Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #178

By

Ballotpedia staff

Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving  school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy. 

In today’s edition, you’ll find:

  • On the issues: The debate over New York City’s Gifted and Talented (G&T) program 
  • School board battleground election previews, filing deadlines, and recall certifications
  • Where Virginia gubernatorial candidates stand on K-12 education
  • Extracurricular: education news from around the web
  • Candidate Connection survey

Reply to this email to share reactions or story ideas!

On the issues: The debate over New York City’s Gifted and Talented (G&T) program for kindergarteners 

In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school board members deliberate when they set out to offer the best education possible in their district. Missed an issue? Click here to see the previous education debates we’ve covered.

In response to a New York Times questionnaire, candidates running in the Nov. 4 general election for mayor of New York City took different stances on the New York City Public Schools’ Gifted and Talented (G&T) program for kindergarten students. Zohran Mamdani (D) said he would end the program, while former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (I) and Curtis Sliwa (R) said they would expand it.

New York City Public Schools officials started a standardized G&T program for kindergarteners in 2005. Students in the program generally study the same curriculum used throughout the New York City Public Schools but at an accelerated pace. 

Although entry into the program once required that four-year-olds take a standardized test, the city revised the admissions process in 2021 to rely on teacher recommendations and interviews. 

Black and Latino students comprised roughly 62% of all students in the New York City Public Schools in the 2023-24 school year and made up about 30% of those enrolled in the G&T program. The majority of students in the G&T program are white and Asian. In 2021, then-Mayor Bill DeBlasio (D) proposed a plan for eliminating the program. After Eric Adams (D)  took office, he modified the admissions process and expanded the program instead. 

Student journalist Maggie Turner, the opinion editor of New York University’s student newspaper, Washington Square News, argues gifted and talented programs predominantly benefit affluent families and exacerbate racial and economic inequality. Turner says that although she benefitted from a gifted and talented program in Delaware, she also saw that it excluded many of her peers. Turner contends that exclusive gifted and talented programs cannot fulfil the promise of public education, and calls for an education system that invests in all students.

Manhattan Institute adjunct fellow and Chinese American Citizens Alliance of Greater New York President Wai Wah Chin argues that ending the G&T program won’t fix the district’s broader administrative and academic problems. He says ending the program is likely to widen racial and economic disparities as families send their children to charter schools, private schools, and other alternatives. Chin says the desire to end the program is rooted in critical race theory (CRT), which associates merit with white supremacy, and he calls for both expanding the G&T program and improving schools for all students. 

Mamdani is right to scrap NYC’s gifted program | Maggie Turner, Washington Square News

“Adams tried to address this grossly disproportionate demographic by introducing a selection process based on qualifying grades instead of a test — however, grades should also not be treated as the ultimate indicator of aptitude. This plunged the program further into chaos as admissions became based on a lottery system where pre-K teachers would nominate students for a chance to enter into the program. As a result, in 2022, 9,227 out of 70,000 kindergarteners were deemed eligible, but only 2,500 spots were offered. Candidates Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa have advocated to make it easier to qualify for the gifted and talented program, but there’s simply no point if spots cannot be offered to counteract the disproportion of eligibility. Bolstering a program that has a pattern of separating students by race will only continue to do so, thereby cutting a majority of students off from improving their education. 

“It’s time to finally offer the same support and resources present in the gifted and talented program for all aspects of public schooling. It’s antithetical to the idea of education as an equalizer to leave behind those who struggle, which is why it’s vital that every student receive the highest quality education the city can offer. Until then, the program will only serve as a label of privilege to those that fit its arbitrary requirements, while mobility between different races and classes will stay stagnant.”

Ending New York’s Gifted Programs Would Hurt Students | Wai Wah Chin, City Journal

“The New York City Department of Education (DOE) performs dismally by every objective metric, from state assessment and NAEP scores to violent incidents and truancy. An end to G&T would only worsen these problems. Scrapping G&T entry at kindergarten, eventually leading to a full phase-out across all elementary grades, would deprive eager young learners of vital nurturing and stimulation, forcing them into one-size-fits-all classrooms—where boredom breeds disengagement—while doing nothing to improve educational outcomes for others.

“Mamdani’s current proposal keeps the third-grade entry point for now. But without kindergarten admissions, G&T programs will wither. Their disappearance will likely widen the inequities Mamdani decries. A University of Pennsylvania study shows G&T’s proven results: students in the programs outperform their peers by 20 percent to 30 percent in math and reading by middle school, with low-income and black and Hispanic students showing the greatest gain against their peers. Phasing out G&T will hurt these students most of all, as they will lose the rigorous academic preparation that can lead them to better high schools and colleges.”

School board update: battleground election previews, filing deadlines, and recall certifications

In 2025, Ballotpedia will cover elections for more than 30,000 school board seats. We’re expanding our coverage each year with our eye on covering the country’s more than 80,000 school board seats.    

Upcoming school board elections

On Nov. 4, voters across the country will decide municipal, school board, county, and in some cases statewide elections. Over the coming weeks, we’ll spotlight a number of school board battleground elections—those we expect to have a meaningful effect on the balance of power on school boards or to be particularly competitive or compelling. We kicked off our November election coverage on Sept. 24 with a deep dive into the statewide ballot measures that will affect K-12 and higher education. 

Plumas Unified School District, California

Ten schools are part of the Plumas Unified School District, located in Plumas County. During the 2024 school year, 1,687 students attended one of the district’s 10 schools.

After a vote between members of the Plumas Unified School Board to fill a vacancy in District 5 resulted in a tie, Keith Barnett and Matthew De La Montanya are running in a nonpartisan special election on Nov. 4.

Incumbent Leslie Edlund resigned from the board on April 2. As a result, the board decided to pick a successor to serve the remainder of Edlund’s term, which expires in December 2026. Barnett and De La Montanya were the only two candidates to apply for the seat. 

On May 12, the board voted 2-1 in favor of Barnett, but under state law, the vote was invalid due to the absence of one member. On May 14, the board reconvened with all members and split 2-2 on who to appoint. 

On June 2, Plumas County Office of Education Superintendent Andrea Ceresola-White called for a special election, which the board approved on June 18.

Barnett owns a construction business. During the initial appointment votes, board members Cindy Crim and Chelsea Harrison voted for Barnett. De La Montanya is a California Highway Patrol officer. During the initial appointment votes, board members Jolene Cline and JoDee Johnson voted for De La Montanya, and he received support from Edlund.

The board voted in April to request $20 million in state funds to address a budget shortfall. Both candidates have discussed how to handle the issue during the campaign:

  • Barnett said the board “need[s] to reflect on past mistakes, take decisive steps to address the financial crisis, and create a team capable of recognizing warning signs before they become emergencies.” 
  • De La Montanya said the board needs to improve communication and teamwork, saying, “I understand the state offers various training for the board members. As a board we need to take advantage of this! I will help build a team with the other board members so that we can make better decisions in the future.”

Click here to read more about this special election. 

Where Virginia gubernatorial candidates stand on K-12 education

There are two gubernatorial offices on the ballot this year—in Virginia and New Jersey. In both states, the incumbents are term-limited, guaranteeing new faces in the governors’ mansions when the winners take office in January. 

Ballotpedia is providing in-depth coverage of both elections, both of which make our list of the top 10 November races to watch. Let’s take a quick look at where the candidates in Virginia stand on issues related to K-12 education. We’ll look at New Jersey’s gubernatorial candidates next week. 

Who are the candidates?

Abigail Spanberger (D) and Winsome Earle-Sears (R) are running to succeed incumbent Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R).

  • Spanberger represented Virginia’s 7th Congressional District from 2019 to 2025. Before serving in Congress, she was a CIA case agent.
  • Earle-Sears is the incumbent lieutenant governor of Virginia. She was elected in 2021. 

What’s at stake?

According to Politico’s Gregory Svirnovskiy, “Virginia’s off-year gubernatorial elections are often viewed as one of the country’s first political touchpoints following a presidential election. The state has trended blue in federal elections for years, but statewide offices are typically hypercompetitive that favor the party out of power in Washington.” 

What have the candidates said about K-12 education? 

Education was a prominent topic in the 2021 gubernatorial election that saw Youngkin defeat Terry McAuliffe (D). This time around, education is once again an issue the candidates are campaigning on. In the May 13, 2025, episode of Ballotpedia’s On the Ballot podcast, The Virginia Scope’s Brandon Jarvis listed education, the state’s right-to-work law, and the Trump administration as key issues in the race. Click to listen. 

Spanberger released her “Strengthening Virginia Schools Plan” on Aug. 8. The 10-page proposal covers K-12, higher education, and early childhood and childcare. The plan states that Spanberger will “work aggressively to get schools the funding they need, boost workforce training opportunities, and take real action to address Virginia’s chronic teacher shortage.” She calls for a renewed focus on literacy and math instruction, holding schools accountable for meeting state proficiency standards, and making it easier for parents to understand test scores. Other parts of the plan include allowing schools to raise funds for renovations, combatting gun violence, and increasing funding for career and technical education (CTE) options.    

Additionally, Spanberger says she will reject “efforts to divert funding from public education to pay for voucher programs,” and has released ads highlighting Earle-Sears’ support for those policies. 

Earle-Sears unveiled an education plan on July 10: “I believe every child should have the chance to succeed and every parent should have a voice in their child’s education. That’s why I introduced the CAREs plan, to clear childcare waitlists, attract and retain great educators, expand access through regional partnerships, and cut taxes on essential baby goods.” Earle-Sears’ campaign website states that she will “empower parents to choose the best school for their children so every child gets a quality education. She will prioritize parents’ rights and basic reading and math skills over ideological grandstanding.”

Earle-Sears has defended what she describes as Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) educational achievements, including additional funding for schools and teacher pay. 

The candidates have differed on whether schools should permit transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity. That question has roiled several schools in Virginia in recent years and divided lawmakers. On Oct. 2, Youngkin signed Executive Directive 14, instructing the Virginia Board of Health to issue regulations preventing “biological males from using designated female spaces where females are likely to be in a state of undress,” including in public school restrooms. 

Earle-Sears has opposed school policies that allow transgender students to use facilities that align with their gender identity, saying “Here’s the truth. There are two sexes, boys and girls, and for generations, we’ve understood this — that they deserve their own sports teams, their own locker rooms, their own bathrooms.”

At an Oct. 9 debate, Earle-Sears asked Spanberger, “Are you going to change in a gym where men are nude in the locker rooms? Are you going to do that?” Spanberger responded, “My answer is that in each local community decisions should be made between parents and educators, and teachers in each community. It shouldn’t be dictated by politicians.”

Click here to learn more about the Virginia gubernatorial election.  

Extracurricular: education news from around the web

This section contains links to recent education-related articles from around the internet. If you know of a story we should be reading, reply to this email to share it with us! 

Take our Candidate Connection survey to reach voters in your district

Today, we’re looking at survey responses from the three candidates running in the Nov. 4 general election for Buffalo Board of Education West District, in New York. Buffalo Public Schools is the second-largest district in the state, after the New York City Department of Education, with roughly 30,000 students. 

Incumbent Jennifer Mecozzi, Mustafa Abdo, and Talia Rodriguez are running in the election. 

Mecozzi was first elected in 2016. Her career experience includes serving as a manager, leading a consulting company, and coordinating logistics at PUSH Buffalo, an organization focused on affordable housing. Abdo’s career experience includes working as a construction professional and instructional technologist. Rodriguez’s career experience includes working in nonprofit management.

Here’s how Mecozzi answered the question, “What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?”

  • “Equitable distribution of resources.
  • Housing (gentrification is real and is a harmful factor in how our youth function in daily life)
  • All of the isms–Racism, classism, ageism and the like. I fight for the resources to be available for all of our communities.
  • SAFETY–tied to all things. Especially Housing and all of the isms.
  • So many policies, and to be honest…to pinpoint a few areas is why this work is never ending. We all tend to hit every ball in front of us. Until we collectively hold accountable the forces that hold us down…we will and should struggle with this question”

Click here to read the rest of Mecozzi’s responses. 

Here’s how Abdo answered the question, “What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?”

  • “Educational Equity & Access
  • Family & Community Engagement
  • Safe & Healthy Schools”

Click here to read the rest of Abdo’s responses. 

Here’s how Rodriguez answered the question, “What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?”

“I’m deeply passionate about public policies that advance educational equity, youth empowerment, and community wellness. My work has centered on ensuring that all children—regardless of their zip code, language, race, or family income—have access to a safe, inclusive, and high-quality education. I care deeply about policies that support working families, protect the rights of educators and school staff, and remove barriers for historically marginalized students.

I’m especially focused on the intersections of education, health equity, and social justice—schools don’t exist in isolation. Access to nutritious food, mental health supports, culturally responsive curriculum, and safe learning environments are all essential to student success.”

Click here to read the rest of Rodriguez’s responses. 

If you’re a school board candidate or incumbent, click here to take the survey.

The survey contains over 30 questions, and you can choose the ones you feel will best represent your views to voters. If you complete the survey, your answers will display on your Ballotpedia profile. Your responses will also appear in our sample ballot.