La Tex-I don't feel attacked, not at all...actually, maybe "easily measurable academics" wasn't accurate. What I mean there is the +1SD, hardworking, easy going, likeable kid. The one who DOES shine a little more than the "average" and DOES seem to benefit from some enrichment (which is really what the equivalent of our GATE programs are). My kid is not officially 2e, she might not be, but she has some issues that go beyond what I have seen as the public opinion idea of what a gifted kid is. She doesn't fit what is already offered...and even at our new home study program, I feel like I'm getting some push back, but that's OT...she is absolutely NOT a work producer, so, therefore difficult to measure (at least as far as teacher and report card go). And if we were in one of those places where kids are DISqualified from GT program due to "bad attitudes", we would be THAT family. Even though its obvious, from testing the district does, that she would NEED a program like that. My concern is that this change of focus will mean that more PG and 2e kids get excluded from the "talent development". Most GT programs don't seem to be worth much to those kids. I fear that educators and administrators will be even MORE likely to exclude the difficult kids in favor of the "better" ones...
Really, it's fine...we haven't found "our place" yet, so it's not like I was invested in what they were doing anyway. I already understand that most people don't "get" my kid...I'm not even fully into the advocacy for her phase...
I also don't give a hoot about eminence. I just finished reading "Cradles of Eminence". It was great and I feel better about my kid, but I don't NEED that for her. What I want for my DD is for her to be HAPPY, to feel good about herself and satisfied with her life. I don't want her to be a person who has to put her passions aside during the week for a job she hates...I guess that puts me in the self actualization camp? And my kid would have NEVER done any extra work, she wasn't even doing what the teacher asked. But it wouldn't have mattered because the teacher wouldn't even just let her read under her desk, so DD wound up really acting out at times...our last school was like ANTI diferentiation, no matter what baloney they put on their website...
