We’re going to Disney and you’re not. The have and have nots in gifted education.
Should gifted students get a Disney trip? (Photo/Disney)
One of the most contentious issues in public education is “gifted” services and whether there is too little or too much attention placed on academically strong students.
When I visited the classroom of a Milken Award winner, the teacher noted that he had only 17 students in his “gifted” class while he had 27 in his “regular” class. In his affluent community, there was little difference in the abilities of most of the students in the two classes. In some cases, a point or two on some test kept the kids out of the gifted level.
Did it make sense, he asked me, to have such a difference in class size?
My own kids, by virtue of their brilliant father, score well on standardized tests and have been in “gifted” programs where they are pulled out for a class or two. (My system does not do the extensive pull-out that many others do.)
My own preference would be that schools would move kids, regardless of the gifted label, into the class that best suited their abilities. So, a strong sixth grade math student would move into a seventh grade class. A gifted artist in seventh grade would move to eighth grade art. A strong third grader in Spanish would take Spanish with fifth graders.
I also think that one factor overlooked in gifted evaluations is sheer determination. It is interesting for me to see that several of my older children’s pals in gifted classes either did not go to college or failed out. (And they are not backpacking through Europe or building orphanages in Guatemala. They are living at home and looking for work.) But they also have friends who never made the “gifted” cut who are in medical school or studying economics in London.
In fact, I have a friend whose son did not quality for gifted services until middle school, yet he graduated No. 1 in his very competitive high school class, attended an Ivy League college and was accepted by six medical schools. It was always clear to me that this child was extraordinarily bright and academically gifted in math and science, but somehow did not make the cut in elementary school.
I prefer that we get rid of gifted labels and instead make classes more fluid, moving students into higher grades when they show great aptitude. I also think that my two older kids would have done fine in a three-year high school framework. With the surge in online classes, more Georgia high schoolers could finish in three years. (That was one of the suggestions of the “Tough Times, Tough Choices” report on k-12 reform, and I think it was a great one.)
All of this is to lead into this good piece by a parent who has one child in gifted services and one who is not. She was confronted this year with a tough choice, whether to allow her son in the gifted program to go to Disney for a week-long trip:
In the middle of a worldwide economic crisis and a district-wide CRCT cheating scandal, Atlanta Public Schools decided that packing up “gifted-and-talented” students for five school days next month and heading to Florida to visit amusement parks was a bright idea.
One of those days will be spent in Disney’s Animal Kingdom and another at Epcot: $450 per person for students, paid by the parents. I was unable to uncover how many taxpayer dollars are kicked in, but at a minimum those teacher’s salaries for that time.
The school bus doors opened last week to squealing children. My two sons got off the bus, one with blue eyes and the other brown. My “gifted” son held a permission slip and my “not-gifted” held his head low from shame: “The Challenge kids get to go to Disney World and I don’t.”
As his mama, I heard: “I’m not worthy of going to the happiest place on earth with the smart kids.” Shame on the adults who came up with this idea. Openly inviting a select group and not others on a vacation encourages bullying and ostracizing. I chose not to allow my “gifted” son to attend the trip. Instead, I am putting the money towards Ipads to enrich learning for our entire family at home.
When are we going to stop teaching kids to feel inferior in American schools? If you think segregation no longer exists, try taking a closer look at our classrooms.
Remember Brown vs. Board of Education, which concluded, “To separate [some children] from others of similar age and qualifications … generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone….”
As a result of my capable, “not-gifted” boy’s exclusion from the 60- some percent of his class who attend the full-day, pull-out, gifted-and-talented program, he has come undone. He cries when he used to not. He agonizes over homework, afraid of errors. He dislikes school. I will forever loathe those responsible for changing my boy.
I thought we knew better than to socially and economically sort children in 2011.
Are the teachers saying “cast members” from the dated Epcot theme park are more capable of teaching rigorous content to advanced students than they are?
Or is it that our exceptional students really aren’t that exceptional and don’t need extra challenges. Perhaps, it’s simply that we want to separate and give those already advantaged a special treat for being so above average and rich. Maybe they just don’t care or haven’t give it much thought.
Hopefully, those decision-makers allocating Georgia’s $400 million Race to the Top grant are thinking clearer. From the U.S. Department of Education: “Race to the Top winners will help trail blaze effective reforms and provide examples for states and local school districts throughout the country to follow as they too are hard at work on reforms that can transform our schools for decades to come.” I hope so.
Come on, Georgia. We can do better than a theme-park education, and all our children deserve more.
No child should be invisible, “gifted” or “not-gifted.”
Consider raising the bar for all students and treat everyone as a high achiever. Then, see what happens. Researchers at Duke University developed a truly bright idea aptly named, Project Bright Idea, that did just that with tangible results.
They performed a five-year study of 10,000 students in the early grades who were all taught in “gifted” classroom.
The result was that 20 percent or so of the students taught with techniques used in gifted classrooms were eventually identified as being academically and intellectually gifted by their districts.
Compare that to only 10 percent of a control group of similar students taught in regular classrooms meeting the gifted criteria. Seems worth looking into, but Tinkerbell ain’t gonna make it happen with her fairy dust.
A child’s elementary experience can and should be a happy one. The Disney slogan this year is: “Let the memories begin.” I pray my “un-gifted” child doesn’t remember these feelings of inferiority and deficiency he’s learning at school.
Most certainly a far cry from Walt Disney’s 1955 dedication speech proclaiming Disney as the place: “Youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future.”
Ah, there’s that word again, challenge. If only the APS Challenge program could be so inclusive and inspirational.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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198 comments Add your comment
Producer
October 3rd, 2011
4:03 pm
“If one wants to discuss services and costs, look no further than the millions spend on Special Education. Often those classes are maxed out at 6 or 7 students. Is that fair to the students currently sitting in classrooms with populations over 30?”
Good point, Zoe. No way in hell should we spending this kind of money of those who have few, if any, intellectual potential.
@ Zoe
October 3rd, 2011
4:06 pm
Zoe what have you been smoking? Gifted classes, AP classes (those who make a passing grade), & IB classes, look dramatically different from the make-up of regular class rooms. The aforementioned categories are virtually absent of diversity.
I am reminded of the infamous mantra: “Segregation Now. Segregation Forever!”
SCLCrev
Producer
October 3rd, 2011
4:10 pm
@zoe, who cares about “diversity?” We’re talking about placing students in various classes based on merit and intellectual ability not because of their ethnic background. No other yardstick should apply.
Judy
October 3rd, 2011
4:12 pm
@-Producer
Classes with 6 – 7 children are usually reserved for those with severe physical or mental disorders. But by the Grace of God!
East Cobb Parent
October 3rd, 2011
4:14 pm
Traditional math fan – well said. I would like to add that my daughter spent part of first grade as the helper because she knew the material. That was a waste. I sent her to school to learn. “A Nation Deceived” is an excellent and accurate description of our education system.
Producer
October 3rd, 2011
4:19 pm
Understood, Judy. But no way should we be spending more or equal money on these students than on those who are intellectually capable.
Patrick Edmondson
October 3rd, 2011
4:34 pm
What if one son made the soccer, football, etc. team and the other did not? Special trips are given for enrichment of many school groups yet no cry is raised unless it ‘unfairly’ only includes bright kids. Gifted children are often excluded socially, especially when ridiculed by other students parents as geeks and freaks or acting yuppie or even ‘white’ for their sometimes unusual and intense interests in life. Many gifted kids are empathetic and really feel these slings and arrows.
My other question is if there was a real educational objective in traveling to Disney. Did the concerned parent inquire? Disney World and Epcot have the resources to often offer unique opportunities for studying nature and science.
Few of us are statistically average, thank goodness. I hope my surgeons were all gifted students.
Producer
October 3rd, 2011
4:48 pm
When did it become “chic” to be an intellectual underachiever? Seriously? Back when I was in school, my buddies and I all tried to beat each other’s brains out on tests! What the hell has happened?
Anonymous
October 3rd, 2011
4:50 pm
@Zoe 4:06 – At our DeKalb county middle and high school there is as much racial diversity in the AP classes and gifted classes as there is in the school.
You are responsible mama
October 3rd, 2011
4:55 pm
“I will forever loathe those responsible for changing my boy.”
It is you who are responsible for changing your boy, not the school or APS. Punishing the higher achieving son, for the sake of the whiny lesser achieving child is loathsome. Forever is a long time, but maybe not long enough where your own lack of responsibility and blaming your childs behavior on others is concerned.
Ty
October 3rd, 2011
4:57 pm
If so many find the trip objectionable, why can’t it be canceled? Anything educational that Disney has to offer is available virtually and could be a school-wide effort.
Ex-teacher, always parent
October 3rd, 2011
6:05 pm
To John who said : That child’s self esteem issues are totally the fault of the parenr. We had three children in school.
A close reading of the mother’s letter reveals that these issues are new and that the child is acutely aware that his actions have excluded him from the privileged group. I suspect he is a second or third grader, the first time gifted are pulled out for whole day. The mother says her son has changed his behavior. Clearly the problem is not what the mother has been doing; she implies he has been a self-confident kid up until this school year. The school, through the classroom teacher, is sending a message each week that he is different from over half his class.
And now the special kids are going to Disney ? I am with the others who think that an overnight field trip for primary grade children for whatever reason is wildly inappropriate and skeptical that any enrichment will take place.
As others have stated, if 60 percent of ONE class leave for the whole day once a week, something is very wrong with the testing.
Ty
October 3rd, 2011
6:20 pm
To Ex-Teacher, always parent – well said.
Aquagirl
October 3rd, 2011
6:31 pm
Anything educational that Disney has to offer is available virtually and could be a school-wide effort
First, it covers more than Disney. The fact that shrieky-mom has labeled it the “Disney trip” doesn’t mean they’re spending a week riding spinning teacups with Mickey and Minnie.
Second, no—not everything can be done virtually. If you haven’t been to the places Maureen listed, don’t assume you know it can be done on-line.
CatsRule
October 3rd, 2011
7:06 pm
@ Tonya C – keep your head up, put on your armor and get ready to fight for your child! Unfortunately, we live in a society that doesn’t value truly gifted children. Many people have no problem with an athlete receiving accolades or playing up on a sports team, but heaven forbid a child demonstrate academic excellence! Then, all of a sudden it is not fair or that child has an unfair advantage. I would say go to your school, tell them what you want (subject or grade acceleration), agree to have your child tested and be firm but nice. You get more with a gentle request than with a harsh demand
Atlanta mom
October 3rd, 2011
7:10 pm
@producer
“When did it become “chic” to be an intellectual underachiever”
You are one old fart, if you don’t know that.
dan
October 3rd, 2011
7:14 pm
There are different ways that people view schools.
1) it is the school’s responsibility to educate my kid. I shouldn’t have to do anything to help beyond getting the kid to school.
2) it is the school’s responsibility to educate my child. I will help in every way that I can.
3) it is my responsibility to educate my child. The school (private or public) is just a part of the education puzzle.
The mom in question blew a great opportunity to educate both of her kids about rewards and disappointments. Sure a kid (not necessarily young) will be jealous of their siblings. Teach them to navigate those situations. Her solution was ill advised. In a matter of time charter buses will pull up to the school, load up kids and leave. She has not solved anything- just delayed the inevitable. The non gifted child will be reminded of his situation and the gifted one will resent the younger one because he is not going on the trip. Now BOTH kids will be upset.
My child is “gifted” – I hate the label because she will not be gifted in everything. Still it is our job as parents to navigate her through these waters. I hope we do a better job at avoiding knee jerk reactions than this mom.
MB
October 3rd, 2011
8:20 pm
But the gifted kids will be “fine…” Advocate for your children NOW – there are charter systems popping up with “flexibility” now. If you don’t speak up for the gifted children, they will be more than happy to divert those funds to those lowest-scoring students. (Hard to raise the 96 – 99% scores, so why invest in those students…just saying,)
http://www.gagc.org
Producer
October 3rd, 2011
8:22 pm
Hey Atlanta Mom, instead of calling me names why don’y you answer my question?
MB
October 3rd, 2011
8:30 pm
This is a GREAT site with various perspectives on intellectual giftedness, some incredible analogies, and some valuable advice. http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/lighter_note.htm
Also, the still-too-true What Would Happen If…We Ran Our Football Teams As We Do Our Classrooms (and vice versa)
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/what_would.htm
Ty
October 3rd, 2011
9:48 pm
As the parent of a gifted child, I appreciate that an involved and informed parent took the time to write this editorial. I understand that my child will not compete with just her local and national neighbors, but a global community, that in many countries treats all children as gifted because they understand that they cannot afford to overlook and waste talent, setting the bar extraordinarily high for all students. I do not see from a rational standpoint how this use of resources, both student time and talents, as well as taxpayer and community funds, serves to better the students invited to participate, or the ones excluded. It isn’t about taking away a privilege from the already privileged, because that is inconsequential. But it does to bring to light that much better leadership and accountability is needed in roles that determine the opportunities our children are provided.
Atlanta mom
October 3rd, 2011
9:53 pm
@producer
15 or 20 years ago
Joe S.
October 3rd, 2011
10:11 pm
Gifted ed and special ed are just two ends of the same spectrum. And gifted doesn’t translate to high IQ or test scores, they’re just part of the equation. Gifted learning is a type of learning tailored to different learning needs than their peers, just like special education is a type of learning tailored to children with different learning needs than their peers. But until the average (and I use that word with intent) parent understands that, of course people are going to castigate gifted education as holier than thou. You would never chide a mentally retarded child, but would line up with rocks for the gifted one.
A Teacher Like Me
October 3rd, 2011
10:17 pm
I think it’s really funny that you assume that the gifted children will be fine without extra services. That is quite the opposite. Just like children with disabilities, students with extra gifts and talents need interventions and nurturing. They need the opportunity to explore and have their abilities nurtured. In my opinion, they don’t get enough attention or funding. So, they get to go to a special class once a week. No one says anything when students with disabilities go to class every day.
traveling parent
October 3rd, 2011
10:54 pm
Funny how no one seems to complain when tax payers’ dollars are spent to fund sports programs at schools. State of the art sports equipment, new uniforms, trophies for elaborate banquets…. the list goes on…
When the students travel they are in active, hands-on learning all day, even beyond regular school hours. The teachers work harder than they do during the regular school day monitoring students, co-teaching and seeing to the children’s every need. I would hardly call it a vacation for teachers!Studies show that children learn more when they are exposed to life and experiences beyond the class room. I have accompanied my child on field trips with the gifted program and experienced first hand how geography skills were learned as they identified landmarks and road signs in route. I also noted the etiquette they used when dining at fine resturants, while ordering from quality menus that didn’t have meals labeled by number. I was amazed at the independence shown by first and second graders who kept up with their belongings and asked intelligent questions during tours. Post-travel, my child’s vocabulary has been enhanced. His points of reference and information foundation have been expanded. With all of the remediation and funding available for students who struggle academically, I am thankful that my child has unique learning experiences through the gifted and talented program that enhance his life and add to the exposure that I provide as a parent. $450 is a drop in the bucket, especially when you consider the fundraisers available and the sacrifices some of us are willing to make for our children. People pay for what they want. Not everyone is claiming defeat in the so-called recession. In some communities, we are use to working hard or even struggling to make things happen for our children. So please don’t try to speak for us as to what we can afford. We can not afford to let such great opportunities pass us by.
just watching
October 3rd, 2011
11:04 pm
To those being told that your elementary student doesn’t qualify for gifted b/c of ONE test score not being high enough….take a closer look at the state level criteria for gifted education. There is an appeals process and alternative measures that can be submitted for consideration.
Dr. Monica Henson
October 3rd, 2011
11:14 pm
Maureen, in my work as an administrator in public schools, I experienced amazing resistance from teachers whenever I have tinkered with the policies around gifted classes. For example, I found that middle school students in one school where I worked as a principal tended to drop out of the gifted program because they were forced by the “regular” teachers to do whatever assignments their peers did while the gifted pull-out program was going on, even though this practice amounted to punitive busywork that punished the gifted kids. Many kids just got tired of doing double the workload for the privilege of being in the program and quit. I instituted a rule that the regular classroom teachers had to meet regularly with the gifted teacher to review lesson plans iin advance together and determine how to make sure that the gifted students were able to demonstrate mastery and exempt assignments in the regular classes. You cannot imagine the gnashing of teeth and tearing of hair this provoked! The parents and students in the gifted program were delighted and grateful, but the regular education teachers were livid.
I experimented with what you describe and what I call “subject skipping,” where kids with high abilities in certain subjects in elementary school were able to move up to higher grade-level classes for those subjects only. Bright kids and parents loved it, and a few enlightened teachers. Most of my teachers hated it and complained bitterly. These same teachers were vociferous opponents of any students being allowed to skip an entire grade, regardless of the intelligence and ability of any child, much less the boredom level. Their argument (which, incidentally, is not supported by the research on gifted education) is that students who are younger than their grade-level peers suffer socially. It’s much worse for a student to be bored senseless and to feel punished with busywork that they already know how to do, for the sake of staying with classmates the same age.
I am a proponent of the philosophy espoused by the Accelerated Schools Project, which I practiced in my own classroom as a teacher: we need to use the strategies and methods for ALL children that are ordinarily reserved for students labeled (arbitrarily) as “gifted” and “talented.”
Mom A gift for you
October 3rd, 2011
11:55 pm
Having read Mother Laura’s article in the AJC today—- I’m concerned about the stress her son’s may be experiencing. Mom seems pretty upset about a number of things. Clearly there has been alot of turmoil in her house.
Her non-gifted child has been crying, agonizing over homework, afraid of errors and now he dislikes school. The gifted-son may very well be disappointed he’s not allowed to go on the field trip…sadly he may end up feeling resentful of his brother. I have always found school counselors particularly helpful with coming up with innovative ways to help kids deal with these types of problems.
When our young first grader was tested as gifted, my very capable third grader was indignant and loudly replied “Maybe I’m Gifted, they never tested me”. At that moment seeing the anguish on my little daughter’s face I said “We have to sit down and have a special talk”. My two little girls sat so quietly and listened as their Mom explained that we all are born with many wonderful gifts. God made everyone alittle different because it would be a very boring world if we were all exactly the same. We need all kinds of special talents in the world to make the world a better place. Some people have math talent others a great sense of humor, still others paint beautiful pictures and others have a wonderful voice. We sat there and started naming gifts we knew others had. We talked about how lucky we were to have a family where each of us had so many different talents. We were happy and proud of each person’s talent in our family.
Mother Laura mentioned the cost of the trip was $450.00 dollars. In today’s economy I can see that amount could be a big sacrifice for a family that has a tight budget. My experience with public schools has been that they most often provide ways for students to raise the money themselves.
By the way,’ our little gifted daughter was told she was not gifted the following year when we left Georgia and moved to Texas. Mom had to explain to a second grader how all school programs have different ways of testing. I reassured her that she was so little …we were going to have lots of time to uncover her special gifts. She asked me for piano lessons. I told her she would have to ask me for a year because I didn’t know anything about music and I wanted to be sure she was serious. She continued to ask and after a year I found the best piano teacher who gave a student two lessons a week. One lesson they played musical games and one where they actually worked at the keyboard. Yes she is musical.
I celebrated every practice as a concert in our house. She went on to also play the clarinet and joined the marching band. By high school she was in many advanced classes as was her not-. gifted older sister. So much for the gifted program in elementary school being able to hand pick the best and brightest!!!!
Mom A gift for you
October 3rd, 2011
11:55 pm
Having read Mother Laura’s article in the AJC today—- I’m concerned about the stress her son’s may be experiencing. Mom seems pretty upset about a number of things. Clearly there has been alot of turmoil in her house.
Her non-gifted child has been crying, agonizing over homework, afraid of errors and now he dislikes school. The gifted-son may very well be disappointed he’s not allowed to go on the field trip…sadly he may end up feeling resentful of his brother. I have always found school counselors particularly helpful with coming up with innovative ways to help kids deal with these types of problems.
When our young first grader was tested as gifted, my very capable third grader was indignant and loudly replied “Maybe I’m Gifted, they never tested me”. At that moment seeing the anguish on my little daughter’s face I said “We have to sit down and have a special talk”. My two little girls sat so quietly and listened as their Mom explained that we all are born with many wonderful gifts. God made everyone alittle different because it would be a very boring world if we were all exactly the same. We need all kinds of special talents in the world to make the world a better place. Some people have math talent others a great sense of humor, still others paint beautiful pictures and others have a wonderful voice. We sat there and started naming gifts we knew others had. We talked about how lucky we were to have a family where each of us had so many different talents. We were happy and proud of each person’s talent in our family.
Mother Laura mentioned the cost of the trip was $450.00 dollars. In today’s economy I can see that amount could be a big sacrifice for a family that has a tight budget. My experience with public schools has been that they most often provide ways for students to raise the money themselves.
By the way,’ our little gifted daughter was told she was not gifted the following year when we left Georgia and moved to Texas. Mom had to explain to a second grader how all school programs have different ways of testing. I reassured her that she was so little …we were going to have lots of time to uncover her special gifts. She asked me for piano lessons. I told her she would have to ask me for a year because I didn’t know anything about music and I wanted to be sure she was serious. She continued to ask and after a year I found the best piano teacher who gave a student two lessons a week. One lesson they played musical games and one where they actually worked at the keyboard. Yes she is musical.
I celebrated every practice as a concert in our house. She went on to also play the clarinet and joined the marching band. By high school she was in many advanced classes as was her not-. gifted older sister. So much for the gifted program in elementary school being able to hand pick the best and brightest!!!!
Balanced?
October 4th, 2011
4:58 am
There is little doubt that Ms. Downey’s comments represent the “far left” of the political spectrum. I keep hearing radio ads for the AJC that claim that the newspaper is now “balanced.” The only “balance” that I saw was in the comments made by numerous people (the majority of which strongly disagree with Ms. Downey). Merely posting the statements of your readers is NOT a “balanced” approach to the news. It sure would be nice to see opinions of persons other than those to the far left of the political spectrum.
Grob Hahn
October 4th, 2011
8:44 am
The very term “gifted” has become a politically-motivated status symbol. Thanks to this the REAL gifted students are now marginalized by the hoards of other “gifted” students. It almost seems as though attendance and discipline are part of the qualification matrix. I have met very intelligent students who were disciplinary nightmares who only came to school when it suited them. But when they showed up, they blew the rest of the class away. It happens.
Rewarding students who do well is far more important than trying to make marginal, uncaring students feel better about themselves for little or no reason. Handing our rewards in anticipation of improvement is exactly what Beverly Hall tried. Was her plan successful?
Like it or not, marginal students actually NEED to feel some shame for their lack of achievement. THAT might motivate them a f#ckload more than handing them a grade when they KNOW they didn’t do squat.
Grobbbbbbbbbbbb
Jennifer Smith
October 4th, 2011
10:38 am
Maureen is confusing gifted students with high achievers; gIftedness and high achievement are two different things. True, gifted kids are often high achievers, but not always, and high achievers are sometimes gifted, but not always. Equating the two concepts does a great injustice to both high achievers and gifted thinkers. Giftedness is an innate ability which causes a child to think and process information differently from the vast majority of the population. Sometimes gifted students achieve well in school and sometimes they don’t. Educators are well aware of gifted underachievers, and these children’s needs are very different from high achieving non-gifted student. Sometimes gifted kids underachieve because non-gifted high achievers are placed in the same classes as gifted kids, and since high achievers are so much easier to teach than gifted kids the class is geared toward the high achievers and the gifted children’s needs go unmet despite the class being labeled “gifted.” Giftedness is so much more than just academic ability. Before criticizing the existence of gifted classes, the author should educate herself on exactly what the term “gifted” means. Gifted students often have more unique needs and deal with more issues than non-gifted and non-ESE students. Parents who complain that their high achieving child is being held back in a gifted class by the gifted should not have their children placed in a gifted classroom as the purpose of that class is not to serve the non-gifted child’s needs and often the non-gifted child causes the gifted child’s needs not to be met. HIgh achievers belong in classes for high achievers and gifted kids should be in gifted classes where their needs can be met unimpeded by the high achievers.
teacher who cares
October 4th, 2011
11:35 am
It’s called single subject acceleration… to move students on in one subject area that they exceed in.
Most school districts will not approve it because of the logisitics… what do you do when the child has to be moved from the 5th grade elementary to the middle school (do you want your 4/5th grader in classes with middle schoolers?), bus costs, scheduling, etc.
Gifted identification is not the culprit here – it is the field trip. People keep saying that “giftedness” is for the elite – wrong! I work in a Title One school and we have gifted kids here, they may just not be identified yet due to second language issues. The mother who started all of this needs to do a better job in parenting and explaining to her children that they are both gifted and talented in different ways and areas. I’m tired of Gifted Identification being a “whipping boy” for all things unequal.
Fulton County Experience
October 4th, 2011
12:20 pm
I have 2 kids – both deemed “gifted”. Having moved from out of state to GA, the teacher identified my son right off the bat – but because we were not “in the system” – it took a full year to wait for testing.
So kid #1 was the top of his class through 6th grade. After watching the general postering and “I’m better than you” attitude of some of the gifted parents – we decided early on that one day a week wasn’t enough and we supplemented with art trips, music exposure, historical trips – you name it. He was accepted to a private school where he was REALLY challenged in the way that I remember my days as school were. So sad that education has gone down to the point where you actually have to PAY for that – but such is life.
He has been able to truly develop into a well-rounded student, fully capable of realizing his potential. NOTE TO PARENTS: middle school is the battle ground…so choose your middle school wisely!
Kid #2 is still in elementary school – fairly bored, student helper in class (???) – but has the fortune of being able to learn lots from older sibling. Constantly reading, and we are supplementing.
what I have noticed is that despite being encouraged to have him “accelerated” testing…school administration routinely employs bullying tactics to any parent interested in this option. They consistently make themselves and children’s test scores unavailable to parents….
it’s about control – and lazy “administrators”. So we are coming up with an exit strategy for him.
Not every child has “potential” to achieve more – but since NCLB – EVERYONE is getting left behind to suit the needs of struggling students. Don’t get me wrong…I believe that help when needed is great. But children with high potential need the same kind of attention. I have always noticed how in my local school, children in this category are ignored.
But as many posters have said, life isn’t fair – and so, as the parent, I do what I must to make sure my kids have what they need…
sfmaster
October 4th, 2011
9:03 pm
Taking elementary kids to Disneyworld on school time is absurd. The fact that the group who got to go was the gifted group – is absurd. 60% of kids being labeled “challenge” – is absurd. Who approved this? This shows such a lack of leadership and supervision we should wonder what else is happening!
Suzanne
October 5th, 2011
1:52 pm
The idea that giftedness will automatically make someone succeed in life is unfortunately false. The more highly gifted a child is, the more he or she struggles to find his or her place in a world that’s geared towards the ever-so-slightly above average, and they need appropriate schooling as much as the children on the other end of the spectrum. Frequently, highly gifted boys get bored and act out, while the girls go underground and pretend they aren’t as smart as they are. Getting my son classified as highly gifted and put into an appropriate program was the best thing that ever happened to him. Suddenly he had a teacher who challenged him and peers who understood him, and he went from a behavior problem to a happy kid. When looking for schools, I found that parents responded to the comment, “Sometimes my kid is just too smart for his own good,” in one of two ways. Parents of bright, motivated, but not highly gifted children jumped all over me, horrified that I could believe any child was ever too smart when they were “all” smart. Parents of highly gifted children, on the other hand, would sigh, “Oh, yeah, I know just what you mean!”
Bill
October 5th, 2011
2:28 pm
The current thinking since the early 90’s is to heterogeneously group kids; thus, the only way to ability group is with labels like 504, gifted, special ed. Once we go back to ability grouping, and we will (we always do) these labels will be less necessary.
William Casey
October 5th, 2011
2:47 pm
JENNIFER SMITH knows of which she writes.
primary teacher
October 5th, 2011
3:03 pm
@Mountain Man, I truly hope you are being facetious! The gifted and talented population is already struggling to have their needs met because while technically under the special education umbrella, little to no funding is given to their programming. While I absolutely agree we should expect all students to be able to work at grade level, we cannot leave the students on the other end of the spectrum to their own devices. This sounds terrible, but odds are, the gifted students have a greater potential to leave a lasting impact on the world.
Paul
October 5th, 2011
4:08 pm
Wow. Where to start. First it would be unfair if I didn’t mention that I am a Psychologist. So, like each of you I have an insight, but one that relies on research. At the very beginning a man named Eddie had a very strong point about the fact that not all children are going to receive awards or rewards (he used the sports analogy) all the time. If they did, it would cheapen the accomplishment of the group that earned the reward through their skill and talent in that area.
Addressing the whole day pullout, most research shows that even gifted students benefit as greatly, if not more from being heterogeneously grouped at least for half of the school day. Many of us should know intuitively that we learn best when we are explaining concepts to others who don’t see it or understand it the way we do. When we are working with others of various levels, we all eventually learn more by having to “reframe” what we learn to explain it to others. New thoughts and insights arrive in this process. If we are always in a group with a common goal, looking at things the same way, it is difficult to think outside the box. Some of the most important learning experiences I had growing up were not in the gifted classes I had but from my friend Harold, who would be considered intellectually deficient by today’s standards.
Finally, I want to speak to the “60%” of gifted students the author cited that were placed in the above program. Most of the standardized assessments and cutoffs used for gifted placement are at set at the 98th percentile. That means it is more likely that 2 % of all students are gifted than 60%. I know that was the standard when I was placed in the gifted program growing up in New Jersey and it is a standard that has been used in Florida where I work (There are some students who are impacted by poverty that don’t have to meet the rigor of the 98th percentile, but even accounting for them, the placement does not exceed 10% of all students.
I wish the author of the article would do a better job of researching all the angles of what she admits is a “controversial subject.”
We’re going to Disney and you’re not. The have and have nots in gifted education. | Get Schooled | Redesigning Education | Scoop.it
October 5th, 2011
10:41 pm
[...] We’re going to Disney and you’re not. The have and have nots in gifted education. | Get… One of the most contentious issues in public education is gifted services and whether there is too little or too much attention placed on academically… Source: blogs.ajc.com [...]
another aps teacher
October 6th, 2011
7:35 am
I’ve always been amazed that it is not a problem to be musically gifted or athletically gifted, but somehow elitist and “wrong” to be intellectually gifted, or even above average. Some people are more intelligent than others. They have special needs that should be met in order for them to maximum their potential in positive ways. Giftedness is not a function of income, although recognizing giftedness is easier when the child comes from an affluent family. I teach the gifted students on my grade level. They generally comprise 25% of my entire student load. They make my day, everyday, and they are grateful to be with a group of students who are like them. They are also grateful to be with a teacher who understands and celebrates them.
Linda P
October 6th, 2011
9:26 am
although I agree with the premise that students (all students) should be allowed to advance when they are ready – and in many cases, encouraged! – there are other elements that need to be considered when making the decision to stop identification. First and foremost is the ‘affective’ aspect of being ‘gifted.’ Although it’s nice to consider that all ‘gifted’ individuals will ‘make it’ without support, the reality is that many gifted individuals are burdened with affective needs that simply academically advancing them will not address. One of the greatest problems that (in my humble opinion) exist within gifted programming is that we do not offer the affective programming that help these students deal with feelings of anxiety, depression, high expectations held of themselves and held by others for them, and the list goes on. As a middle level gifted specialist I work hard to never place a label on a child and do not identify them as ‘being gifted’ I identify them to receive gifted programming in order that they get the affective support as well as the opportunity to advance academically.
The second concern that I have comes with the idea that parents feel that if one of their children is identified that it somehow makes it more difficult for siblings who may not be identified for that programming as well. I think the problem often comes from parents who may treat their children differently as a result of having that label, however we never hear parents get upset if they have a special needs child with a learning disability wishing that their other children (i.e. the siblings of that child) be identified for special education so they can be like their brother or sister. As a society we need to stop treating these children as though they are better than anyone else. This has been a huge detriment to gifted programming, nationally, as we are constantly confronted with the need to fight the ‘elitist’ label.
It’s time to change the perception not the attention that the affective aspect of these students deserves and needs.
Annie
October 6th, 2011
11:59 am
I agree with the person who questioned 60% of the students being labeled as gifted. I remind everyone that gifted is a ’special education’ label or category. The primary reason why someone would be labeled gifted is because their intelligence as measured by a number of tests is beyond the ‘normal’ range. This often means that even though the student may be highly adept at academics he or she usually has issues with socialization which sometimes results in bullying and other inappropriate behaviors, therefore special services are needed to remediate these issues. Statistically students whose IQs are beyond the normal range often suffer from isolation and depression well into adulthood. It is interesting to notice the blurring of the line between gifted and highly functioning autism which often results in similar behaviors. The school in Atlanta is simply separating students, whose intelligence is well in the normal range statistically, by achievement results.
voiceofreason
October 6th, 2011
2:03 pm
I remember a story about a child whose parents sheltered him and told him he was as “brilliant and wonderful” as everyone else instead of teaching their average child to develop his weaknesses and be proud of his particular strengths. He grew up fully expecting everyone to think of him along the same lines as his parents had propogandized him to believe. He grew into an unhappy teenager who finally had enough of the other kids who didn’t buy the rhetoric with which he had been raised. Have you heard of him? He was a student at COLUMBINE. It’s very dangerous for well meaning parents to boost their child’s self esteem beyond the point of reality. We are not all equal. Fairness is not everyone getting the same thing, (ie Disney Trip) it’s everyone getting what they NEED.
Molly
October 6th, 2011
2:36 pm
I think this family needs to learn Bill Gates list of 11 things you will not learn in school, especially #’s one and two and eight. It sounds like the younger child needs to learn resiliency.
1. Life is not fair–get used to it.
2. The world doesn’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
3. You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss.
5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: They called it opportunity.
6. If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault. So don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
7. Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rainforest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closet in your own room. Keep yourself clean.
8. Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
9. Life is not divided into semesters.You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.
10. Television is not real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
11. Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.
One Point We Are Overlooking....
October 6th, 2011
11:05 pm
What we fail (or don’t want to) state is that we are talking about the parents in Midtown. The “if my kid is not gifted then put him in special education until he becomes gifted.” Somehow we have lost sight of the fact that somewhere, somebody is just average. Newsflash… the majority of the population is average. From this article it appears that Mom needs to grow up. I guess when junior doesn’t like his boss, she’ll be calling him every hour on the hour to change company policy. Let’s ruin the trip for all of the other students so her family can be happy because, hey, this is her world and everyone else is just passing through.
Charlene Cooper
October 7th, 2011
2:10 pm
As I mother of two, I see your heartache Maureen. Most likely I would not have let my “gifted” child go along on the Disney trip either. I would have planned a trip for the entire family instead,.Allthough I realize this may not be economically feasible for some families, travelling can be a good learning experience for anyone. As both a mother and a teacher I believe that all children are gifted, each one in a different way. How does anyone make a standardized test for this, I do not know. Every child should be urged and challenged to excel in whatever they are best at!!!! There are those children that have exceptional grades all of the time. I fear if these children do not have something other than just their same ole school day they will become bored. If these children become bored or do not receive attention for their excellent grades, they will quit trying at all. My advice to you would be to emphasisze to your “not gifted” son the things he excels in. This may be a problem you can only help him with at home. My advice to you about your “gifted” son is to not diminish the importance of intelligience due to heartahe felt for your “not gifted” child. Each person should be treated as the individual that they are. Only if life wasn’t so complicated. :/
Sincerly
Charlene Cooper