The Gifted Children Left Behind

Washington Post ^ | 27 August 2007 | Susan Goodkin and David Gold

[Amelia]

I think we’re on the same page. I can’t imagine a math teacher not being able to do at least simple math in his head, much less being proud of it.

When my youngest was in school, they didn’t get drilled on multiplication facts like we did, so I drilled him at home. Part of the problem, IMO, is the kids who don’t know basic math well enough to figure out when they have put the wrong numbers into the calculator, or the numbers into the calculator in the wrong order.

[Amelia]

For that matter, I get irritated at English and social studies teachers who claim to be incompetent at science or math...I'm a science teacher, but I like to think that given a bit of preparation time, I could teach any subject in the school (except maybe P.E. or art).

Shouldn't a college-educated person be at least competent in any high school academic subject?

[Help!]

Gifted students don’t need help to be proficient at any subject. That’s why they’re gifted.

But the school does need to get out of their way.
(reference spacewarp’s experience, and that of my kids).