Why no, of course not. I’m dumb as a stump. After all, I disagree with you. How could that be possible, unless I was significantly less than “gifted”?

I majored in mathematics. My professors educated in the Vietnam era used to rant on and on about the “tragedy” of losing so many intellectuals in WWI and WWII. They thought only lesser mortals should have been sent to face the perils of war. As a veteran, I thought their paucity of moral character made them perfect candidates for cannon fodder. Why should people of good character fight and die while self-important cowards selfishloy took shelter in universities?

It was my privilege to teach children whom you would no doubt have considered far less than “gifted” principle of individuality one week, then lead them in the study of the Declaration of Independence the following week. If an ordinary 11 year old boy can explain how people can be both individuals and equal, then why can’t a clever lady like you?

If you are encountering children whom you don’t consider gifted, then it’s because you lack discernment. They’re all gifted, and they all deserve the very best.

The lack of attention paid to gifted children is horrific. I’m not quite sure how you can argue that it is fair to not provide all children with the opportunity to learn.

Many of the students who graduate from my school go to public high schools, where they take two to three steps back in writing instruction. After writing 6-8 page analytical essays that incorporate literary criticism, some find themselves spending a whole semester stuck in a class working on paragraph structure.

Clearly, you don’t know how boring that could be.

It never fails to amaze me that parents are totally okay with some kids being more “gifted” at sports, but as soon as someone says that a student other than their own child is “gifted” academically, there’s an uproar. Star athletes don’t get held back. Why hold back star pupils?

And, NO, all kids are not equally gifted. All kids certainly have gifts, but not all kids’ brains develop in the same way at the same pace. It is a fact of child development. There are not many eleven year olds whose brains are ready for calculus or thirteen year olds who are ready for Faulkner.
It is the school system’s job to educate all children, but not to force some to work slower just to keep from hurting some kids (and parents’) feelings.

Can you really use that term without cringing? I’m still shaking my head over this.

Great things are offered kids who fit into a pigeon hole in our local public schools. If you can get the right label for your kid, doors swing open. Money flows, opportunities abound.

I’ve never encountered a child who wasn’t gifted in some manner. I’ve never met a kid who wouldn’t do better if his/her peers were well-behaved. I’ve never taught a class that didn’t long for more experiments, better literature, more field trips, and a host of other opportunities.

The wonderful thing about humanity is that every single person is gifted. Stop the pigeon-holing please. Offer every kid what s/he needs to meet his/her full potential.

AP and IB programs are wonderful, but I teach middle school, and they don’t really influence middle school curricular choices that much. Several of my students are actually ready for AP English, even though they’re only 13.

Crimson Wife,
Most of my school’s students go to public high school after our private school. What you are saying sounds exactly like what I hear our parents saying. One Madison High School tried to eliminate all TAG programs a year or two ago. They said it was better for ALL students. Whoever said that education was about what was best for all?

When the public schools do not provide adequate GATE, it is the gifted kids from low-to-moderate income families who most suffer. Affluent families can afford to put their kids in expensive private GATE schools or homeschool them. Yes, there are some scholarships to prep schools available, but not every poor-but-bright kid is going to receive one.

Kids at the opposite end of spectrum are legally guaranteed a “free and appropriate” education. Why aren’t gifted kids?