I read a distressing article in the Times-Picayune this morning. The article describes how the “Louisiana Association of Special Education Administrators”* wants to get rid of gifted and talented programs in Louisiana, keeping all gifted students in regular classrooms, with no special opportunities for them. Take this quote from a letter written by their president:
“We question the ability of anyone to prove that a student with a 4.0 GPA needs special education services because his educational performance is significantly affected.”
This is galling on so many levels. First of all, many gifted students don’t have a 4.0 GPA because they’re bored out of their mind in class and have no interest in material that is far beneath them. Secondly, if a student could be learning much more advanced material but is instead stuck covering subjects far below his intellectual level, his educational performance is being “significantly affected.” Sure, 99th percentile standardized test scores may look good and pull up the average for everyone else, but they really mean a student isn’t being challenged enough. A student like this may “perform” well, but his time is being wasted and he’s not allowed to reach his potential. Continue reading ‘underfunding gifted education’
