The only way to have equity is to drag down the top performers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Equity should mean that everyone gets what they need to succeed to their highest potential. Gifted kids need challenge and rigor or they are highly likely to disengage in school (read the literature on gifted kids). Focusing only on the lowest achievement group is not equity.

If you have 3 gifted kids and 1,000 kids who are lagging, where should you invest resources?

Again, if you kids is truly gifted they will figure themselves out. If your kid can’t figure out for themselves how to get the best out of MCPS you should maybe reconsider if they are truly gifted or motivated. My kid found all sorts of ways to get MCPS to be exactly what she wanted and needed, but it required work and effort on her part, not the entire school district twisting itself into a pretzel for one kid.

Tell us how?

I don’t know how your child is gifted or what that means for you. Try dual enrollment at one of several college options and see if you can join the professor’s research project. Or become a TA for an advanced math section at your school. Or do an internship. Or do outside enrichment. Or join the math team. Or take easier classes during the summer at an accelerated pace to make more space for harder sciences during the school year. The options aren’t a secret.

What doesn’t work is to claim the local school isn’t good enough for your gifted child because they need something unique and not be willing to do something unique.

So your answer is that the school should ignore poor smart kids who can't pay for private after school?

Waiving prerequisites for APs, or getting rid of the time-wasting double periods (or doubling up AP courses for shared double period lab time) are great ideas, that MCPS never bothered to implement before trying to launch this wish and prayer regional magnet program.

I offered five or six options, of which only one would need to be done outside MCPS. All the rest are existing, free, MCPS programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s so bad that even parents are like- gifted kids will figure it out. Why? Why don’t they deserve the same resources and consideration that low performing kids do? Just because they don’t cause problems doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a high quality education. We pay for special ed teachers to run tiny sheltered classes for the disabled. Why can’t we pay gifted teachers to run tiny sheltered classes (magnets!) for the highly able students?

I know- it’s the anti-intellectualism of America. Those kids will be just fine. Don’t be all up on your high horse, there, bucko. Throw in some anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment and you’ve got the current response to magnets.

It’s infuriating.

As a parent of a child with autism, I kindly ask you to refrain from acting like kids with disabilities all get "tiny sheltered classes". It is extremely difficult to get into those classes and the kids that do really need them (and many more also need them but are not able to access them).

You don’t get to shut down discussion because you don’t like someone’s opinion.

Taxpayers and citizens are allowed to talk about the allocation of public funds.

Questioning the enormous percentage of public education money that is funneled to special needs students is a valid perspective even though you don’t like it because it harms your offspring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s so bad that even parents are like- gifted kids will figure it out. Why? Why don’t they deserve the same resources and consideration that low performing kids do? Just because they don’t cause problems doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a high quality education. We pay for special ed teachers to run tiny sheltered classes for the disabled. Why can’t we pay gifted teachers to run tiny sheltered classes (magnets!) for the highly able students?

I know- it’s the anti-intellectualism of America. Those kids will be just fine. Don’t be all up on your high horse, there, bucko. Throw in some anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment and you’ve got the current response to magnets.

It’s infuriating.

As a parent of a child with autism, I kindly ask you to refrain from acting like kids with disabilities all get "tiny sheltered classes". It is extremely difficult to get into those classes and the kids that do really need them (and many more also need them but are not able to access them).

You’re right of course- they don’t. But what if MCPS proposed getting rid of those classes altogether? Those kids will be “fine”. They don’t need specialized instruction. Have them take virtual classes. We would never do that, and that’s my point. Why is it okay to deliberately ignore the needs of the gifted kids? And my answer was- ‘Merica, dude.

American attitudes around gifted education and high performers, part of the broader social ethos of "equity" = "the same for everyone," is why the US is falling further and further behind China and India, and we're baking this widening gap in for generations to come. This is the thing that nobody in educational circles here in the US wants to talk about or admit.

It is fundamentally not true that gifted children will just figure it out and be ok wherever they are. What a disgusting statement, like they're throwaway children. Anyone who is arguing this obviously doesn't understand the social and psychological challenges for gifted children.

This is my point. And I’m not suggesting we ever get rid of specialized small classes for special ed!! I think they shouldn’t get rid of specialized small classes for gifted kids! And to me it’s insulting that people assume my kid can “figure it out”. How would you feel if someone said that about your child? I agree with the above PP. It has to do with how America has always been uncomfortable with “nerds”. And now, how dare the striver immigrant parent of a smart kid ask for their needs to be met? Just figure it out yourself. Infuriating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you all saying gifted kids will figure it out for themselves and don’t need help/resources/harder classes? Gifted doesn’t necessarily mean hard working. A lot of these kids burn out and also need direction.

I personally would like harder classes for all. One of my kids is not gifted and she’s definitely been left behind. Her classes are insanely easy, there’s no good classroom debate on any subjects, and the teachers spends all of her time focuses on kids who can still barely read. My daughter is so curious about everything and loves math but there’s nothing for her.

I’m not saying harder classes shouldn’t be available, but they are available. Maybe that collection of classes doesn’t meet your child’s needs because they are so uniquely gifted, but it still doesn’t make sense for the school to develop a whole new curriculum pathways for a single child when other options are available. Particularly if that comes at the expense of larger swaths of kids that are struggling academically.

but they aren't. those classes are too easy.

I truly don’t understand the logic here. The schools offer many options for kids of all intelligence and motivation levels. Our school offers MVC, Linear Algebra, AP calc, and AP Stats, in person at our HS. In addition they offer many math classes for kids that are less advanced. Those classes meet the needs of the vast majority of students.

For the let’s say top 3%, they will now offer cluster based accelerated programs. For the kids who are beyond that, let’s say the top .3%, there are other options available like DE and the like. My kid digs physics but there is only one AP physics class at the HS. So she took four semester of Physics classes and labs at the college.

If your kid is a truly unique, one of a kind genius that is curing cancer at 14, then I agree MCPS isn’t going to give them the best diversity of options for academic challenge. I also think it isn’t MCPS’s responsibility to meet every possible desire for a very single outlier kid. For virtually every other high stats/gifted kid it seems to me that there are a wide diversity of options that MCPS offers that can reasonable meet their needs.

Which college?

Montgomery college only offers the equivalent of AP Physics 1 and 2, not even C.

Community colleges have career preparation courses and pre-University classes. They don't have courses for advanced students heading to Liberal Arts and Science majors university.

https://catalog.montgomerycollege.edu/search_advanced.php?cur_cat_oid=21&ecpage=1&cpage=1&ppage=1&pcpage=1&spage=1&tpage=1&search_database=Search&filter%5Bkeyword%5D=phys&filter%5B3%5D=1&filter%5B31%5D=1&filter%5B1%5D=1&filter%5B28%5D=1&filter%5B30%5D=1

Exactly! Every time seen people or Karla Silvestre talking about MC for high achievers, I'm always wondering: does MC really offer quantum physics, math physics or discrete math? I myself have a PhD in physics major from an Ivy, and I remember deeply how challenging quantum physics and math physics were for me back when I was an undergrad, and I couldn't imagine a CC student can manage them or make the knowledge learnt from these classes useful for their daily work. These classes are really only for kids who are deeply interested in pursuing a professional career in physics domain, and quite a few SMCS alumni became faculties or top-tier researchers in subsequent areas.

Of course MC doesn’t offer every single course a college might, but it does offer courses beyond what is available in the HS.

Also, MCPS kids are not limited to MC for dual enrollment, it’s just the one kids do most often because it is the most streamline and meets the needs of the vast majority of kids. I know math kids that are beyond what MC offers and still in HS, those kids find math classes at UMD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s so bad that even parents are like- gifted kids will figure it out. Why? Why don’t they deserve the same resources and consideration that low performing kids do? Just because they don’t cause problems doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a high quality education. We pay for special ed teachers to run tiny sheltered classes for the disabled. Why can’t we pay gifted teachers to run tiny sheltered classes (magnets!) for the highly able students?

I know- it’s the anti-intellectualism of America. Those kids will be just fine. Don’t be all up on your high horse, there, bucko. Throw in some anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment and you’ve got the current response to magnets.

It’s infuriating.

As a parent of a child with autism, I kindly ask you to refrain from acting like kids with disabilities all get "tiny sheltered classes". It is extremely difficult to get into those classes and the kids that do really need them (and many more also need them but are not able to access them).

You don’t get to shut down discussion because you don’t like someone’s opinion.

Taxpayers and citizens are allowed to talk about the allocation of public funds.

Questioning the enormous percentage of public education money that is funneled to special needs students is a valid perspective even though you don’t like it because it harms your offspring.

You are shutting down everyone's opinion except your own.

They have far more valid comments than you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s so bad that even parents are like- gifted kids will figure it out. Why? Why don’t they deserve the same resources and consideration that low performing kids do? Just because they don’t cause problems doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a high quality education. We pay for special ed teachers to run tiny sheltered classes for the disabled. Why can’t we pay gifted teachers to run tiny sheltered classes (magnets!) for the highly able students?

I know- it’s the anti-intellectualism of America. Those kids will be just fine. Don’t be all up on your high horse, there, bucko. Throw in some anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment and you’ve got the current response to magnets.

It’s infuriating.

But gifted kids won’t figure it out! I was in gifted throughout school. Plenty of my classmates were geniuses but wouldn’t do homework and needed help with executive functioning (just like every kid…). We had such incredible teachers that really brought out the potential in gifted kids. I think I read that geniuses have higher rates of burnout and suicide.

I wasn’t gifted, at least by IQ, but I made straight As throughout high school and got a great SAT score (1475). I think I worked twice as hard as anyone else though. I am still so grateful I was allowed into the gifted magnet. The courses I took and the high caliber of teacher really helped me. I really think all kids should be allowed to take higher level courses and if they can’t make it (Cs or lower), they then get bumped down. College was a breeze after how hard high school was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you all saying gifted kids will figure it out for themselves and don’t need help/resources/harder classes? Gifted doesn’t necessarily mean hard working. A lot of these kids burn out and also need direction.

I personally would like harder classes for all. One of my kids is not gifted and she’s definitely been left behind. Her classes are insanely easy, there’s no good classroom debate on any subjects, and the teachers spends all of her time focuses on kids who can still barely read. My daughter is so curious about everything and loves math but there’s nothing for her.

I’m not saying harder classes shouldn’t be available, but they are available. Maybe that collection of classes doesn’t meet your child’s needs because they are so uniquely gifted, but it still doesn’t make sense for the school to develop a whole new curriculum pathways for a single child when other options are available. Particularly if that comes at the expense of larger swaths of kids that are struggling academically.

but they aren't. those classes are too easy.

I truly don’t understand the logic here. The schools offer many options for kids of all intelligence and motivation levels. Our school offers MVC, Linear Algebra, AP calc, and AP Stats, in person at our HS. In addition they offer many math classes for kids that are less advanced. Those classes meet the needs of the vast majority of students.

For the let’s say top 3%, they will now offer cluster based accelerated programs. For the kids who are beyond that, let’s say the top .3%, there are other options available like DE and the like. My kid digs physics but there is only one AP physics class at the HS. So she took four semester of Physics classes and labs at the college.

If your kid is a truly unique, one of a kind genius that is curing cancer at 14, then I agree MCPS isn’t going to give them the best diversity of options for academic challenge. I also think it isn’t MCPS’s responsibility to meet every possible desire for a very single outlier kid. For virtually every other high stats/gifted kid it seems to me that there are a wide diversity of options that MCPS offers that can reasonable meet their needs.

Which college?

Montgomery college only offers the equivalent of AP Physics 1 and 2, not even C.

Community colleges have career preparation courses and pre-University classes. They don't have courses for advanced students heading to Liberal Arts and Science majors university.

https://catalog.montgomerycollege.edu/search_advanced.php?cur_cat_oid=21&ecpage=1&cpage=1&ppage=1&pcpage=1&spage=1&tpage=1&search_database=Search&filter%5Bkeyword%5D=phys&filter%5B3%5D=1&filter%5B31%5D=1&filter%5B1%5D=1&filter%5B28%5D=1&filter%5B30%5D=1

Exactly! Every time seen people or Karla Silvestre talking about MC for high achievers, I'm always wondering: does MC really offer quantum physics, math physics or discrete math? I myself have a PhD in physics major from an Ivy, and I remember deeply how challenging quantum physics and math physics were for me back when I was an undergrad, and I couldn't imagine a CC student can manage them or make the knowledge learnt from these classes useful for their daily work. These classes are really only for kids who are deeply interested in pursuing a professional career in physics domain, and quite a few SMCS alumni became faculties or top-tier researchers in subsequent areas.

Of course MC doesn’t offer every single course a college might, but it does offer courses beyond what is available in the HS.

Also, MCPS kids are not limited to MC for dual enrollment, it’s just the one kids do most often because it is the most streamline and meets the needs of the vast majority of kids. I know math kids that are beyond what MC offers and still in HS, those kids find math classes at UMD.

You are missing that its a transportation and timing issue. Karla Silivestre works for MC as the MCPS liaison, huge conflict of interest so that's why there is a huge push for MC. MCPS PAYS MC for those classes and books so its a profit maker for MC.

It would be far cheaper to offer it virtually in house.

Many kids have enough on their plate and they don't have the time three nights a week to go to MC with activities and sports and during the day have a full courseload. The only way to make it work is as a senior if you only need math and english and can take a reduced courseload (and for us, we'd have to buy a car, maintance and insurance so that there alone makes it not worth it).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s so bad that even parents are like- gifted kids will figure it out. Why? Why don’t they deserve the same resources and consideration that low performing kids do? Just because they don’t cause problems doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a high quality education. We pay for special ed teachers to run tiny sheltered classes for the disabled. Why can’t we pay gifted teachers to run tiny sheltered classes (magnets!) for the highly able students?

I know- it’s the anti-intellectualism of America. Those kids will be just fine. Don’t be all up on your high horse, there, bucko. Throw in some anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment and you’ve got the current response to magnets.

It’s infuriating.

But gifted kids won’t figure it out! I was in gifted throughout school. Plenty of my classmates were geniuses but wouldn’t do homework and needed help with executive functioning (just like every kid…). We had such incredible teachers that really brought out the potential in gifted kids. I think I read that geniuses have higher rates of burnout and suicide.

I wasn’t gifted, at least by IQ, but I made straight As throughout high school and got a great SAT score (1475). I think I worked twice as hard as anyone else though. I am still so grateful I was allowed into the gifted magnet. The courses I took and the high caliber of teacher really helped me. I really think all kids should be allowed to take higher level courses and if they can’t make it (Cs or lower), they then get bumped down. College was a breeze after how hard high school was.

You are entirely missing the point. Kids who don't do the work should be kicked out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s so bad that even parents are like- gifted kids will figure it out. Why? Why don’t they deserve the same resources and consideration that low performing kids do? Just because they don’t cause problems doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a high quality education. We pay for special ed teachers to run tiny sheltered classes for the disabled. Why can’t we pay gifted teachers to run tiny sheltered classes (magnets!) for the highly able students?

I know- it’s the anti-intellectualism of America. Those kids will be just fine. Don’t be all up on your high horse, there, bucko. Throw in some anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment and you’ve got the current response to magnets.

It’s infuriating.

As a parent of a child with autism, I kindly ask you to refrain from acting like kids with disabilities all get "tiny sheltered classes". It is extremely difficult to get into those classes and the kids that do really need them (and many more also need them but are not able to access them).

You don’t get to shut down discussion because you don’t like someone’s opinion.

Taxpayers and citizens are allowed to talk about the allocation of public funds.

Questioning the enormous percentage of public education money that is funneled to special needs students is a valid perspective even though you don’t like it because it harms your offspring.

You are shutting down everyone's opinion except your own.

They have far more valid comments than you do.

Grow up. We’re not the ones telling people they can’t talk about things.

If you want to advocate for more funds for the lowest intellectual ability students, be my guest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s so bad that even parents are like- gifted kids will figure it out. Why? Why don’t they deserve the same resources and consideration that low performing kids do? Just because they don’t cause problems doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a high quality education. We pay for special ed teachers to run tiny sheltered classes for the disabled. Why can’t we pay gifted teachers to run tiny sheltered classes (magnets!) for the highly able students?

I know- it’s the anti-intellectualism of America. Those kids will be just fine. Don’t be all up on your high horse, there, bucko. Throw in some anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment and you’ve got the current response to magnets.

It’s infuriating.

As a parent of a child with autism, I kindly ask you to refrain from acting like kids with disabilities all get "tiny sheltered classes". It is extremely difficult to get into those classes and the kids that do really need them (and many more also need them but are not able to access them).

You’re right of course- they don’t. But what if MCPS proposed getting rid of those classes altogether? Those kids will be “fine”. They don’t need specialized instruction. Have them take virtual classes. We would never do that, and that’s my point. Why is it okay to deliberately ignore the needs of the gifted kids? And my answer was- ‘Merica, dude.

American attitudes around gifted education and high performers, part of the broader social ethos of "equity" = "the same for everyone," is why the US is falling further and further behind China and India, and we're baking this widening gap in for generations to come. This is the thing that nobody in educational circles here in the US wants to talk about or admit.

It is fundamentally not true that gifted children will just figure it out and be ok wherever they are. What a disgusting statement, like they're throwaway children. Anyone who is arguing this obviously doesn't understand the social and psychological challenges for gifted children.

This is my point. And I’m not suggesting we ever get rid of specialized small classes for special ed!! I think they shouldn’t get rid of specialized small classes for gifted kids! And to me it’s insulting that people assume my kid can “figure it out”. How would you feel if someone said that about your child? I agree with the above PP. It has to do with how America has always been uncomfortable with “nerds”. And now, how dare the striver immigrant parent of a smart kid ask for their needs to be met? Just figure it out yourself. Infuriating.

We have a smart kid who got waitlisted for Blair but we wouldn't have chosen it anyway due to the commute/after-school activities and they didn't like the classes required. Guess what, we have to figure it out as our school doesn't offer any advanced classes and MCPS will not let us get a tutor and do independent study. The W schools have all these advanced classes; the other schools don't. Why should we as taxpayers, pay for classes our kids have no access to? I don't think you even understand the issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s so bad that even parents are like- gifted kids will figure it out. Why? Why don’t they deserve the same resources and consideration that low performing kids do? Just because they don’t cause problems doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a high quality education. We pay for special ed teachers to run tiny sheltered classes for the disabled. Why can’t we pay gifted teachers to run tiny sheltered classes (magnets!) for the highly able students?

I know- it’s the anti-intellectualism of America. Those kids will be just fine. Don’t be all up on your high horse, there, bucko. Throw in some anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment and you’ve got the current response to magnets.

It’s infuriating.

As a parent of a child with autism, I kindly ask you to refrain from acting like kids with disabilities all get "tiny sheltered classes". It is extremely difficult to get into those classes and the kids that do really need them (and many more also need them but are not able to access them).

You’re right of course- they don’t. But what if MCPS proposed getting rid of those classes altogether? Those kids will be “fine”. They don’t need specialized instruction. Have them take virtual classes. We would never do that, and that’s my point. Why is it okay to deliberately ignore the needs of the gifted kids? And my answer was- ‘Merica, dude.

Because they wouldn't "fine," obviously.

Gifted kids will be fine. Yes, it might take them an extra year or two through college and grad school to reach their potential, but they're going to be just fine.

Are you really trying to claim otherwise?

If education for ALL is really what we are aiming for, and if we are okay with tiny, publicly-funded classes for special ed, then we should be okay paying for similar classes for gifted kids.

But we’re not.

Because of the optics- nobody in the US really likes gifted kids! Like, culturally.

And when the model minority makes noise and actually starts asking for what we deserve? We’re told- your kid will be fine. NO! We deserve to have our kids’ needs met, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s so bad that even parents are like- gifted kids will figure it out. Why? Why don’t they deserve the same resources and consideration that low performing kids do? Just because they don’t cause problems doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a high quality education. We pay for special ed teachers to run tiny sheltered classes for the disabled. Why can’t we pay gifted teachers to run tiny sheltered classes (magnets!) for the highly able students?

I know- it’s the anti-intellectualism of America. Those kids will be just fine. Don’t be all up on your high horse, there, bucko. Throw in some anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment and you’ve got the current response to magnets.

It’s infuriating.

As a parent of a child with autism, I kindly ask you to refrain from acting like kids with disabilities all get "tiny sheltered classes". It is extremely difficult to get into those classes and the kids that do really need them (and many more also need them but are not able to access them).

You’re right of course- they don’t. But what if MCPS proposed getting rid of those classes altogether? Those kids will be “fine”. They don’t need specialized instruction. Have them take virtual classes. We would never do that, and that’s my point. Why is it okay to deliberately ignore the needs of the gifted kids? And my answer was- ‘Merica, dude.

The analogy you are making is very ignorant on several levels. Please leave disabled kids out of this.

You can’t leave “disabled” kids out of this when they consume a proportionally huge amount of public education budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s so bad that even parents are like- gifted kids will figure it out. Why? Why don’t they deserve the same resources and consideration that low performing kids do? Just because they don’t cause problems doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a high quality education. We pay for special ed teachers to run tiny sheltered classes for the disabled. Why can’t we pay gifted teachers to run tiny sheltered classes (magnets!) for the highly able students?

I know- it’s the anti-intellectualism of America. Those kids will be just fine. Don’t be all up on your high horse, there, bucko. Throw in some anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment and you’ve got the current response to magnets.

It’s infuriating.

But gifted kids won’t figure it out! I was in gifted throughout school. Plenty of my classmates were geniuses but wouldn’t do homework and needed help with executive functioning (just like every kid…). We had such incredible teachers that really brought out the potential in gifted kids. I think I read that geniuses have higher rates of burnout and suicide.

I wasn’t gifted, at least by IQ, but I made straight As throughout high school and got a great SAT score (1475). I think I worked twice as hard as anyone else though. I am still so grateful I was allowed into the gifted magnet. The courses I took and the high caliber of teacher really helped me. I really think all kids should be allowed to take higher level courses and if they can’t make it (Cs or lower), they then get bumped down. College was a breeze after how hard high school was.

I have a similar story, I really really benefitted from magnet education in high school. My home life was chaotic, and we lived below the poverty line. I don't know where I would be today without the structure and encouragement from the magnet program to reach the potential I could. Socially there's a huge difference when you're surrounded by a cohort who cares about learning, versus my home high school where most kids were cutting class or disrupting class. The focus these days is always on race, but that's a proxy for socioeconomic conditions, which is what we should really be talking about. The regional model will just create pockets of disparity between regions because of the socioeconomic differences, and it's harming the poor smart kids the most. They will not have the cohort for these kinds of programs within their region. They will be shut out of the established thriving programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s so bad that even parents are like- gifted kids will figure it out. Why? Why don’t they deserve the same resources and consideration that low performing kids do? Just because they don’t cause problems doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a high quality education. We pay for special ed teachers to run tiny sheltered classes for the disabled. Why can’t we pay gifted teachers to run tiny sheltered classes (magnets!) for the highly able students?

I know- it’s the anti-intellectualism of America. Those kids will be just fine. Don’t be all up on your high horse, there, bucko. Throw in some anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment and you’ve got the current response to magnets.

It’s infuriating.

As a parent of a child with autism, I kindly ask you to refrain from acting like kids with disabilities all get "tiny sheltered classes". It is extremely difficult to get into those classes and the kids that do really need them (and many more also need them but are not able to access them).

You’re right of course- they don’t. But what if MCPS proposed getting rid of those classes altogether? Those kids will be “fine”. They don’t need specialized instruction. Have them take virtual classes. We would never do that, and that’s my point. Why is it okay to deliberately ignore the needs of the gifted kids? And my answer was- ‘Merica, dude.

Because they wouldn't "fine," obviously.

Gifted kids will be fine. Yes, it might take them an extra year or two through college and grad school to reach their potential, but they're going to be just fine.

Are you really trying to claim otherwise?

If education for ALL is really what we are aiming for, and if we are okay with tiny, publicly-funded classes for special ed, then we should be okay paying for similar classes for gifted kids.

But we’re not.

Because of the optics- nobody in the US really likes gifted kids! Like, culturally.

And when the model minority makes noise and actually starts asking for what we deserve? We’re told- your kid will be fine. NO! We deserve to have our kids’ needs met, too.

That doesn't follow.

Kids with special needs are inherently more expensive and challenging to care for and to educate. Early intervention through public schools can help to reduce future needs from these kids.

Gifted kids, on the other hand, will be fine.

I think there are legitimate discussions to be had on whether more resources should be allocated for gifted programs, but comparing them to special education is absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s so bad that even parents are like- gifted kids will figure it out. Why? Why don’t they deserve the same resources and consideration that low performing kids do? Just because they don’t cause problems doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a high quality education. We pay for special ed teachers to run tiny sheltered classes for the disabled. Why can’t we pay gifted teachers to run tiny sheltered classes (magnets!) for the highly able students?

I know- it’s the anti-intellectualism of America. Those kids will be just fine. Don’t be all up on your high horse, there, bucko. Throw in some anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment and you’ve got the current response to magnets.

It’s infuriating.

As a parent of a child with autism, I kindly ask you to refrain from acting like kids with disabilities all get "tiny sheltered classes". It is extremely difficult to get into those classes and the kids that do really need them (and many more also need them but are not able to access them).

You’re right of course- they don’t. But what if MCPS proposed getting rid of those classes altogether? Those kids will be “fine”. They don’t need specialized instruction. Have them take virtual classes. We would never do that, and that’s my point. Why is it okay to deliberately ignore the needs of the gifted kids? And my answer was- ‘Merica, dude.

Because they wouldn't "fine," obviously.

Gifted kids will be fine. Yes, it might take them an extra year or two through college and grad school to reach their potential, but they're going to be just fine.

Are you really trying to claim otherwise?

If education for ALL is really what we are aiming for, and if we are okay with tiny, publicly-funded classes for special ed, then we should be okay paying for similar classes for gifted kids.

But we’re not.

Because of the optics- nobody in the US really likes gifted kids! Like, culturally.

And when the model minority makes noise and actually starts asking for what we deserve? We’re told- your kid will be fine. NO! We deserve to have our kids’ needs met, too.

Do you really not understand the difference between a "need" and a "want"?

I guess you acknowledged that you weren't very bright in an earlier post.