayoral race—a reflection of broader tensions over public education, access, and systemic reform.

With the election drawing closer, the future of New York’s youngest learners may well hinge on the outcome at the ballot box.