Zohran Mamdani Attended Private School, Now Seeks to End NYC’s Gifted Programs
Oct, 28 2025
When Zohran Kwame Mamdani was 13, he sat in a private school classroom in New York City — a fact his campaign now quietly sidesteps as he pushes to dismantle the city’s Gifted and Talented (G&T) program. That’s the twist: the man who claims to fight for educational equity for all children once benefited from a system he now vows to abolish. The revelation, reported by The Telegraph in 2024, surfaced just months before the New York City mayoral election in November 2025, where Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist nominee, is now the frontrunner.
From Private Classroom to Public Platform
Mamdani, born October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda, moved to South Africa at age five and then to Queens, New York, by 1998. He attended public schools from middle school onward — except for one year, 2004, when he was enrolled in a private institution. The name of the school remains unconfirmed, but the timing is telling: he was entering adolescence, a critical window for academic development. His parents — academic Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair — were both highly educated, and their choices reflected a common pattern among upwardly mobile immigrant families: access to elite resources when public options feel inadequate. That same year, Mamdani’s family was navigating life in a city where public schools were already struggling with underfunding and overcrowding. Yet he attended private school — a privilege many working-class families, especially Black, Latino, and immigrant households, simply can’t afford. Now, he wants to eliminate the G&T program, which serves roughly 15,000 students citywide, arguing it perpetuates racial disparities. The program’s student body is 47% Asian, 18% white, 15% Black, and 13% Hispanic — a mismatch with the city’s overall demographics, according to City Journal.The G&T Controversy: Equity or Elitism?
Mamdani’s campaign proposes phasing out kindergarten admissions to the G&T program starting fall 2025, with full elimination across all elementary grades by 2027. He frames this as a moral imperative: “These programs reinforce a false hierarchy,” he said in a 2024 town hall. “Merit is a myth when access isn’t equal.” But critics, including parents and education analysts, argue the opposite. “These programs are most crucial for high-achieving students from Black, Hispanic, and immigrant communities,” said The Juggernaut in a November 2024 analysis. “In neighborhoods like Flushing and Crown Heights, G&T is often the only pathway to rigorous academics.” Supporters of the phase-out point out that students can still enter G&T in third grade — but that’s not the same. By then, gaps in foundational skills have widened. A 2023 study by the New York City Department of Education found that 68% of students who entered G&T in third grade had already fallen behind peers who entered in kindergarten. The program isn’t just about acceleration — it’s about early intervention.Contradictions in the Platform
Mamdani’s broader agenda is bold: fare-free buses, $30 minimum wage, rent freezes, city-owned grocery stores, and a $12 million annual tuition assistance program to hire nearly 18,000 new teachers by 2028. That’s ambitious — and expensive. The city’s $41.2 billion education budget, larger than the GDP of 99 countries, still leaves schools underperforming. State assessments show only 38% of NYC students are proficient in math, and 41% in English, per NAEP data. But here’s the tension: if Mamdani believes public education can be fixed with more teachers and less selection, why did his family choose private school for him? The answer isn’t hypocrisy — it’s complexity. Many progressive leaders who advocate for systemic change have personally navigated systems that aren’t equitable. The issue isn’t whether he benefited — it’s whether he’s willing to acknowledge that eliminating one program doesn’t automatically create fairness. His campaign has knocked on over 2 million doors and made 3 million calls. That grassroots energy is real. But voters are asking: if the system is so broken, why didn’t you stay in it? Why did you leave?What Happens Next?
The G&T debate isn’t going away. Even if Mamdani wins, the city’s school board, which includes members appointed by the mayor, may resist full elimination. Parents are organizing. The School Diversity Advisory Group, which Mamdani supports, has long pushed to dismantle selective programs — but they’ve never provided a clear replacement strategy. Meanwhile, the Bronx High School of Science, the public magnet school Mamdani graduated from, remains one of the most competitive in the nation. It’s selective. It’s high-performing. And it’s public. Why is that acceptable, but G&T isn’t? The answer may lie in perception. G&T is seen as a pipeline to elite high schools and colleges. The Bronx Science is seen as a meritocratic exception. But both rely on testing. Both exclude. The real question isn’t whether to eliminate programs — it’s whether we’re ready to invest in making every public school as excellent as the ones we’ve always kept for ourselves.Background: The Rise of a Socialist Candidate
Mamdani’s path to mayor is anything but conventional. After earning a bachelor’s in Africana Studies from Bowdoin College, he worked as a housing counselor and briefly as a hip-hop artist under the name “Zohran the Poet.” He entered politics as a campaign manager for progressive candidates before defeating four-term incumbent Aravella Simotas in the 2020 Democratic primary — a stunning upset in Queens. He was reelected to the New York State Assembly in 2022 and 2024 without opposition. His district, the 36th, includes Astoria and parts of Long Island City — neighborhoods with deep immigrant roots and growing economic pressure. His policy platform reflects that: rent control, childcare access, and public safety reform aren’t abstract ideals — they’re daily concerns for his constituents. But education remains his most polarizing issue. And the private school detail? It’s not a scandal. It’s a mirror.Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Zohran Mamdani want to eliminate the Gifted and Talented program?
Mamdani argues the G&T program perpetuates racial and economic segregation in NYC schools, pointing to its disproportionate enrollment of white and Asian students compared to the city’s overall demographics. He believes eliminating early selection will reduce inequality and push resources toward universal improvement in public schools, rather than concentrating them in elite tracks.
How many students are affected by the proposed G&T phase-out?
Approximately 15,000 students currently participate in the G&T program across NYC elementary schools, with about 2,000 entering in kindergarten each year. Critics warn that eliminating early access could leave high-achieving students from marginalized communities without adequate academic challenge, especially since entry is still possible in third grade — but by then, learning gaps often widen.
Did Mamdani attend public school before or after private school?
Mamdani attended public schools before and after his year in private school in 2004. He graduated from the Bronx High School of Science, a prestigious public magnet school, and later earned a degree from Bowdoin College. His private school year was a brief exception during middle school, not a defining part of his education.
What’s the alternative to G&T under Mamdani’s plan?
Mamdani hasn’t proposed a specific replacement. His campaign focuses on hiring 18,000 additional teachers to meet state class size mandates and improving curriculum district-wide. Critics say this ignores the need for differentiated instruction for advanced learners, while supporters argue that excellence should be universal, not selective.
Is the G&T program really racist, as Mamdani claims?
The claim stems from demographic disparities, not intent. While the program’s student body is majority white and Asian, research shows that Black and Hispanic students are less likely to be referred for testing due to systemic biases in teacher recommendations and access to prep resources. The issue isn’t the program itself, but how access to it is distributed — a distinction Mamdani’s critics say he ignores.
How does Mamdani’s private school experience impact his credibility?
It doesn’t invalidate his policy goals, but it raises questions about consistency. Many voters understand that leaders can benefit from systems they later seek to reform. The deeper issue is whether his plan acknowledges the complexity of educational access — or simply replaces one form of exclusion with another by removing options without replacing them.