My underachieving working class parents did nothing, and I nevertheless went on to grad school and law school--only to wind up maddeningly underemployed in a job I absolutely hate. My work makes me feel every bit as bored, trapped, depressed and isolated as I felt in the first grade while watching everyone else learn to read, so this post doesn't give me much comfort.
I agree with onthegomom that personality needs to be taken into consideration. In my case, I was a born perfectionist who was self-motivated to get As on every exam, graduate from law school with honors, etc., but because good grades came so easily to me, school was merely a way of documenting my intelligence, rather than developing it. I never learned to deal with challenge, take risks (intellectual or otherwise), or truly stretch myself, and I consequently missed the boat repeatedly once I entered the work world. I'm trying to correct some of this now, but it's hard when you've got a house and a kid and the economy sucks.
Knowing my son to be a perfectionist as well, I am determined to see that he's constantly challenged in school and keep those easy As far out of his reach. If that means paying for private school, I will as long as I can. At least all those letters after my name have been good for that much!
