It is a failure of our American system in which achievement and intellect are supposed to be valued but our system of government tries to make everyone equal.
Except when it comes to athletics. Kids with athletic talent are fawned over by just about everyone in our society, while kids with academic talent are ignored or hidden.
You're right though, a lot of the fault does lie with the Equality Police. Every year they're out in force to beat teachers (of which I am also one) into submission with a new law about mainstreaming kids whose education would be better served by full-time special ed placement, and while they're at it, they remind us that even if little Janey can work four-dimensional equations at the age of eight, we can't give her any special treatment.
I also fault the culture common to many educators that considers classroom management a more important and prestigious skill than teaching. Gifted educators are scoffed at for wanting to teach "the easy kids" - and reminding the ignorami who say this that those "easy kids" can devour the complete works of Shakespeare in the time it takes an average child to make it through Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone never seems to help.
I've known plenty of teachers who, like SkydiveMom, really do care about gifted kids' education but have enough trouble reaching the end of the day without a kid receiving a serious head injury. Heck, during my substitute days, I WAS that teacher more than once. But I also agree with everyone here who's saying that nothing is going to change until those teachers start demanding the same framework, assistance, and training for GT that they get for special ed.
