Schools debate: Gifted and talented, or racist and elitist? (how much, elect, retire)
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The schools my kids went to had 'gifted' programs. All three of my kids were good students --only one was ever 'asked' to apply to the program.
The other two were good students but they didn't fit the 'mold' I guess.
They didn't care. The gifted programs meant more work...and for little return.
So yeah they were a bit 'elitist' -- not necessarily racist. The kids went to mainly white schools in the burbs of Atlanta.....
That shouldn't be happening, and is a major indication that your school district has no clue what it's doing in regards to educating students. Programs/classes for gifted/talented students should be appropriate level and appropriately-paced work to meet the gifted students' educational needs, not just more work.
As to the OP, gifted and talented programs aren't a "reward." When done correctly, they're an effective method/tool used to meet the needs of students who have educational needs that vary quite significantly from the norm. Gifted students are usually two standard deviations from the norm, which is a significant difference in and of itself, and some are functioning at even three and four or more standard deviations above the norm. There's no way the needs of students like that can be met in a mixed-ability class, or even a supposedly "top group" class without an extreme adjustment in both curriculum level and pace.
More nonsense in the quest for "racial reckoning" in America, continuing to dismantle systems designed to reward those who have not only the ability, but the desire to educate themselves on another level.
What purpose does that even serve? Is it meant to make underachievers feel better about themselves since all students are lumped under one category?
That shouldn't be happening, and is a major indication that your school district has no clue what it's doing in regards to educating students. Programs/classes for gifted/talented students should be appropriate level and appropriately-paced work to meet the gifted students' educational needs, not just more work.
As to the OP, gifted and talented programs aren't a "reward." When done correctly, they're an effective method/tool used to meet the needs of students who have educational needs that vary quite significantly from the norm. Gifted students are usually two standard deviations from the norm, which is a significant difference in and of itself, and some are functioning at even three and four or more standard deviations above the norm. There's no way the needs of students like that can be met in a mixed-ability class, or even a supposedly "top group" class without an extreme adjustment in both curriculum level and pace.
By "gifted", are you talking about autistic savants?
It is elitist by their choice to call it "gifted" and "talented". Why not just call it "college-track" and accept every kid who is willing to work their butt off. I doubt there'll be a problem of too many takers.
Because the truly gifted kids (ie a couple of standard deviations away from average IQ) can still skate by in those kinds of classes in K-12 and never have to learn strategies for learning because they never really had to. And ‘college track’ still isn’t enough to keep them focused in the classroom when the content is moving too slowly for them.
A lot of the so-called ‘solutions’ for those kids end up bring things like expecting them to help tutor struggling classmates or just piling more homework on them only result in resentment and disengagement in the educational process rather than giving them an environment where they actually thrive rather than just half-heartedly doing just enough to get a good job enough grade to keep patents and teacher happy.
By "gifted", are you talking about autistic savants?
No. It's a myth that everyone in the gifted range is autistic. The occurrence of autism actually spans the entire spectrum from severely cognitively impaired to profoundly gifted.
My kids elementary school had a gifted program and even though my daughter tested pretty high, she was never asked. Surprisingly all the teachers kids were in it (nepotism). My daughter always helped a few with their school work lol! It’s a small school and it didn’t make much difference getting into college later on. My husband wouldn’t have let her anyway, he was in it in high school and hated it so much he quit and went back to regular classes.
This was my experience as well. I was in GATE all through elementary and MS. I signed myself out of the advanced/GATE classes in HS, it just wasn’t worth it to me.
My autistic son was listed by his high school with an IQ of 79. He took 4 1/2 hours of classes a week his senior year to graduate. Since school, he has taught himself to read and write Japanese and do computer coding. A psychiatrist estimated his IQ at 150 or above.
Many schools just don't want to mess with anyone who is different.
I graduated High School a very long time ago - 1973. My school had a regular English Class and an Honors English Class. I was in the Honors Class which was very small and consisted of all white kids and one Hispanic kid. A few months into the school year the class was discontinued because complaints were made to the school district that Honors Classes were racist. This was 1973.
Parents that care will put their kids into private school. Private school is where your future business leaders will be found.
Built in elitism
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