Gifted Program Cut, Not Diverse Enough

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

NYC gifted program shut down because the demographic makeup did not meet diversity quotas.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jan/30/nyc-school-cuts-popular-gifted-program-over-lack-d/

[griz]

Gifted pre-kindergardeners?  How did they determine that?

[makattak]

Gifted pre-kindergardeners?  How did they determine that?

I don't know what means they used, but I believe IQ is discernible at a young age.

[roo_ster]

Gifted pre-kindergardeners?  How did they determine that?

Dude you have no idea the byzantine rules and system smart or affluent parents with kids in nyc navigate to get their kids in good public schools.  Truly a conspiracy of the smart and prepared versus regular schlubs.

[Tallpine]

I thought that there were plenty of private schools in NYC for the affluent 

[KD5NRH]

Gifted pre-kindergardeners?  How did they determine that?

My 4 year old reads at what the average dim bulb considers a third grade or higher level.  Honestly, my parents and grandparents considered it about right for a pre-K, but standards have to be lowered to keep from hurting anybody's feelings, then as people barely live up to the standards, the cycle repeats.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

My 4 year old reads at what the average dim bulb considers a third grade or higher level.  Honestly, my parents and grandparents considered it about right for a pre-K, but standards have to be lowered to keep from hurting anybody's feelings, then as people barely live up to the standards, the cycle repeats.

BiNGO!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

[AZRedhawk44]

My 4 year old reads at what the average dim bulb considers a third grade or higher level.  Honestly, my parents and grandparents considered it about right for a pre-K, but standards have to be lowered to keep from hurting anybody's feelings, then as people barely live up to the standards, the cycle repeats.

^^ This.  I was taught to read the alphabet at age 3, was reading The Hobbit by age 6, and Stephen King by age 10.  Maybe not age-appropriate, but reading skills well above those of my peers in kindergarten.  I was invited several times to join advanced placement programs and did them for a little while (while I was still an idiot impressionable kid from kindergarten through about 3rd grade), but bailed on them when I decided I didn't like the additional mandatory classwork on top of the standard course homework.

The parents that put their kids into programs like this make a time investment early on in the preschool years to cultivate a voracious mind, and that mind NEEDS to be fed once its appetite is woken up.  Some people need the menu handed to them and do well in structured advanced coursework where the subject material is chosen for them, and other people apply that energy other more independent ways.

[roo_ster]

I thought that there were plenty of private schools in NYC for the affluent 

Why should they pay for education if they can work the system, jump through the wickets, and get their kids an education on someone else's dime?

[KD5NRH]

^^ This.  I was taught to read the alphabet at age 3, was reading The Hobbit by age 6, and Stephen King by age 10.  Maybe not age-appropriate, but reading skills well above those of my peers in kindergarten.

Then how did you end up still stuck in kindergarten at 10?   

[AZRedhawk44]

Why should they pay for education if they can work the system, jump through the wickets, and get their kids an education on someone else's dime? using the tax money already taken from them?

Fixed for slightly less hyperbole and more accuracy.

[roo_ster]

Fixed for slightly less hyperbole and more accuracy.

Only slightly more accurate, given the cost/pupil in NYC gov't schools.  Yes, they get back some of their taxes, but they runs out pretty damned quick and from then on it is other taxpayers' dollars.

[Phyphor]

^^ This.  I was taught to read the alphabet at age 3, was reading The Hobbit by age 6, and Stephen King by age 10.  Maybe not age-appropriate, but reading skills well above those of my peers in kindergarten.  I was invited several times to join advanced placement programs and did them for a little while (while I was still an idiot impressionable kid from kindergarten through about 3rd grade), but bailed on them when I decided I didn't like the additional mandatory classwork on top of the standard course homework.

The parents that put their kids into programs like this make a time investment early on in the preschool years to cultivate a voracious mind, and that mind NEEDS to be fed once its appetite is woken up.  Some people need the menu handed to them and do well in structured advanced coursework where the subject material is chosen for them, and other people apply that energy other more independent ways.

Basically, the same here.

It was total AGONY when the class had to read from a book out loud.  I enjoyed it, and got told to stop or slow down too often.  Then I had to listen to other kids sound out words.  It'd take forever just to get a paragraph out of some of them.

[KD5NRH]

Only slightly more accurate, given the cost/pupil in NYC gov't schools.  Yes, they get back some of their taxes, but they runs out pretty damned quick and from then on it is other taxpayers' dollars.

And last time I checked, the total school revenues per student came out to around $8500/student/year.  One of the private boarding schools we looked at was only $11k/student/year.  Basically, for only $2500/yr more than a public school education, that school could feed them two more meals, provide living quarters and handle their laundry.

[roo_ster]

And last time I checked, the total school revenues per student came out to around $8500/student/year.  One of the private boarding schools we looked at was only $11k/student/year.  Basically, for only $2500/yr more than a public school education, that school could feed them two more meals, provide living quarters and handle their laundry.

At some of the larger urban districts, multiply $8500 by 2. 

Whoops, my bad:

Total education spending in the average New Jersey school district rose by 4.2 percent to $18,047 per pupil last year, but six districts spent more than $30,000 per student, according to the new Taxpayers’ Guide to Education Spending.

[KD5NRH]

At some of the larger urban districts, multiply $8500 by 2.

I should have specified that mine was based on our local school district, and calculated when they were pushing for another tax increase.

[MillCreek]

I remember that several years ago, a similar controversy arose from a gifted program run by the Seattle School District.  There were too many Asian kids in it, out of disproportion to their numbers in the student pool, and too few other ethnic groups in proportion to their numbers in the student pool.  I can't remember how it all ended.

[Sergeant Bob]

At some of the larger urban districts, multiply $8500 by 2. 

Whoops, my bad:

Just think, if the parents were given vouchers for those amounts, what 10 of them together (or even one together) could do to educate their kids.

[Boomhauer]

Basically, the same here.

It was total AGONY when the class had to read from a book out loud.  I enjoyed it, and got told to stop or slow down too often.  Then I had to listen to other kids sound out words.  It'd take forever just to get a paragraph out of some of them.

Sweet jesus I hated it when "read aloud" time came about in class. Taking 10-15 minutes to go down a page while all the nearly illiterate people in the class had their turn at bat was painful

[KD5NRH]

Sweet jesus I hated it when "read aloud" time came about in class. Taking 10-15 minutes to go down a page while all the nearly illiterate people in the class had their turn at bat was painful

Try getting a couple of Lit&Comp credits out of the way at a community college.  Most of them couldn't have spelled GED, much less diploma.

[freakazoid]

Sweet jesus I hated it when "read aloud" time came about in class. Taking 10-15 minutes to go down a page while all the nearly illiterate people in the class had their turn at bat was painful

Yeah, end up reading the page again.

[Tallpine]

Basically, the same here.

It was total AGONY when the class had to read from a book out loud.  I enjoyed it, and got told to stop or slow down too often.  Then I had to listen to other kids sound out words.  It'd take forever just to get a paragraph out of some of them.

When our girls were about 7-9, we had a weekly Bible study at our house.  It was embarrassing that they could sound out the multiple sylable Old Testament names, but many of the adults could not 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

When our girls were about 7-9, we had a weekly Bible study at our house.  It was embarrassing that they could sound out the multiple sylable Old Testament names, but many of the adults could not 

wish i was suprised

[dogmush]

Basically, the same here.

It was total AGONY when the class had to read from a book out loud.  I enjoyed it, and got told to stop or slow down too often.  Then I had to listen to other kids sound out words.  It'd take forever just to get a paragraph out of some of them.

Heck, I have to do that same crap in Powerpoint briefings with ADULTS.  It's been my experience that solidly 60% of adults in america are functionally illiterate (as measured by being able to comprehend and retain ideas expressed in written words).

Side note:  Telling an O4 briefer that unlike the Bn S4 I'm literate so just email me the slides if all we're going to do is read them out loud will, in fact, require a trip to the Sergeant Major.  Just FYI.

[Boomhauer]

Heck, I have to do that same crap in Powerpoint briefings with ADULTS.  It's been my experience that solidly 60% of adults in america are functionally illiterate (as measured by being able to comprehend and retain ideas expressed in written words).

Side note:  Telling an O4 briefer that unlike the Bn S4 I'm literate so just email me the slides if all we're going to do is read them out loud will, in fact, require a trip to the Sergeant Major.  Just FYI.

I am so blessed that we don't have a projector at work. So blessed. I don't have to sit through hours and hours of power point lectures from the bosses.

God I hate powerpoint. When I do a presentation and I use powerpoint (rare these days, thankfully), I only use it to show photos, videos, graphs, maps, etc. I do not put the text up there to read aloud in a monotonous tone.