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Thursday, April 12, 2007
A Defense of Gifted Education
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox gave a spirited defense of gifted education yesterday.
It was near the end of a long day of meetings and public hearings at the State Board of Education, and officials were talking about the implementation of the new Georgia Performance Standards, the revamped curriculum being rolled out in public schools.
Peggy Nielson, a board member known for frequently speaking her mind, said she believed the standards were more rigorous, but that gifted kids might not be getting the “differentiated” instruction they needed.
This has been a hot topic in education circles, particularly with regard to the state’s new math curriculum, which some parents think will keep their gifted kids from advancing as far as they could.
“I get emotional about this,” Nielson said as her voice broke. “We are leaving behind bright and highly motivated students…”
“I get emotional about this, too!” Cox fired back.”As a parent of a gifted child, who is in the middle of all this curriculum change, I can say my gifted child is being challenged and my gifted child is getting better standards and a better set of expectations. … Quite frankly, it’s not true [that] raising the bar … somehow means lowering the bar for others. … All of our courses are more rigorous than they were a few years ago — period, point blank.”
“I don’t think people are looking at what is being expected today in a gifted course,” Cox added.
Then, having really worked herself up, the superintendent exclaimed: “This notion that somehow our gifted kids are getting left out is not true!
“I just have to say it that emotionally.”
