Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic frontrunner for New York City mayor, has announced his plan to phase out the city’s gifted and talented program for kindergarteners, reviving a proposal first floated under Mayor de Blasio. The program, which enrolls fewer than 5 percent of students in kindergarten, has long been criticized for deepening segregation and limiting opportunities instead of expanding them. Mamdani has tied this change to a broader vision that includes free universal child care and expanded early education, positioning it as a way to build a more equitable school system.