'Gifted' children face Catch-22

By Kate McNeil

A Press news analysis

A long-sought gifted and talented program is set to open this September at a pair of District 10 schools — PS 24 in Spuyten Duyvil and PS 54 in Fordham. Each school offered about 28 seats to first-graders who scored highest on competitive exams, but three times as many parents applied for places at the Spuyten Duyvil school and it doesn't have enough room for Riverdale's brightest children.

Kindergartners were tested earlier this year and their parents — hoping to snatch one of only 56 coveted first-grade seats — were instructed to indicate school preference on their child's application. It comes as no surprise that most Riverdale parents made nearby PS 24 their first choice.

But gifted and talented programs are an exception to the zoned school rules — they are open to all district students with school preference going to the highest- scoring students.

Placements were announced in May and some local students faced a Catch-22 situation. They were accepted into the program, but only if their parents were willing to put them on a bus to a distant PS 54.

"It's an awful school in not such a great neighborhood," said one mother whose daughter is on the waiting list at PS 24. Even if her "talented" daughter does not get a spot in the school's gifted and talented program, she said she would still enroll her at PS 24.

"This is where we live, and we support our neighborhood schools," she said. "I think if you didn't want your kid to go to 54 you shouldn't have checked that box."

She's right.

According to the city Department of Education's department of gifted and talented enrichment Web site, "When a parent selects a school as a choice, they are stating that they are willing to have their child attend that program. Parents must list only the schools to which they are willing to send their child if a place is offered."

In other words, tough cookies for children placed at PS 54 and itching to get on that PS 24 wait list.

But with so few seats — 56 to serve the district's 136 applicants — parents seemed desperate to get their child a seat anywhere.

Ninety-two listed PS 24 as their first choice, while only 31 listed PS 54 as their first choice, according to the city Department of Education.

"The bottom line is on the application it says don't list a program unless you want your child to attend that program," said Andy Jacobs, DOE spokesman. "We assume that parents follow instructions."

The first round of offers were extended May 15 and parents had to respond by June 1.

Just one offer

Students can only receive an offer to one district program. Parents who decline the offer from PS 54 will not receive another offer.

When he heard from upset parents, Marvin Shelton, president of District 10's Community Education Council, called Anna Commitante, director of gifted and talented programs, and requested to see the department's admissions policy.

Mr. Shelton got the same "don't-mark-it-if-you-don't-want-it" answer.

"You're talking about first-graders getting on a bus and going over there," he said. "That's a long trip."

He also found out that students who were placed at PS 54 are not eligible for a seat at PS 24 should one open. Those spots are prioritized for the wait list students who marked PS 24 as their only preference.

In addition, there is no movement in the cohort of students.

"If a parent moves to Riverdale with a second-grader, they cannot apply for next year's gifted and talented program," he said. "There is only intake at the first grade."

Mr. Shelton said he is skeptical of the term "gifted and talented" — especially at such a young age.

"How is it different than what they would be getting in a regular classroom setting?" asked the Riverdale resident, who has two sons at PS 24, one entering kindergarten. "Hopefully there would be more in-depth instruction, but we're talking about first-graders."

PS 24 currently has an honors program for grades four and five but the gifted and talented program would be self-contained, adding a grade each year as its children grow.

Not to blame

Some in the community have accused Philip Scharper, PS 24's new principal, of shortchanging local families, but he insists, "I had no influence on decisions made as to schools selected as first and second choices by parents or testing, screening and selection of students for the first-grade" gifted and talented class.

"The testing, screening and selection process was handled centrally with no input directly from PS 24," he added.

Mr. Scharper added that while there are "many excellent students who are high achieving, and motivated to learn in the Riverdale community" there aren't enough seats for all of them.

"Every student who attends PS 24 will receive an excellent education," he said. "Whether it is in a 'G and T' class or not."