Staten Islanders Rally Against Gifted & Talented Program Changes For NY

BP Vito Fossella

8 months ago

BP Fossella, Staten Island Parents to Rally in Opposition to Any Changes to Gifted & Talented Programs

Editor’s note: We have covered this topic of the Gifted & Talented programs on the island and citywide. Most parents support these programs (which were removed for a while on the advice of an advisory committee commissioned by the previous mayor) as they provide an accelerated pathway for those who have demonstrated a particular ability to learn and excel in their classroom work. These students are put on an accelerated track commensurate with their abilities.

Staten Island, NY – Borough President Vito Fossella, local parents and gifted students rallied to oppose any changes to the gifted and talented program for kindergarten and elementary school students during a press conference at the corner of Adelaide Avenue and Elmira Street on Monday, October 20th at 11:00 AM.

Currently, kindergarten and elementary students who are found to be advanced in their intellectual and educational acumen can be referred by a teacher and placed in a lottery for the Gifted & Talented program. This program currently enrolls 2,500 kindergarten students across the City for a more rigorous curriculum challenging and advancing their intelligence and understanding.

The current mayoral election cycle has seen the debate reemerge as to whether the G&T program is a worthy endeavor that should be continued. The current leading candidate has made promises to scale back the G&T program by eliminating it for kindergarten, first, and second grade students.

At the press conference, Borough President Fossella was joined by parents and G&T students to oppose any changes being considered that reduce the G&T program from helping current and future students maximize the opportunity to grow their talents.

BP Vito Fossella

The Office of the Borough President has a responsibility to advocate for the entire Borough of Staten Island and all its residents, and represents the Borough's interests within City government. The Borough President communicates directly with the Mayor and the City Council to emphasize Staten Island’s budget priorities. In addition, the Borough President is responsible for reviewing major land use decisions and proposing sites for city facilities within the Borough. As the chair of the Borough Board, the Borough President leads Staten Island’s City Council delegation and Community Board chairs in the process of reviewing and approving the transfer of public properties to private use. The Borough President’s Office houses the Borough's Topographical Bureau, which maintains the borough’s official maps and assigns street addresses. The Borough President monitors the delivery of city services on Staten Island, and acts as a liaison between residents and city agencies when problems arise to devise solutions. The Borough President is also responsible for appointing one member to the Panel for Educational Policy and one member to the City Planning Commission, as well as some 150 members to Staten Island’s three community boards.