Area Gifted Program Set For Big Changes

The Gifted and Talented program at P.S. 188 in northeast Queens may be in for an "extreme makeover."

The proposed changes to one of District 26's most coveted accelerated learning modules comes courtesy of city schools, which floated a proposal at a board meeting held last night to overhaul the program.

The changes include limiting entry to those children scoring 97 or higher on student tests — and most importantly for P.S. 188 parents attending Wednesday night's meeting, opening up enrollment to youngsters outside the district.

"It's the carrot to get District 26 to accept a citywide program," said Community District Education Council president Rob Caloras. 

But there seemed to be at least a few P.S. 188 parents who weren't biting.

"I bought my property knowing I was going into there," said Michele Cespedes, referring to the Gifted and Talented program in which her daughter, a first grader at P.S. 188, is enrolled.

Under the proposal, students in existing accelerated learning classes would "graduate out," with no new students admitted under the District criterion, which limits enrollment to youngsters scoring 90-96 on student tests.

One of several P.S. 188 parents at last night's meeting, Cespedes aired her frustrations in front of a school board gathered to weigh in on the issue.

"We are just going to let anyone walk in there because they tested higher?" Cespedes said, adding that under the proposal, her younger son would have to score a 97 or better on student tests to attend classes similar to his older sister's at P.S. 188.

The board ultimately decided last night to table the proposal in order to the study the issue further.

School principal Janet Caraisco said parents, teachers and administrators met earlier this month to discuss potential changes to the Gifted and Talented program. 

"No one has officially told us whether we are getting it or not," Caraisco said. "I have the suspicion that they've made the decision already."

Despite the recent outcry over proposed changes, the existing accelerated learning program at P.S. 188 has not been free of complaints. 

Last November, two parents sounded off to the school board regarding what they called  in their sons' Gifted and Talented programs. According to one of those parents, Jackie Soto, the traffic jam in class got so bad that her son reported having difficulty "getting from one side of the room to the other."

However, Cespedes dismissed those concerns at the District 26 meeting last night, calling the existing accelerated program "worth saving."

"I'm a teacher, and I know that a strong teacher can handle 32 kids," she said.