Posted on 02/01/2014 5:09:20 PM PST by grundle
Another case of political correctness gone awry: a school in Brooklyn has decided to scrap its gifted and talented program after accusations that the program was not "diverse" enough.
Citing a lack of diversity, PS 139 Principal Mary McDonald informed parents in a letter that the Students of Academic Rigor and two other in-house programs would no longer accept applications for incoming kindergartners.
“Our Kindergarten classes will be heterogeneously grouped to reflect the diversity of our student body and the community we live in,” McDonald told parents in a letter posted on the photo-sharing site flickr and obtained by Ditmas Park Corner.
The school is roughly two-thirds African American or Hispanic. Asian and white students account for almost 30 percent of the student body. Exact ethnic breakdowns of the Students of Academic Rigor program were not given, although the program was described by some as being "overwhelmingly Caucasian."
This move infuriates me. It would be insane for a school to cut its special education program for developmentally disabled students due to a "lack of diversity" among those who need the services. Students on both ends of the special education spectrum — either gifted or developmentally delayed — need the specialized classes to reach their highest potential as a student. It would be insane to suggest someone with an IQ of 70 (the benchmark for mental retardation) should be grouped in the same classroom with students with an IQ of 100 and treated like everyone else, and it should be considered equally insane to suggest that students who have an IQ of greater than 130 (gifted) need to be in the same classroom as average students to fill some sort of "diversity" quota. That is not fair to both the above-average students and the average students. Studies have shown that grouping gifted children with their non-gifted peers has a negative effect on both parties.
This is a bad move by PS 139. I hope the principal reconsiders her decision, and I hope the parents of children enrolled in the gifted education program are able to successfully advocate for their kids.
How about cutting those lavish school administrator salaries?
Here’s another one.
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Very sad; probably believes it was race-related.
________________
It was race-related. Leftist scratched their itchy need for diversity at his expense. He was passed along to make them feel better.
I have four black kids. I have guarded assiduously against this issue.
Some kids may find themselves at the top of the class most of their lives. It’s important (IMHO) to knock them down a few pegs once in a while. ;-)
I’m serious. As a parent, I constantly tell my kids: “Remember, no matter how much you think you know, there’s always someone out there who knows more (or can do better).”
That probably sounds mean. But, I think these stories here of students losing their self-esteem and dropping out support my idea. If you never fail, and no one has ever criticized your work, then what happens the first time you do fail?
How did your mother do in her career? I’m thinking of finishing my degree, and I’m no spring chicken myself. That’s interesting that she became a lawyer at age 60.
tsk tsk, she ended her sentence with a preposition.
No wonder she wants to end programs for the gifted.
They choose to hate on whitey 24/7/365 and continue to crap in their own mess kits ?
Fine !
Then let's re-segregate and let all the PC fascists explain the exponent on the original Bell Curvex that's appeared since this PimpOTUS managed to steal the office and infect the property.
Let those who want to get/give an education do so without being held back and bored witless by dumbed down classes and/or scared to death by irremediably feral slugs.
But stand well back, because the achievement 'gap' that would soon appear would be more akin to a seismic chasm ripping open.
This is Rip Van Winkle.
She did fine but she already had a retirement from her first job (teacher) and was doing law for interest. I did her billing because she let so many deadbeats NOT pay.
She MIGHT have made more but ... what can I say?
This is the future that liberals have given us.
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