On March 6, the PTA of PS 122 held a rally that filled the school’s auditorium with concerned parents, teachers, kids, educators and legislators. The reason: the city Department of Education’s proposed changes to a gifted and talented academy that has been a successful model for similar programs for the past 25 years.
Instead of supporting and expanding the academy, the DOE has proposed to eventually limit the number of seats available to gifted students.
In this time of global competition on a shrinking world stage, where we are constantly told that the United States’ position is precarious and that we are falling behind in so many fields necessary to a productive future, we are throwing away a proven incubator of talented minds. Gifted individuals who will be our future leaders, like all our children, need to be encouraged and nourished, not told that they are expendable.
I speak from personal experience about the G&T program because I attended PS 122 as a child and was, luckily, a part of the Special Progress program, which was, prophetically enough, the precursor to what is today G&T.
The attention, specialized classes and camaraderie between like-minded students and teachers helped us all foster and realize goals that were to set a scholastic and life foundation that helped us and our families achieve beyond that particular time in our lives.
Again, I ask that the DOE keep the academy on the same path that it has successfully been on for the past 25 years and allow our children the opportunity to continue to excel so that they may guide our neighborhood, city, country and world to a better future through quality education.
Antonio Meloni
Executive Director
Immigration Advocacy Services
Long Island City
