Very interesting article. The phenomenon of Russian School, AoPS, Math Circle, etc was well described and the focus on creativity and thinking skills in math was spot on. Aside from these nationwide programs, a lot of local programs are around as well. In our district, a few schools have parent-run math enrichment programs for high-achieving kids and focus on the same type of problem solving skills that AoPS, Russian School and Math Circles offer (including the program that I started at my kids' school that has been going on for years). Amid all the confusion among educators, policy makers and educational researchers, parents see quite clearly what is lacking in our schools in math education and we just step up.
The last bit of the article about gifted education and identifying gifted math students, though, didn't seem to really belong. Math study as a training for thinking skills should be for everyone and not just for gifted kids. Also, it is perfectly normal for middle-class and upper-middle-class parents to help their kids take advantage of the educational resources in the public school system. Money does bring advantages in life -- why else do people love it so much?
