Interesting perspective La Texican. And I think you have a good idea there but that then assumes no safety net. Medicare, social security. What about public schools etc. Each man an island.
Greece got 98 billion a year ago and didn't do the stuff it was suppose to and now could default. Gone are social programs like that. You could see rapid changes across Europe with those kinds of things. Ireland, Portugal could be next in line.
Which means the dollar probably goes up against the Euro, which isn't so good for our capturing back some manufacturing jobs.
And going back to the Race to Nowhere. This whole discussion diverged into early college entrance. Although we (and I put myself in to the guilty party) justify acceleration because our kids learn faster and we don't want them to get bored, where are they heading to? We are more guilty of racing our kids than the average parents.
Because I couldn't get acceleration in DD's gifted program, I do horizontally offer her options, like the science at the museum, like Chinese, like CTY for her math -- to allow her to go at her own speed. And yes, she can get get bored with her classroom math -- though her teacher is great with teaching them report research and writing. Skills that work and don't bore her since her research is done at her own level. She does love being able to play with her age mates. Being one of the younger ones in her class -- late birthday, and small for her age, a head shorter than most of her classmates, this works. She can give a good run playing tag -- she would be too small to compete with second graders in many sports during gym, even though she is pretty athletic. And that would make her feel bad.
Sometimes I want her to accelerate, sometimes I think of her 15-16 in college and think of myself, drinking way too young, because of 2 skips. And I also think that she doesn't have to enter the workforce early. She deserves the time to grow emotionally and physically.
We just got back from Egypt. It was a great time to go, empty so no standing in hot lines to get into tombs. On the plane, we were talking about where to go next. She has been to 12 countries and she is 6. She has whale watched and snorkled, gone to see volcanoes, 2 thousand year old Mayan pyramids and 5 thousand year old Egyptian pyramids. Stood in a gymnasium for gladiators and then walked across to the Colliseum itself.
There is so much to experience, whether it is working with wolf reserchers in Montana, space programs with Nasa, seeing the Amazon and swimming with piranhas.
I think there is so much to offer a child without necessarily rushing them through college. Totally understand the need for acceleration, in math particulary -- since I was several years ahead. But there is other stuff. A lot of other stuff before they race off to somewhere.
Ren
