Great discussion! I've been reading with interest. I too am struggling with should I fight harder? I haven't really fought very much. I've only dealt with the teacher, being trying to wait for that magic grade where everyone says it gets better for GT kids. DS is now going into 3rd. Is this the year I fight? Go beyond the teacher? Meet w/ the Principal? I've met w/ GT coordinator...nothing happened. i've worked closely w/ the teacher. she tried...not enough. I've been told by a mom in my son's school that nothing much will happen until 5th grade. then I can get the ball rolling w/ having him take the 6th grade end of year tests to show he's mastered that and fight for subject acceleration. So what do I do until then? HS?
My personal opinion is that it doesn't really matter who may do something great for the world. Plenty of average people do great things. It's a matter of school is supposed to be a place to learn, to grow, to develop in mature adults. We all pay taxes. it does work. I have friends whose kids are in excellent schools...whose HG+ kids are in excellent PS schools. But by and large, change is very slow on a large scale. So unless you're lucky enough to be in one of the rare schools, you have a fight on your hands. WHen resources are perceived to be limited, there will always be those that are sacrificed. Some schools sacrifice the bottom and some sacrifice the top. And from what I've heard, some sacrifice the middle.
Until, we as a country, see academics the same way we view athletics, not much will change.
