A lot of the "reform" that is happening ties the hands of good teachers. Those of us who want to differentiate and use methods such as problem based learning, research projects, etc., can no longer do those things. In our district, every single teacher in the same subject area has to be doing the same activities, testing, etc., at the same time. This means we all have to agree what we're doing on any given day. So, if a kid has me for Biology 1, they are doing the exact same thing that the kids next door are doing. Moving ahead or slowing down really isn't an option. Doesn't matter if their highly gifted, or special services.
I have many gifted students, and I also have two gifted daughters. So, I know both sides. I know what it feels like as a parent when their needs aren't being met in the classroom. Unfortunately, measures such as those in the article are the reason that good teachers can't always do what they know a kid needs.
So, what you're left with is a good teacher, doing what they can within the constraints of a broken mess. A lot of factors come into play in making the mess. Unfortunately, classroom teachers take most of the blame.
Maybe I'm blessed to work with good people, but there's not a teacher in our district I wouldn't give my girls to. Do I like the rules, the testing, the system? Not necessarily. However, I know these people care about my kids. My oldest has an IQ of 141, and a vocabulary equivalency of 17. She is nine. Do they know what to do with her? Not necessarily, but I do see them trying to meet her where she is. I also see an awful lot of caring and compassion.
My overall point is, don't assume that teachers aren't experts about how kids learn. A lot of us are. Across the country, as the article illustrates, there are a lot of teachers who aren't being allowed to use that expertise. I'm sorry if you've come across teachers who are truly uncaring, immoral people. They give the rest of us a bad name. But remember, in a lot of cases your child's teacher is probably as frustrated with the system as you are. I think it only helps everyone (our kids included) to try to keep things in perspective.
I don't know how a thread about reading turned into this
I guess we must be passionate people... Gifted grownups usually produce gifted little people, which I guess explains the intensity of the conversation!
