Arguing for a non-gifted child to get into the gifted program (FBISD) (high school, law)

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

Sometimes the B student turns out to be The Business World Rock Star and the 4.8 GPA student turns out to be the bartender.

I'd say that happens often.

[descovy]

(snort) come to Katy ISD. Apparently, my child (5th grade) just scored in the gifted-ness range in math. School calls and says I should fill out this survey so she can take GT math next year in junior high. I'm fine with that, because we were already considering letting her take pre AP math.

First off, the parent survey I was required to fill out was bogus. 16 questions, I was supposed to give a response for each or it wouldn't count. The 16 questions all asked the same thing... just using different words... "Is you child curious?" "Does your child ask a lot of questions?" I'd give a response to question #7, only to realize by question 12 that response applied to #12 better. But shoot, they were asking the very same thing. And NONE if it had to do with the fact that my child just happens to be good at math!

Secondly, it really cheesed me that the teacher gave me the tip "answer '4' to every question, because the survey counts as much as the test. WTH? Either my child is gifted or not... But why should my bragging on my child be as equal a score to how well they do on the test? So if my kid is REALLY gifted at math, but mom is too stupid to pass the parent survey, my child isn't really "gifted"? Or my child can't pass the aptitude test, but I can brag on my kid BIG TIME, so now they call them gifted?

Sorry, doesn't pass the smell test for me. A parent survey shouldn't make or break a child's entrance into a GT class... What kind of "GT" are we talking about here? Because if it is all about pandering to parent pressure & prestige, sounds like a bogus "GT" program for me.

My 3 kids are bright kids. They make A/B's. They are creative, polite, well rounded. They are thriving in the dreaded "general population." With my limited experience with "GT," I am thinking the "general population" is fine, thankyouverymuch. At least they will know how to get along with regular society.

Pre AP in middle school, AP in high school serve a genuine purpose. Accelerate in the classes that are your strong suit.

But a GT program where parents push their kids to get in doesn't sound like much of a GT program to me. I know kids who are truely gifted... they are wired differently... they really learn and see the world differently. They deserve a TRUE GT class, not one filled with a bunch of wannabees who's parents are coached to fill out a "perfect" survey...

[statisticsnerd]

I think it's an ego thing for a lot of parents.

They want to feel good about themselves and be able to brag to their friends that little Johnny is a "genius" because he goes to special GT classes. Nobody wants to admit that their child has average intelligence, even though average is normal. The kids who really don't fit in these programs, but are placed there anyway just because their parents raise hell must struggle and feel miserable. I feel sorry for them.

Like I said before, being in a GT program doesn't amount to a hill of beans after you leave the public school system. Ambition and having a PASSION for what you do will make you successful in life, not being a part of some exclusive club in grade school.

[DanielWayne]

I agree with the post above. It really depends on the person, and their desire to accomplish their goals. A lot of this is also a way to stroke parents egos. Your first employer is going to look at your college diploma first. How you performed in high school may be totally irrelevant.

From my small graduating class, true our valedictorian became an MD/PHD, but some of the top graduates were 'gifted and talented' and didn't really do anything. One got hooked on drugs and didn't finish college. Some of the 'gifted and talented' kids dropped into 'normal' classes and outperformed the top graduates by becoming physicians, phd scientists, lawyers, and engineers. They saved the hyper-competition for college. And succeeded.

[crone]

Being an educator, you surely are not depending on Texas schools to educate the family kids. Parents and other family members should do all manner of things to supplement what is happening in the classroom. All day, every day.
I have heard teachers in Klein say that the time spent with kids who need all kinds of extra help deprives the regular kids in the classroom. The mandated hours teachers spend preparing and teaching very low performing kids means far less time for the other kids, who are left with busy work. I suspect that is the norm in Texas.

[EasilyAmused]

Having a TRUELY gifted child, that thinks differently and scores 145+ in the IQ department, and being at the mercy of the public school system is the meaning of Hell for a parent. Believe me I've seen it first hand.

I'm not saying the private system does better (but in a way it does on a frustration level), but the student teacher ratios are better, there is no "standard" lesson plan and the entire experience is less stressful/frustrating/ridgid.

Nothing like having your Genius in a class full of Pimped-Out Gifted Learners. And really that's what "GT" is these days. One the flip side, a gifted learner ( you know, slightly above average), that's allowed to bloom at their own pace instead of stressfully fast tracked with other bull whipped kids, will do better in the long run. Burn out is an ugly thing to see.

I liked it when you made good grades in 8th grade you went into Pre-AP in 9th. Did well in that, and then got tracked in AP 10-12th. The 'Gifted' crap is for the birds.

[Ellen Pitts]

Originally Posted by Topaz

I'd say that happens often.

Yes. I was just reading an interesting book. This man did a research study on successful business people and one of the things he found was that EITHER side of the bell curve meant less probability in being successful in business.

[EasilyAmused]

You have to look at some of this busy work they give in GT...the creative part of the brain really has no "free time." And that's fine is you have aspirations to be a Lab Tech your entire life. But we need creative people to make the economy/arts work, not drones.

[Ellen Pitts]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

You have to look at some of this busy work they give in GT...the creative part of the brain really has no "free time." And that's fine is you have aspirations to be a Lab Tech your entire life. But we need creative people to make the economy/arts work, not drones.

What? You think creativity should be fostered in kids? Education isn't a factory? Open brain, insert information. Nothing but the facts, please, Mr. Gradgrind!

I think with the push towards technology, that side of the education is getting short shrift. But it will probably cycle back before too long,

[crone]

We need Sir Ken Robinson in every classroom.