Do unmotivated kids get into HGC?

[Anonymous]

My DC went through the HGC and is now in a middle school magnet. Over the years, he's had multiple group projects and paired projects (including a very recent one) in which his partner or one member of the group didn't pull his/her weight or didn't do any work at all. While it's been frustrating at times, DC knows that he will be graded on the end result of the project, not participation or effort, and he just has to get it done. There have been many times where he's stayed up until midnight to finish someone else's part of the project because it's due the next morning and his partners, who've done little, get an A on the project. It kind of stinks sometimes. I've told my DC how proud I am of him for doing whatever it takes to get the work done, even if it's not fair. But honestly, that's life. And the teachers do know, trust me, and the recommendations to middle school or high school magnets are going to reflect that. And yes, some of the kids in the HGC are simply atrocious, and some have behavioral challenges, but you'll find that in any school, anywhere.