Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Reg. Teachers' Negative Attitudes Towards Gifted

I read reviews like that all the time on Great Schools .com reviews. Every time I read about a great good gifted or magnet school I Google and read the great schools reviews. Half of the schools have as their negative review that they don't teach the whole gifted child, including dreams and emotions, or only like high acheievers and expect too much from young kids. The other kind of gifted or good magnet school gets as its negative review that the school staff are enuthiastic, kind, gifted people themselves, but really incompetant about meeting the educational needs of a high achieving gifted student. Google your school and make a Great Schools review, so that parents may know which type of school this is and if it's right for their family. You don't have to, but I do like readinv the reviews and dreaming about what's possible.
I do feel that you got your troubles at a tough age for so many reasons, but there's a lot of opportunities for gifted 13 yr olds too, all the gifted summer camps and online classes (nationwide classmates!).

It is hard with the making excuses thing. I would accept behavior out of the ordinary from a child who was autistic on the ground that they are well autistic. I would not expect a child in a wheelchair to win a running race, I would accept that a child with an IQ of 70 may need extra help, etc. Why is it strange that a HG child may need extra help to thrive at school and may be unhappy and/or disruptive if they don't get it.

If you are leaving, scorched earth can really come back to bite you, so I'd take a high ground.

I'm sure that's true, and that's why my wife tells me not to rock the boat. But there is a collective action problem here. If no parent is willing to publicly criticize the schools, even when justified, the schools have little reason to change. They can tell themselves they are doing a great job and that parents are happy.

Oh, believe me, I'm speaking from experience. I've gone all scorched earth for that reason more than once, ecause I tend to hold the same philosophy as you. But I do think you have to be aware of the consequences beforehand and decide accordingly.

Scorched earth won't make them realize they are wrong since you are just one person, one family, BUT positive advocacy can change a whole lot for many gifted kids if you join or organize a parent advocacy group for gifted children! A wise mom who served on the board of directors for the National Association for Gifted Children said this (quote/paraphrase), "Individually we struggle to be heard, but collectively, we cannot be ignored."

I am leading the organization of a parent advocacy group and we have nearly 200 interested parents just in one county. That's a whole lot of impassioned voices to
advocate for and make positive changes in gifted education. We are pulling our gifted child out of school to homeschool (the principal of the school doesn't buy that gifted kids have special needs), but I don't feel so alone; I have 200 people that support me!