The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux)

[Prudence]

How much do I hate "No Child Left Behind"? Let me count the ways....


I was lucky enough to be part of a "gifted education" program in grades 1-6. (although by grade 6 it was beginning to be watered down, as parents started insisting that their tax dollars paid for it and little Johnny was definitely a genius, even if testing proved him dumb as a post, and therefore little Johnny has to be let into the gifted class - and if he can't keep up with the pace of the other students then they just need to slow down for him.)

So, today's paper brings the following article: Has "No Child" law cheated gifted students?

I hate mainstreaming, I really do. I think kids should be socialized across ability barriers of all kinds. But when it comes down to the brass tacks of learning, children should be taught based on their abilities.

I can't even imagine where I would be today if I hadn't had the opportunity to learn in those environments. Kids already face enough pressure from their peers to not appear to be smart. Do they really need adults pressuring them to stay with the rest of the group and not leap on ahead?

This is the part of the article where I lost it:

In recent years, school systems have gradually embraced the notion that all students, including the gifted, should study in regular classrooms. Alternatives, such as putting gifted children in separate classrooms or schools, or pulling them from regular classes for bursts of enrichment, are widely rejected as undemocratic.

Yup, we should all be as homogeneous as possible, otherwise we're undemocratic traitors.