Posted on 10/13/2021 3:57:17 AM PDT by Kaslin
Parents whose kids excel in school need to be on guard. Leftist school administrators across the country -- not just in New York City -- are banning gifted programs in elementary and middle school and Advanced Placement courses in high school.
Typically, without any notice to parents, an eight grader's accelerated science class or a fifth grader's fast-track math class is merged into the regular classroom. Top students lose out. They need accelerated programs every bit as much as children with learning challenges need special education. It's discrimination.
The left is seizing on a newly published study of Ohio students from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute to call for banning gifted programs. The study, "Ohio's Lost Einsteins," looks at what became of second and third grade students who were identified as high performers. By eighth grade, only 30% of Black students, 39% of Hispanic students and 34% of economically disadvantaged students in the group were still outstanding performers. Most had floundered.
Washington Post education columnist Jay Mathews misreads the findings to argue that gifted programs are unproven and probably a waste of money. But many of the Ohio students labelled as high achievers were never placed in a "gifted" program. Fordham's experts actually recommend more students be tracked into gifted programs.
The study also underscores the importance of helping gifted children early on overcome barriers to success. They may lack a place to study and, most importantly, an involved parent. Some parents don't insist their children do their homework, concentrate in class and aim for AP classes. These parents need guidance on buying into the educational achievement culture.
Instead, school administrators are scapegoating gifted kids for the sake of equity. Boston suspended enrollment in its Advanced Work Classes program for fourth, fifth and six graders, citing the fact that the school district is 80% Black and Hispanic, but AWC enrollment is 70% white and Asian.
The rhetoric attacking gifted programs is vicious and divisive. The Hechinger Report, based at Columbia University's Teachers College, claims "gifted education has racism in its roots," arguing that the scientist who popularized IQ measurement was a eugenicist.
California proposes eliminating accelerated math before eleventh grade and requiring all students to study math together. "We reject ideas of natural gifts and talents," the state's math plan declares. That's like declaring that all students can play on the varsity football team. Ridiculous.
Educators are peddling a false claim that students of mixed abilities learn better together. A website addressed to school administrators deplores tracking as "segregation" and announces, "It's good for students to be in classrooms where there's a robust exchange of perspectives; perspectives that are shaped by racial, ethnic and economic identities." Maybe in homeroom or social studies, but not physics. Gifted children in slow classes grow bored and even drop out.
Leftist educators are also targeting AP high school classes. But a study by the left-leaning Center for American Progress shows that students who succeed in AP classes have higher grades in college and are more likely to graduate. Eliminating them would be a mistake.
Fewer Black students enroll in AP, and those who do are less likely to pass the AP exams. Approximately 69% of Asians, 65% of whites and 46% of Hispanics who take AP tests pass, but only 28% of Blacks pass. The country should be deeply concerned, but the solution is to better prepare disadvantaged kids.
The equity warriors are also attacking the nation's 165 competitive public high schools. From Boston to Alexandria, Virginia, and San Francisco, they're eliminating entrance exams and allocating seats by lottery or zip code. Georgetown University's Anthony Carnevale calls it "a direct populist rebellion." Don't buy it. The real populism is parents rising up to resist dumbing down their children's education. These parents, including Asian American immigrants, know their best shot at the American dream is to have their children succeed in a highly competitive public school. No one should take that away.
Title correction: Dems’ Attack On Smart White and Asian Kids
I can well remember the frustration of being in a regular English class in high school, rolling my eyes at the idiocy around me. Finally the teacher moved me into the advanced placement English. I don’t think bright kids will be harmed by being mixed in with regular kids, but it is a huge waste of their time.
If these kids are so advanced, why do they need high school? What’s stopping them from going straight to college?
Likely money.
Can minors get scholarships, loans, grants?
Also, just cuz you’re a brainiac doesn’t mean you have the maturity needed to handle college.
Opportunity for private schools
It does harm them. They are not given the chance to learn at a higher more advanced level in that subject. I have a granddaughter who was bored to tears in the regular class. Bad for morale.
Community college is cheaper. They can bank credits there and then transfer to a university later.
Communism has a sordid history of purging its best and brightest plus Christianity because all these were/are threats to their power and their ability to dumb down the masses so they can exert power and control over them. Here we are…
The incoming NYC Mayor (also a Dem) will most likely reverse the stupid decision on advanced programs in NYC schools. But it’s just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
These programs don’t raise the floor. They lower the ceiling. We think we’re smarter than humans who came before us. We’re not. We only perform better because of innovations made by the smartest people among us. The United States has thrived because, and only because, we have allowed these people to excel. Stop allowing these people to excel and the excellence of this nation is history.
Home School!
Home School!
Did I mention
Home School?
Smart kids will always find ways to further their education and better themselves regardless of any restriction or obstacle that the Democrats can put up across their paths.
Freepers today expect the government to educate their children.
I can say without a doubt, based on personal experience, that being in a class being taught to the level of the lowest common denominator is boring for smarter kids and causes them lose interest in school. If there is an alternative they may challenge themselves, but those opportunities are usually limited in scope.
It was just matter of time…once the DNC began its war on American exceptionalism!
People are by in large, stupid.
The standard view is as follows.
By removing smart kids from the class room, you are creating a racial impact. Also, the smart kids help “uplift” the dumb kids.
No matter that puts the smart kids in deadly danger. They don’t matter.
Not everywhere.
Big schools make a point to not accept CC credits for prelims.
The prelim classes are big money makers.
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