SkydiveMom - please don't take that article as teacher bashing. I think you highlight beautifully what the issues are. Some of my very good friends are teachers and I know what they are up against. I was fortunate that my kids had pretty good teachers and it wasn't enough. I think most teachers are dealing the cards they've been dealt by the system.
Yesterday I listened to a webinar for teachers on Differentiation in the classroom. It was given by a teacher. She spoke about how she was reactionary in her approach to differentiation and she had to learn to be PROACTIVE in her approach. It transformed how she tuaght her classes. Of course this is easier if you have fewer levels to contend with and don't have huge behaviour problems. From talking w/ teachers, it only takes the one kid to ruin your entire year. A friend said that her son's teacher said they didn't do science that year which he normally does a lot of, b/c of one kid who took up so much time.
I live in a good socio-economic area. It's mostly white, middle to high class - free lunch percentage is VERY low. And there has been few if any behaviour issues in any of my kids classes. My friends have told me stories from their schools that make my skin crawl but we have no such thing at our school. There still is the pervasive idea that all kids are the same, should be treated the same, no subject acceleration, no grade skips, little Johnny must sit and wait for the other kids to catch up mentality. This is the attitude that needs changing. The idea that gifted kids will challenge themselves, that truely gifted kids don't get bored, that kids can wait until high school to take AP classes. THis is what the article is addressing and what I think the film 2Million minutes will address. I haven't seen the films yet but my friend ordered them and it'll be interesting watch. Supposedly, the final installment of 2 Million minutes gives the solution to the US's problems of neglecting the brightest kids and lack of a good science/math education in the US.
So I agree when Skydivemom say's
This is NOT a failure of our teachers. It is a failure of our culture. 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.
which I think is the message behind the documentary.
