POLITICS: Mamdani’s pick for schools boss spells disaster for city kids

Zohran Mamdani confirmed his mayoralty will be a disaster for New York’s students by picking a schools chancellor who is sure to prioritize toxic “equity” over educating kids.

The mayor tapped Kamar Samuels — who has used his six years as superintendent of Manhattan’s District 3 to erode Gifted & Talented programs, supposedly replacing them with International Baccalaureate curriculum.

He pretends this is about excellence, saying that IB aligns with his “philosophy” of “access to high-quality educational experiences” for all students.

Rubbish: IB can be rigorous (no bets that it will be under NYC’s failure-friendly Department of Education), but it’s heavily geared toward high school students and so plainly no kind of replacement for Gifted & Talented programs in much earlier grades, including ones that start screening as early as kindergarten.

Identifying which kids are advancing faster than their peers is a boon to all students — it means everyone has the chance to learn at a pace that serves them.

That’s exactly what G&T programs are for; but DEI-obsessed educrats and activists insist that the screenings and tests for admission are somehow biased against minorities, despite one of New York’s top courts slapping down that claim.

Getting rid of Gifted & Talented isn’t about bettering education at all; it’s just a way to placate the anti-merit crusaders who claim that the programs are racist because acceptance is based on a student’s abilities, not skin color.

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Samuels will plainly move on Mamdani’s plan to phase out G&T in elementary schools entirely, no matter how much that damages educational opportunity for the kids who thrive in those programs.

As if that isn’t enough, Samuels is also aligned with Zoh on ending mayoral control over city schools — which will hand even more power to the teachers’ unions.

This will undoubtedly speed up the emptying of classrooms, as parents continue to jump ship on the city’s failing public school system.

Worse, it will mean the kids who can’t get out will be left with fewer and fewer pathways to a decent future.

Mamdani and Samuels may claim they want a high-quality education for all, but their policies will ensure all city kids are equally doomed.