Dear Parents,
Please take a moment to send this email to your local elected officials urging them to continue the NYC G&T program. For your convenience, below is an email you can use as a template. Please personalize depending on who you are sending it to and edit the emails as you wish to best represent your position.
Thank you.
The parent leaders of PLACE NYC
Step 1: Find your elected officials.
Look up your Council Member https://council.nyc.gov/districts/
Look up your NYS Senator https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator/
Look up your Assembly Member https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/
Step 2: Address your recipients – copy this.
To: bdeblasio@cityhall.nyc.gov, nycchancellor@schools.nyc.gov
Cc: JWallack@schools.nyc.gov, MTreyger@council.nyc.gov, liu@nysenate.gov, placenyc.action@gmail.com
cc: YOUR Council Member, Assembly member, Senator
Subject: Don’t Kill G&T Under the Cover of COVID
Step 3: Copy (and personalize) the letter below.
Dear Mayor De Blasio and Chancellor Carranza,
It is becoming clear that the Department of Education is intending to take advantage of the pandemic to eliminate NYC’s Gifted and Talented program (G&T). When the School Diversity Advisory Group (SDAG) recommended eliminating G&T programs last August, Chancellor Carranza said a decision would not be made until this summer. In April 2020, the Chancellor told parents that policy decisions would not be made this year while dealing with COVID.
However parents have been looking out for the G&T Testing contract extension since June when it was pulled from the agenda last minute — it has yet to make it back on the agenda. Many of us can’t help but feel that when Chancellor Carranza said “never waste a good crisis,” that it included killing the popular G&T program in the midst of the pandemic.
Parents traditionally register for the test in October. Chancellor shared last week that the DOE will make the admissions announcement in “mid to late October”. But if there is no contract with the G&T test provider, how will enrollment be determined to fill the G&T seats in September 2021? Will there be adequate time, support, and outreach for families to learn about the program? The lack of clarity and transparency on this issue adds additional stress to families on top of the enormous chaos and hardships of school reopening and the upcoming school year.
I urge you to confirm that Gifted and Talented programs will continue and provide details of how students will be selected for these programs. I am among the thousands of families in the dark about this important education opportunity. All NYC students have a right to their appropriate education, including accelerated learners.
Sincerely,
Name of parent