Giving Compass' Take:

• Alina Adams argues that New York City should address the gifted education crisis by opening up the program to all students who qualify. 

• How can funders work to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn at their level? 

• Read about diversifying gifted education. 

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams made headlines when he asserted that the easiest way to increase diversity at New York City’s gifted and talented programs — which are primarily white and Asian, while the majority of students in the public school system are Hispanic and black — is to test all 4-year-olds prior to kindergarten admissions.

It would cost only $1 million, he said.

Here’s the problem with Adams’s proposal, though: There aren’t enough G&T seats available for the children who currently qualify.

So how’s this for a solution: Instead of letting bureaucrats decide which child is worthy of an accelerated or enriched education, why not — I know it’s radical, but bear with me — provide a G&T seat for every child who qualifies?

Why not turn a percentage of general ed seats into G&T seats for all qualified applicants? It wouldn’t cost the public schools anything extra, since no new classrooms, teachers or materials would be required.

Read the full article about NYC's gifted education by Alina Adams at The 74.