Comments on: The Miseducation of Jack and Jill

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:48:10 +0000

Ben, I interned at SOMS for grad school and was struck by the racial segregation in a district that is obsessed with buzzwords of diversity. I spent my internship trying to figure out why most of the special education classes are made up of black children. One of the only conclusions I can reach is that the “system” meaning teachers, Child Study… See More Teams, etc are not trained enough to seperate their personal biases when evaluating our children. In reality, I believe it is a microcosm for society as a whole where a lot of lip service is paid to “multiculturalism” and “diversity” without a clear understanding of how to erase centuries of racism. I can see your challenge in addressing the flip side of this issue. It is concerning to see a school district so systemically invested in practices that keep black children in lower tracked classes. I continue to struggle with finding a school district where I will be comfortable sending biracial children. SOMA, Union, West Orange, Montclair have been in my thoughts, but it is truly scary that some of our most publicized “diveristy friendly” towns are still so entrenched in the practices of institutional racism. Keep us posted on your struggles. As I parent, I know, you are fighting for what’s best for your children…however you stand to make a difference for all our children. Thank you!

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:17:05 +0000

@Karen: Thanks so much for putting in the time to give a thorough response. We appreciate it. Personally, and I’m aware of other parents who do the same, we work with our daughter very closely with her academics and her extracurriculars. We know she’s gifted. So we can’t help to think the school system’s method for identifying these kids is flawed.

For the record SOMA uses the NJ Ask. Had T-One scored 2 points higher on the NJ Ask (she demolished the GPA requirement) she would have been in the program. But there is something flawed about simply using standardized tests and to a lesser degree GPA to asses a child’s ability. The human element must be instituted.

By: Saadia

Saadia — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:05:45 +0000

Wow! Ben, I agree w/you, 100%. As a parent, we often see in our children what others overlook, or simply don’t care to know. Once upon a time-especially, (more affluent) public school systems sought to nurture and challenge students who were clearly capable of “more.” Standardized test ARE Bullshit. The fact that your daughter didn’t score in the highest percentile is obviously no explanation of her abilities. The child is exceptional. I would endeavor to attain the most beneficial instruction/cerebral enhancement, as well. She is entitled to the opportunity. Make enough noise.

By: Karen

Karen — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:19:16 +0000

The first thing that comes to my mind is this, and you touched on it : schools don’t bear the sole responsibility to”…prepare our children for academic achievement and raise each child’s educational expectations.” I believe we, as parents bear some of that responsibility.
We have been told that our daughter, who is 11, is a “gifted/talented” student but unfortunately we don’t have a program in our school district. I couldn’t believe it! Our question was, well what can be done to help hone her exceptional skills. We were told that without a program the only thing that could be done is that my daughter would/could tutor other children in her class. (I wish u could have seen the look on my face when her teacher shared this with me) This is where the we, as parents, come in. The principals says “we are working on starting a program…we understand your concerns.” Beyond what he had to say, we found that there were a couple of programs/workshops, in our city, that will help her. Theatre, Music & Arts Programs, Child Mentors, Reading & Writing Workshops at the Library, etc.
To answer your question about what methods I would use to identify children who possess the “gifted/talented” traits:
~Continue to utilize the State Testing Scores
~ Training teachers on how to identify a “gifted/talented” student
~Observations in classrooms
~Smaller teacher/child ratio in classrooms so that teachers aren’t so overwhelmed that they miss out on identifying that exceptional child
!
~Keep copies of your child’s work as a portfolio to support his/her giftedness
I’d love to hear how this pans out for you and your child. Kudos to you for going the extra mile and ensuring that she get ALL that she needs to excel & at the same time, holding the administration accountable.