Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. have announced the dates of the upcoming public hearings of their recently announced “Gifted & Talented Task Force,” which will study issues surrounding gifted and talented education in New York City public schools, as well as the admissions process for the city’s specialized high schools.
The first public hearing will take place in Brooklyn on Tuesday, March 14, 2017, at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street. The Bronx will host a second hearing on Monday, March 20, 2017, at the Bronx High School of Science, 75 West 205th Street. Both hearings will run from 6:00 p.m.—8:00 p.m.
A flyer for the hearings can be viewed at http://on.nyc.gov/2mdMyNy.
“I look forward to hearing a diverse set of voices at our gifted and talented education hearings in the Bronx and Brooklyn,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams. “This input will be integral to shifting the delivery of specialized instruction in our city, as we push for reforms that gives every child high-quality opportunities in a more equitable and prosperous system.”
“Students all over this city have for too long been denied the opportunities to which they are entitled when it comes to gifted education,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “Through these hearings, we are hoping to hear directly from parents, educators and other stakeholders about the challenges and successes they have experienced with the public school system, and we will use this information to craft positive changes on gifted education, test prep and other resources that our students deserve to have equal access to.
The task force, which was launched in January, is comprised of government officials, community members and parents who are familiar with the issues gifted students face in New York City schools. The task force will release a set of recommendations for the future of gifted education in New York City later this year.