Anonymous
Post 10/24/2012 14:37     Subject: Re:Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
Anonymous wrote:Also in Ohio my initial feeling is the percentage of working moms is much lower and there is less diversity. I know it has it's problems and poorer areas, but most of the moms I know from Ohio who might post here lived in quaint well to do suburbs with few on subsidized lunch or in ESL. Here a lot of the budget goes to help these kids and teachers have to deal with large class sizes, so we are afraid our advanced kids will be left out, which they often are. Plus, more moms work or can't afford private school leaving them fewer resources and time to make up for what the school lacks. In addition, you have some of the smartest people in the US here who may have come from private schooling or from abroad, so naturally they want a high level of education. And many of the ESL moms are too busy to post on this forum so the discussion is skewed.


What alternative universe Ohio planet did you live on? Sorry to get a bit off topic, but I feel the need to set the record straight here. I grew up the daughter of a steelworker who was laid off in the 80's and whose family never really recovered. We lived in a blue collar, working class town (Lorain) and it was nothing like what you describe above. There are some very well-to-do Cleveland suburbs, but I think the majority of Ohio is not in that catagory. Virginia ranks #6 of all the states in median household income, whereas Ohio is #37. I'll agree with the less diversity in Ohio statement though (although Lorain was only about 67% white) - it's about 87% white vs. Virginia's 76% white (thank you Wikipedia!). If you think Virginia's public schools spend "a lot of the budget" on lower income families, I think you are mistaken.

But to address OP's question - yes, I'm sick to death of all the "gifted" talk. I try to block it out, but it's like trying to block out the sun
Anonymous
Post 10/24/2012 12:48     Subject: Re:Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
The other thing is that in FCPS at least the kindergarten to 2nd grade and I've read with Curriculum 2.0 at MCPS as well does not offer math differentiation at all or very little. So parents hold out thinking that it might get better as their children go up in grades. We're still not there yet, but if it doesn't get better, I'd rather just know this from the start so I can look elsewhere. Maybe move somewhere cheaper and go private.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2012 23:05     Subject: Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
You'd probably hear a lot less talk about G&T on these forums if it were actually addressed in any earnest fashion in the schools.

Some parents simply have angst over kids who sit in classrooms bored out of their skulls, it turns kids off to school and academics when they aren't intellectually challenged.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2012 18:38     Subject: Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
Ja, but your chosen one child is still taking foul dumps in the pants. Please remove.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2012 17:05     Subject: Re:Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
Around our mainly caucasian circles if anyone brags about academics they are snubbed, so people like me use this forum as an outlet. I guess I'm just not in the same circles as these academic braggers. To many from flyover towns I guess. When 6 year old Joey starts pitching in AA baseball though, everyone says "How cool!".
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2012 13:23     Subject: Re:Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
Anonymous wrote:The thing is it's so often a teacher by teacher decision whether to give extra or advanced work and not something that all teachers must do, so you have a lot of parents with teachers not willing to make the extra effort complaining here. I guess I'm not gifted enough to understand 12:03's comment. I do not feel I'm pimping out my kid because I want him to learn something new in one of the 3R subjects during an entire year. And no, he doesn't have social issues either. Granted he's not 2 levels above the standard in sports either, but I consider those parents to be pushing the same or more than the GT crowd.


I chose the wrong words. I didn't mean 'pimping' kids out. I meant the ones that are endlessly telling everyone how gifted their kids are--akin to bragging. Pushing the kid that clearly isn't gifted to get into programs by any means possible.

I wouldn't classify what you are doing as that.

Anonymous
Post 10/23/2012 12:16     Subject: Re:Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
The thing is it's so often a teacher by teacher decision whether to give extra or advanced work and not something that all teachers must do, so you have a lot of parents with teachers not willing to make the extra effort complaining here. I guess I'm not gifted enough to understand 12:03's comment. I do not feel I'm pimping out my kid because I want him to learn something new in one of the 3R subjects during an entire year. And no, he doesn't have social issues either. Granted he's not 2 levels above the standard in sports either, but I consider those parents to be pushing the same or more than the GT crowd.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2012 12:06     Subject: Re:Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
Anonymous wrote:Yes! I hear about it from a friend. It is actually her nephew who is gifted and he's in my son's class. I have to bite my tongue and take it. Her take is he is socially inept--but he is soo gifted-that she is glad her kids are average. The thing is--I was told my kid tested out of what they need to know for first grade and he just started first grade. His entry test scores were off the chart. I haven't told anyone but DCUM this. My kid is very happy go-lucky and very athletic with lots of friends. I feel like I need to defend that all gifted aren't socially inept--but then I just let it go....

I never tell about my kids' accomplishments (except on dcum). I am the 'downplayer/low baller' in real life. We were raised to be modest and not to brag.

I was post-college when my brother's friend was trainign for a marathon at the same time I was. He told my brother that I told him I had only run 10 miles so far. Friend told me that whatever I told him I was training 'add 10 miles' that I was a consummate low-baller. This made me laugh. I do recognize that I try to make people feel better and am very self-deprecating. This is why I have a hard time in this competitive area where everyone is pimping their kids out.


Unlike other poster, my kid's teacher said they will continue to push him. There is an advanced group in his class for kids like him. I found out my kid does sneak 'reading' in during teachers talk something his teacher told me is a signal that he needs more work at his level..which she then provides. I don't doubt my kid will not be bored.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2012 12:03     Subject: Re:Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
Yes! I hear about it from a friend. It is actually her nephew who is gifted and he's in my son's class. I have to bite my tongue and take it. Her take is he is socially inept--but he is soo gifted-that she is glad her kids are average. The thing is--I was told my kid tested out of what they need to know for first grade and he just started first grade. His entry test scores were off the chart. I haven't told anyone but DCUM this. My kid is very happy go-lucky and very athletic with lots of friends. I feel like I need to defend that all gifted aren't socially inept--but then I just let it go....

I never tell about my kids' accomplishments (except on dcum). I am the 'downplayer/low baller' in real life. We were raised to be modest and not to brag.

I was post-college when my brother's friend was trainign for a marathon at the same time I was. He told my brother that I told him I had only run 10 miles so far. Friend told me that whatever I told him I was training 'add 10 miles' that I was a consummate low-baller. This made me laugh. I do recognize that I try to make people feel better and am very self-deprecating. This is why I have a hard time in this competitive area where everyone is pimping their kids out.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2012 11:49     Subject: Re:Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
All the flyover country parents I know homeschool because they say their schools are so poor, so I'm not sure those areas are void of this either. They've just given up on the public school system.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2012 11:32     Subject: Re:Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
10:30 I agree that parents sometimes influence this and children wouldn't be bored otherwise. That said, I've been in two conferences at the beginning of the year where I've been told my child has met all the standards of the grade and then some and by the way, we won't be teaching him anything new here or we will do some stuff for him and it turns out to be a once a month effort. I don't agree with this. Nor is there always something for them to do with their time. When my son finishes his math work which is easy for him, he has to sit as his desk with nothing to do for the remaining time. Really it just can't be that hard to give the kid a more challenging worksheet to do when he's obviously mastered the other work per their own tests.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2012 10:30     Subject: Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
I am sick of hearing about snowflakes are bored in school!
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2012 10:18     Subject: Re:Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
Anonymous wrote:On the other hand it does sound like the midwesterners are bragging about their modesty.


Anonymous
Post 10/23/2012 10:08     Subject: Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
Look, my kid goes to a magnet. I'm not a bragger, but when folks ask where he goes, they learn he's in a TAG proram.
Anonymous
Post 10/22/2012 20:22     Subject: Re:Anyone else sick of gifted talk?
On the other hand it does sound like the midwesterners are bragging about their modesty.