As part of the trend towards a generally more uniform and centralized school system, the DoE is now streamlining how it identifies students as 'gifted'. This is a huge improvement over the old system which was...well, no system at all. Officials, quoted in the NY Times, now say they will be testing multiple measures, "like creativity and inquisitiveness, to give a more comprehensive reading of which children exhibited gifted behaviors."
Despite the fairness supposedly imposed by the new, less subjective, system, many parents have complained. It seems nearly every child on the Upper West Side is gifted. Who knew! It must be the water up there.
Gothamist wonders how many of NYC's 'gifted' are just the products of over-zealous parenting. With the plethora of kiddy classes aimed at the very young, and very privileged, are they gifted or just well trained? And with only 54% of the city's elementary and middle school students meeting reading standards, 50% for math, how gifted is gifted?
There are free programs available for those looking to bring out the 'gifted' in their tot. Gothamist particularly likes the Babies and Books program and the Reel Moms program for budding cineastes out there.
