Comments on: Declining Nation: Denver Schools Re-Define “Gifted” in Response to PC Forces, Illegal Aliens

By: Frank

Frank — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:40:44 +0000

I don’t completely know where all this BS is comming from. The Polaris at Ebert prgram is a shinning jewel in the DPS system and they have been trying to do even more. Both my daughters attend the school and have found it a great experience for them and a very supportive environment. Granted they are looking at opening it up to more minorities and those more economicly disadvantaged. That makes it harder for those that aren’t minorities. I saw that happen to one family. Their oldest son had been in the program and despite their younger daughter scoring quite well she was beat out of a spot. Subsequently they moved out of the state to AK and we have lost track of them.

Also many of those attending the school do come from different backgrounds and may not know what an esculator or other “common” items. when you are not exposed to them you may not know. Also traditional tests may not always show the true talents of a student.

I myself was labeled HGT growing up but wasn’t always allowed in the programs because we moved frequently due to my dad being in the military. When placed in regular classes I became quickly bored and disenchanted. This lead to poor grades and made it even harder to get int these programs. The Polaris program attempts to break this cycle for those that have the talents.

The Polaris program doesn’t teach to any of the stndardized test but continue to score exceedingly well. They beleive it what education should be.

By: J.

J. — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 14:19:41 +0000

My son is a DPS student with an IQ above 140. He attended Dr. Howards school. We found it to be rather idealistic and “stepford” in nature. They couldn’t keep him engaged educationally because their were too many kids in the classes for the teachers to keep busy. It was ridiculous. To label more kids “gifted” is to do a huge disservice to those who actually are! Yes, I know all kids are special but do not lump them all together! The intellectually gifted should be separated from the artistically gifted and so on. That’s why there is is the Denver School for the Arts and places like that. All of this PC junk is a huge disservice to our children who must learn to fend in a world that is certainly not fair and to give our kids the impression that it is is sad, unfair to them and extremely ill-advised. This is just one mother’s opinion.

By: Howard

Howard — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:10:34 +0000

Been going on in LA Unified for at least twenty years. My stepdaughter graduated ten or so years ago and a ton of Blacks got graduated with honors. I was impressed until my stepdaughter and her friends scoffed at the “contest of the dumb.” She said she didn’t think more than two or three of them had a prayer of being accepted into a “real” college. But it’s what happens to the rewarding of the not so smart that stings most. I had a kid working for me who graduated from San Fernando High School with straight As. He expected to go directly to Stanford or Ivy. Oh yeah? He couldn’t pass any tests at all; his SAT was barely above 700 and the college boards were a mystery novel. He went to JC but his disappointment was serious. Good side is that he was realistic enough and tenacious enough to know he could get good enough grades in JC to be accepted in a lot of “good schools,” but the elites wouldn’t take a JC transfer.

By: jeff

jeff — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:01:26 +0000

Huh? Huh? huh? If the point is to make all students feel special, then why not dump the stupid program and return to the regular old education system anyway. Instead of no one being labelled special, let everyone just be a normal student.

By: poetcomic1

poetcomic1 — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:13:09 +0000

The most gifted students will be the most neglected and BORED students. But who needs them anyway?

By: Red Ryder

Red Ryder — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:17:35 +0000

Marxism by another name.

By: AppleCider123

AppleCider123 — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 06:02:55 +0000

Salvation of the sinking ones is the business of their own hands.
Parents of talented students and the students themselves must be self-sufficient and independent.
To beg this school system for help is a shame – it itself needs help; it is sick all through.

By: OldSchoolW

OldSchoolW — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:55:13 +0000

The Long March Through The Institutions triumphs again.

By: JasonBourne81

JasonBourne81 — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:44:45 +0000

I don’t blame many public school parents for wanting to get their kids out of general public school programs (which are dumbed down failures) as they expect more from their kids than what regular public school provides.

By: Anonymous1

Anonymous1 — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:16:15 +0000

Debbie, I was invited to G/T in the 9th grade, and at the orientation meeting I looked at all the other kids and saw it was no big honor. Now I live in a place where social climbing public school parents hire independent testers to certify their 4 year olds are talented and enroll them in G/T kindegartens. You can imagine what a farce that is, and who gets in. If the schools want to dumb it down, it’s unlikey any truly gifted kids would be displaced.