Posted on 12/04/2007 6:03:11 AM PST by yankeedame
ELITIST GIFTED PROGRAMS
The Seattle government school system received an outside review of its gifted education program. The results ... the district should "aggressively diversify its program" because it is "elitist."
Why is it considered elitist? Because three-quarters of the students enrolled in the gifted program are white. District wide, whites only make up 40% of the student population. This would mean that in an egalitarian world only 40 percent of the gifted students would be white. If the number is higher .. than there's a big problem.
Students are admitted into the program after testing in the 98th or 99th percentile nationally in cognitive ability and reading and math skills. Once students test in this percentile, they spend most of their government education with students of the same caliber.
Not good, according to the report. This is "perceived to be 'elitist, exclusionary and even racist.' Yes, racist. Can we please give that word a rest for a decade or so? You score in the 98th or 99th percentile .. and you get moved into the gifted program, no matter what your color. Now we're going to start calling accomplishment racist.
Even admission to the program is being considered "elitist" because it relies too much on a single test to determine aptitude. This is "unfair to low-income students and students without parental support."
There's a book out there I would like to recommend. It truly is an extraordinary read. The title is "In Defense of Elitism" by William A. Henry III. Henry, mind you, is a self-described card-carrying member of the ACLU and a registered Democrat. Here's your link ... order one for your favorite elitist today. Don't bother about me .. I've got my copy.
In the meantime ... stop the child abuse. Get your child out of government schools today.
Hmmm...wonder how many of those gifted children are Asian. They are always over-represented in valid gifted programs, so the social engineers and quota-mongers have to cut their numbers in order to make it “fair”.
in other words, “gift” the minorities another gift and call them “gifted” just so their egos receive a “gift?” ehnqwirring mehnds just wannt to no you no. ;)
The law school where I work recently underwent its first examination by the American Bar Association. The first area of improvement the ABA jumped on was our lack of diversity. Disregard the fact that approximately 50% of the minority students admitted last year failed out. We MUST find a way to diversify, skill and ability be damned!
But I do agree that social engineering types don't want things to be fair, but want to see them destroyed out of a sense of jealousy. If someone does well, that means someone else does poorly. TO be truly egalitarian, everyone must do the same.
This is a prime example of one of the things wrong with America, we dump the best and brightest and worry about the worthless
Notice that it’s “unfair” because minority students “don’t have parental support”.
Sounds like the “minority” culture needs to get its act together. “Parental support” is a CULTURAL issue, and the gov’t has no business “adjusting” to meet the, yes, I’ll say it, FAILING of the minority culture.
TRUE EQUALITY in the eyes of the law doesn’t mean “treating everyone the same” but judging everyone by the same standards.
If “equality” meant the former then we should make sure our prison populations were perfectly proportioned to the racial, ethnic, gender and religious composition of the population.
Obviously, that would not be justice or equality.
We simply lock up the criminals instead, regardless of other factors.
Is that really so hard to understand?
Is the NBA racist because of a high proportion of black players?
Really, this country is in deep trouble if people seriously think this way.
What is FAIR is the opportunities!! FAIR does not control results; people have to take the opportunities and DO something.
“It’s not FAIR” is a whine that children and Marxists use. It has no place in our Democratic Republic.
rolling eyes!!
Well you can also advance on one of the following: good looks, athletics, personality, hard work, inheritance, lottery, lawsuit. Surprisingly leftists are only envious of the brains one, in a Wizard of Oz scarecrow type of way.
Please, please, don't overlook the obvious these Communists well-meaning counter-elitists have in mind. Surely your law school can give these minority students extra tutorial help to compensate for your earlier discrimination, "more advance notice" for tests, and perhaps a different grading scale. Once we have a "healthier percentage" of minority lawyers in place, the social strain will be lessened.
/sarc, ptuh!
HF
IOW the review is racist because its conclusion is based on the color of skin.
It's been that way for quite a while.
I wan' move da Deattle!
There are two ways to reduce inequality in a group.
1. Help low-achievers to do better.
2. Prevent those capable of high achievement from living up to their potential.
#2 is much more effective.
"Well he's gifted... for a black."
Take a good look at that statement, because that's what they are advocating.
Eh, they aren’t talking about the parents being around for the kid, but they are talking about parents having the ability to work the system. I’m willing to bet that there aren’t too many working class kids of any color are in the class.
Equality of opportunity not outcome.
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