Eliminating gifted programming in the public education system is anti-egalitarian.
It reduces opportunity for lower income households to provide their children with ability-appropriate education.
If public educators are truly intent on a policy of gifted inclusion, rigorous gifted programming should be offered from the earliest stages of school entry. Pathways into the gifted program should be built into the learning plans of students who are close to the cutoff to ensure that access is never a barrier to participation.
Of course, cross-grade grouping in core subjects would be another egalitarian way to meet the needs of the most advanced students and, indeed, all students.
