Ah, I should have clarified on "perfectly individualized"...I really meant in a one-on-one sort of way, and if you have found a private school that will do that, I'm thrilled! I work at a private school that claims to do that, but what's "on paper" and "in practice" are two different things. Granted, it's a good deal for the kids that attend, but not the end all it was claimed to be. My son has a pretty custom designed plan at the moment in our public school, but it's a far cry from a one-on-one education at his "readiness level".

Anyway, I of all people shouldn't speak in absolutes, so I do apologize for that. And I didn't mean to bash anyone with my thoughts. I was merely expressing my own frustration at the moment, which is not necessarily with the schools, but rather our collective approach to discussing them. It's an overall feeling that is more about me than (any) you. I'm just weary.

I would LOVE to see grand sweeping changes made in schools everywhere, but realistically speaking for myself, with my baby in 7th...it's just not going to happen in their educational lifetime. As Grinity says.."for the grandchildren", . In the meantime though, I have to make the best of the cards I've been dealt.

Dazey snuck one in on me here! Yes, there is truth to what you say, and perhaps that further highlights why I should personally focus elsewhere, as despite several "glitches" at the moment, I am neither angry nor frustrated, .

I know it's hard for those in the great schools but w/out knowing that the great schools are out there, and hearing all the wonderful stories, those that aren't in great schools won't know what to strive for, what to ask for, or what to expect! SO we need those that are in those great schools, who have fought the hard fight to be beacons in the dark for the rest of us.

I wouldn't exactly call our school great, . But we are doing okay, and I'm overall happy. FWIW, our school probably ranks in the upper "half", but nowhere near the "top". Our demographics are pretty good, and we are not inner city by any stretch...but great is definitely over reaching, LOL!

SkydiveMom - please don't take that article as teacher bashing. I think you highlight beautifully what the issues are. Some of my very good friends are teachers and I know what they are up against. I was fortunate that my kids had pretty good teachers and it wasn't enough. I think most teachers are dealing the cards they've been dealt by the system.

Yesterday I listened to a webinar for teachers on Differentiation in the classroom. It was given by a teacher. She spoke about how she was reactionary in her approach to differentiation and she had to learn to be PROACTIVE in her approach. It transformed how she tuaght her classes. Of course this is easier if you have fewer levels to contend with and don't have huge behaviour problems. From talking w/ teachers, it only takes the one kid to ruin your entire year. A friend said that her son's teacher said they didn't do science that year which he normally does a lot of, b/c of one kid who took up so much time.

I live in a good socio-economic area. It's mostly white, middle to high class - free lunch percentage is VERY low. And there has been few if any behaviour issues in any of my kids classes. My friends have told me stories from their schools that make my skin crawl but we have no such thing at our school. There still is the pervasive idea that all kids are the same, should be treated the same, no subject acceleration, no grade skips, little Johnny must sit and wait for the other kids to catch up mentality. This is the attitude that needs changing. The idea that gifted kids will challenge themselves, that truely gifted kids don't get bored, that kids can wait until high school to take AP classes. THis is what the article is addressing and what I think the film 2Million minutes will address. I haven't seen the films yet but my friend ordered them and it'll be interesting watch. Supposedly, the final installment of 2 Million minutes gives the solution to the US's problems of neglecting the brightest kids and lack of a good science/math education in the US.

So I agree when Skydivemom say's



which I think is the message behind the documentary.

Has anyone watched the documentary?

I think it's hard in our day-to-day quest to meet our own kids' needs to look past the faces of education that we see: particularly the principals, teachers,counselors, even individual schools... and realize that they are not the problem (and in fact, are frequently part of individual solutions/successes I read about on this board).

The issue as I see it is the mentality in our country about education: that the biggest problem that needs to be solved is to bring everyone up to a lowest-common-denominator type of education; that if the gifted are so bright, then they need no special help because they can learn on their own; failing to acknowlege that the intellectually-talented are one of our nation's greatest assets (or worse that it's somehow politically incorrect to acknowledge at all that some people are born intellectually-talented); that more homework/hours in school = better education; that spending more money means getting better results; that we shouldn't be looking elsewhere in the world for better educational ideas because we're us and, after all, we're the most powerful nation on Earth....

Add to that the way that extracurricular activities go these days: if my DS7 wants to play an in-season sport, then there are 2-3 practices per week plus weekend games. He's SEVEN!!!! What's up with that? He's not even all THAT interested -- he just wants to try it out to see if he enjoys it. (Sorry -- that topic gets me going...)

I think that our joint frustration is that even when we're lucky enough to encounter a great teacher and a great principal in a great school, the system and culture generally don't make it easy. They don't seem to prioritize the things we think they should.

In my opinion, this is the fight worth fighting, and it seems like it's the message the movie is trying to put out there. Our educational model isn't working, and other countries' models are working better. We need to acknowledge that and fix it, or pay the consequences.

So, here's my question (yes, I'm FINALLY getting to my question): what are we doing to change the SYSTEM that we all know is broken? I know we're all in there slugging for our own DDs and DSs, which is more than enough stuff on our plates, but has anyone got any ideas on working towards bigger change? Maybe I'm just feeling pie-in-the-sky at the moment, or maybe I'm out of touch and you're all already very involved in bigger picture efforts to effect change. DH and I are actively trying to get changes to our DSs' school system and not just at the class/school level. But are there things you guys are doing on a larger scale?

Thanks for letting me get on my soapbox. I wish all of you a wonderful weekend!

Mama22Gs - thank you for your post! What she said!

Floridamama - I've only seen the youtube clips of the documentary. My friend has ordered all 4 DVDS so I'll be viewing them in a week or two. The first 2Million minutes aired a year or two ago and followed 2 high school students each from the US, China and India. The next two DVDs each focus on education in India and China, the last and fourth documentary purports to give the solution to our *crisis.* I'm quite interested in what they perceive the solution to be.


And when I spoke w/ my DS's K teacher, she emphatically said they couldn't teach 1st grade work in K. Yet, he was writing and discussing books on a 1st grade level (he had to write the main character, plot, resolution, and setting), he brought home worksheets on fractions etc. I think she was doing it "under the table." She had him and 2 other boys in a reading group w/in 4 weeks of school. The rest of the class started in February.

And if you read SwitchedonMom's blog, the Principle had to go against ALL the higher ups in order to admit a previously homeschooled girl at her real academic level rather than put her w/ her age mates. those are the people we need to be applauding and supporting!

I have two thoughts that are always subdivided in my head. The mom and the teacher. And they rarely line up!

I have to say though that I greatly appreciate this board. I learned here that it is okay to advocate and DEMAND that my son receive an appropriate education. I felt much braver in meetings and had more research than anyone else in the room. THIS board gave me the strength to realize that my son's private gifted school was a big shiny pamphlet with nothing inside it...

We pulled him and he's in a public charter school now. It is a completely different universe and I cannot shout enough from the rooftops about how fantastic it's been so far. I know that our situation isn't for everyone but it's been amazing. I was expecting to fight... instead I got a "well OF COURSE we'll give your 1st grader 4th grade level books, why would we want to bore him?" I stood dumbfounded. Then I asked if I could substitute his math homework for something more challenging. I got an note from his teacher (different than reading) that she'd be getting a higher level workbook for him soon and she'd also use that in class. When you read stories about public education in many places, NONE of this is supposed to happen. But we somehow found it... and it's free.

Now the teacher in me- I have to defend teachers here only because of one thing- I spent two years in school for my credential and I received ONE HOUR of gifted education training. Just one. I received about 80 hours, plus one full separate class on special education needs. Most teachers do not have a clue that there are kids starting in their kindergarten class that have already mastered the 1st grade curriculum, let alone the K curriculum. Once they figure it out, the good ones make changes if they can. But there are so many levels of bureaucracy, meetings, paperwork and crap on top of that that sometimes you just give up and forget about it.

The system is broken. Most teachers know it. The unions are too powerful, the administration is bogged down in paperwork, the tests are too plentiful and not useful. And it's not the teachers' fault... but the teachers have to bear some responsibility for not insisting on change, for not forcing the issues of ability grouping and not demanding higher expectations of their colleagues and students.

I can say that from the inside, the charter school system works. I've taught and been an adminstrator in two different schools and my son attends a completely different one. I'd like to see more individualized education for all students- one that takes into account their strengths and weaknesses as people, not just their bar graph post-testing.

If we applied the same level of interest to academics as we do to sports, then problem solved. Most of the attention goes to sports, but the GT kids and their academically focused classmates will carry the water for their generation.

They become the doctors, the engineers, the leaders - and make things happen. Most of the jocks are washed up when they are 22. I was both and IMHO I loved playing, but in retrospect, my time would have been better spent in a book. I should have taken a lot more classes like accounting, law, finance - easy stuff and necessary as you move up in the real world.