"I don't know what toys and learning materials lived there, since I wasn't one of the handful of presumably more academically advanced kiddos that my kindergarten teacher invited to open the chest. My distinct impression at the time was that my teacher didn't think I was worthy of the enrichment because I frequently spilled my chocolate milk at lunch and I had also once forgotten to hang a sheet of paper on the class easel-instead painting an elaborate and detailed picture on the stand itself."
"The memory, and the enduring mystery of that chest, resurfaced recently when New York City mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani announced that if elected on Tuesday, he would support ending kindergarten entry to the city's public school gifted program. Although many pundits and parents debated the political fallout of the proposal-the city's segregated gifted program has for decades been credited with keeping many white and wealthier families in the public school system -I wondered what exactly it means to be a gifted kindergartner."
"In New York City, the determination is made several months before kindergarten starts, but how good is a screening mechanism for 4-year-olds at predicting academic prowess years down the road? New York is not unique in opting to send kids as young as preschool down an accelerated path, no repeat display of giftedness required. It's common practice at many private schools to try to measure young children's academic abilities for admissions purposes."
A kindergarten teacher selected a handful of students to access enrichment materials stored in a chest, leaving others out based on behavior and perceived unworthiness. A mayoral candidate proposed ending kindergarten entry to New York City's public-school gifted program. The city's segregated gifted program has been credited with retaining many white and wealthier families in the public system. Making gifted determinations several months before kindergarten raises questions about how well assessments of 4-year-olds predict long-term academic achievement. Many private schools and some districts measure young children's abilities early, and communities like Houston and Miami begin accelerated programs in preschool.
Read at Slate Magazine
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