In their minds, the kid is already ahead, they have met the "standards" so there is no problem if they don't learn anything in school for years on end.
I've encountered this attitude. It's deeply ingrained. I suspect that different things drive it: stress over high-stakes tests, not understanding giftedness, and negative feelings about giftedness.
My eldest is taking a health class right now, and his textbook talks about the fact that people tend to fear people with mental illnesses because they're different. Obviously, giftedness isn't a mental illness, but gifties
are different, and there's probably a lot that same reaction at work. Remember what Pastor Ray Mummert said about the teaching of evolution in schools a few years back:
We've been attacked by the intelligent, educated segment of the culture.
It wouldn't surprise me if a
lot of people agree with this sentiment. Intelligent, educated people probably make no sense to many others in this country, and this would be scary in many ways.
These people wave their college degrees and say stuff that makes no sense to me, and they want to influence policy.
