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.
Culture of entitlement
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.
Dropouts and problems
School
is boring enough for most kids.
For the very smart, in even the best school
systems, school can be mind numbing. Perhaps
not surprisingly, the experts say our brightest
kids make up a high percentage of school dropouts
and kids with emotional and social problems.
And super-bright minority children make up
a disproportionate percentage of dropouts. Stands
to reason: if the average kid in black, Hispanic
and poor-white schools is being served an empty
or half-full plate, then the very smartest in
those schools just have bigger unfilled plates.
Massachusetts, with all its colleges and universities,
is among the lowest-ranked among the 50 states
in providing anything in its schools to fully
develop the potential of the smartest children.
Funding for children at the lowest end of
the curve is way up, as well it should be. Funding
for the special needs of the smartest children
is paltry. Even the best public schools in wealthy
suburbs do little for these children.
Elementary, middle school crucial
High
school is not the big problem. In good high
schools, honors courses and advanced placement
programs are available. But by middle school,
many of the bored brightest kids have already
learned to coast. And they've learned that
smart is not necessarily a route to social
success. Nerd and dork are not
words of praise.
Some dumb down; pretend to think the way most
kids do. Mediocre is best. There seems to be
a strange mixture of cultures in Massachusetts
-- skinflink Yankee and beleaguered Boston Irish
-- shouting at super-smart kids and their often-bewildered
parents: "Hey, you think you're better than
us?"
The kids aren't better; just smarter.
© 1999, 2008
| In a Boston Magazine report, the author
provided names, facts, figures and interviews
to back up this overview. Click
here for the article.
|
|
Parent Resources
[Click on the underlined topic]
- Our
e-link library. Quick links
to fast-learner sites for parents,
kids and educators in the U.S. and
Canada. We've gathered the best
for your convenience.
- Even the best schools can offer little for super-smart
kids. Here's journalist Dan Sheridan's Boston Magazine report on how most schools deal with gifted
kids.
- A large government-financed
study finds that, when it
comes to math, kids in public schools
do as well as or significantly better
than comparable students in private
schools.
Letters
from parents
Second-grade parent
likes Meritor Academy
From: J. L., Bradford, MA
I'd like to recommend Meritor Academy in Middleton, MA. It is a wonderful school for pre-K through grade six, with a wide array of programs for gifted and creative children.
The school has class sizes of 15 or fewer, with devoted and talented teachers. Meritor has a Russian/ Singapore math program as the core of its science, technology, engineering and
. . . [
Full letter ]
Mom says Salem school
is right
for her daughter
To: KidsBoston fast-learner project
From: Robin Einzig, Medford,
MA
Subject: My fast-learner experience: Our daughter is in kindergarten
and is doing division and elaborate
science experiments, but she
is still allowed to be fully
five years old. It's a great
place for gifted kids or for . . . [
Full letter ]
Thanks for kids' program
at MIT
To:KidsBoston.com
Fast-Learner Project
From: Tuli Banerjee, Cambridge
Subject: My fast-learner experience: While my son was struggling
to find things of interest at
his elementary and middle school
in Cambridge, we discovered . . . [Full
letter]
Natick mom lauds Framingham school
To:KidsBoston.com
Fast-Learner Project
Subject: My fast-learner experience: When I first heard of Wayland
Academy of Framingham, I heard
it described as . . . [Full
letter]
Recommends Math Advantage
To:KidsBoston.com
Fast-Learner Project
Subject: My fast-learner experience:
I'd like to recommend the
Math Advantage Learning Center
for . . . [Full
letter]
Likes Foxboro gifted
school
To:KidsBoston.com
Fast-Learner Project
From: Spencer Palocz, Weston
My daughter goes to the Sage
school in Foxboro, which to
my knowledge is the the only . . . [Full
letter]
What can you do?
Please let us know how you've
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Click
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