I really think that it is a shame that children that want to get a better education and go to special gifted and talented schools are given such a hard time to do so. I really wish that every school on earth was a good school that gave children the best education that they could get. I really think that in every school there should be programs to push children to go farther and do better than the average student does. But if there does have to be these separate schools where children that are “gifted” go to learn than I really do not think that they should be given such a hard time when trying to get in.
“A new admissions process for highly coveted gifted-and-talented programs in the New York City elementary schools has been riddled with glitches, including last-minute notice of entrance exam dates in some areas, fraying the nerves of parents already frazzled about finding schools for their children.”
If they are gifted and they meet the requirements to get into the school then they should be able to go. From what I read in this article students are given little time to prepare for the tests that they have to take to get into these schools. This is a really big problem. Students should be given plenty of time to prepare for the test so that they can do their bests and really have a good chance to show what good students they are. There are tons of students that want to get into these school and tons of parents that want their students to get into these school and I think that everyone should be given a far and equal chance of doing so.
I am so glad that we have schools like this for the more gifted students. These school give children good educations and push their students to do their bests. If every school was like this in America than think of the future that we would have. We would be turning out very educated and good people into the world. This would be a very good thing.
The article . . . In Testing for Gifted Programs, a Few Knots
Kristen Said:
on February 1, 2007 at 5:39 am
I totally agree that students should be allowed to attend “college prep” schools if they feel that they can receive a better education there. However, if all exceptional students leave the regular classrooms, those regular classrooms are hindered. For example, reading groups full of kids that are not great readers do not have as much success because students are not learning from their peers as well as the teacher. If by exceptional students you mean those students that could graduate high school at 15 years old and be done with college by 18, then by all means they should definitely be attending higher education schools because otherwise their skills may be stifled and they may become a problem in the classroom (acting out because they are bored, etc.). Great post, and I love your background! =)
moonshot Said:
on February 1, 2007 at 5:54 am
When I first began to read your post, I thought I knew my exact opinion on “gifted” schools. Then as I continued reading and continued thinking, I realized I really don’t know how I feel about them. It isn’t fair that kids be held back from their full potential, but having “gifted” schools also decreases the diversity in schools and makes everyone’s learning experiences that much narrower. I agree that ideally everyone should be challenged and given the best education possible, but some kids are more intelligent than others, even in different subjects. How do we best reach everyone in public schools? There are so many different needs.
I remember testing into the gifted program at my school district. My parents gave me the choice of whether I would go into the program. I thought about it, but ultimately I did not want to leave my friends (I was in 3rd grade). Was this the best decision? I had a wonderful education. My decision was based on the stigma associated with the gifted program, however. The ‘Talented And Gifted’ (TAG) students were labeled as superior, and the “regular” students joked about/teased them. That is not right. “Regular” students should not be made to feel inferior. Neither should “gifted” students. I really enjoyed reading your post – it really got me thinking!
My little nuggets of wisdom - or insanity « and still you wonder at it all … Said:
on April 17, 2007 at 12:12 am
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