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Quinn Calls For Big Expansion Of Gifted And Talented Program In City Schools

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - New York City Council Speaker and mayoral hopeful Christine Quinn has proposed major changes to the city's Gifted and Talented program.

She made it clear on Tuesday that she sees racial inequities in the current approach to the program.

Some of the reforms she outlined included doubling the number of schools for high performing students, adding thousands of seats to existing programs and loosening admissions requirements in some neighborhoods.

Quinn Calls For Big Expansion Of Gifted And Talented Program In City Schools

"We want the Gifted and Talented program not to be a political one, one where children get to get in based on their merits. That means we need to have a system where children in every district, in every neighborhood have an option," Quinn told reporters including WCBS 880's Rich Lamb.

Instead of admission by test score only, Quinn's approach would allow teachers to recommend a child for Gifted and Talented.

As Speaker, she has no power to impose her proposals on the Department of Education, just the power to persuade, Lamb reported.

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