Gifted kids; they'll get by, won't they?

Very smart children in Massachusetts are hit by the unlikely mix of anti-tax, anti-school sentiment on the political right and the sincere goo of political beliefs on the left.

Politicians and bureaucrats are loath to spend on "frills" for a quiet minority of children with little clout. Some educators rail against the "elitist" idea of teaching super-smart kids any differently. "All children are gifted," they say.

There are exceptions, but the unspoken message from schools to the very smartest kids seems to be: "Go with the program. Fit in. Be like other kids and get along. If you don't like the way we run things, then get to a private school."

There are schools that value very smart kids; teachers who can take the time. There are summer and holiday programs that nurture the smartest children.

There are specialists who, for a fee, will design a curriculum for a child and work with his or her school. There are places where these children can learn, enjoy and be with other gifted kids.

Super-smart kids think differently, say people who have worked with them for years.

"They almost speak in tongues," said a teacher with 35 years experience. When they're with each other, they get the jokes. They spark the magic of creativity in each other.

School administrators and well-meaning teachers bowled over by average kids, problem kids and slow kids often put the very smartest low on the priority list. They'll do alright on their own, after all. These kids are smart, aren't they? They get by, sure. They'll even do well with easy "A"s. But they won't develop their full potential.

We are, unfortunately, used to seeing children in poor and/or minority communities routinely deprived of the eduction they deserve. But young, super-smart kids in even the best school systems are now kept from the programs and direction they deserve because of, in part, a culture of entitlement.

If some children are marked as extra-smart by their participation in certain classes or programs, that has to mean other children aren't. What school board member or school administrator wants to face affluent, educated and high-tax-paying parents whose Johnny or Janie wasn't invited to the party.

The best of those schools do a great job, but many private and most parochial schools are little better than good public schools at educating super-smart kids to their potential, say specialists in gifted education.

So what can a parent do? After all, parents have responsibility for their child -- very smart, average or slow.

Some experts say that some parents are ashamed of their super-smart children. It's OK to ask for help as the parent of a slow learner but somehow unseemly to insist on the same for a very bright and once-enthusiastic child expected to do donkey work in school. No wonder educators shun the words gifted and talented, preferring euphemisms like fast learners or advanced learners.