The NYT runs these articles seemingly every year but changes which school they are bashing. And it's possible to do this because there are a number of schools in the city which have gifted and talented programs in the same building as gen Ed programs. There are 3 real problems which these inflammatory articles both highlight and mask. 1) poor communities have fewer gifted programs now that they are based on testing. To fix this, testing needs to be for all 4 year olds not just parent selected ones. 2) improvements to schools with gifted populations comes from the money parents raise - the implication is that this means gifted schools get more than gen Ed, and especially gen Ed in poorer areas. But that isn't entirely true - the gifted schools, especially the city wides have to make up the money that is cut from them because "they don't need it" and because there are fewer title one kids getting federal money. But 3) is the biggest frustration - there will always be different ability levels. Solve the problems of access to good teaching, accommodate for troubled family life, provide all the money you want - there will still be kids who learn faster and want to learn faster and deeper. Let them!!!
Just my two cents!
DeHe
