How important is diversity?
January 31, 2014 5:26 AM Subscribe
P.S. 193 in Queens, New York has gotten rid of it's gifted and talented program for next year's incoming kindergarten because of a lack of diversity.
This post was deleted for the following reason: This is mostly a super short report in the Washington Times, and a short personal opinion piece from someone on About.com, which makes this seem like discussion prompt more than informative / interesting links. Maybe find a little more info and repost? -- taz
If you're implying that white parents will just move their children to other schools, you may be right, but can you think of a better solution to the existence of a white and talented program within a "diverse" school?
posted by Salvor Hardin at 5:38 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by Salvor Hardin at 5:38 AM on January 31, 2014
Salvor Hardin, I guess I was wondering why there isn't more of an effort to focus on the non-white students who, with some hrs work, would be eligible for SOAR.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:40 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:40 AM on January 31, 2014
FTA: "Really? Diversity is more important than meeting the academic needs of gifted children?"
Yes, really - Science has said that ethnicity is not a good indicator of intelligence. If your screening process for finding "gifted" kids turns up mostly white kids, it's probably an indication that it's excluding gifted kids from other ethnic backgrounds. Fix it or eliminate it.
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:40 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yes, really - Science has said that ethnicity is not a good indicator of intelligence. If your screening process for finding "gifted" kids turns up mostly white kids, it's probably an indication that it's excluding gifted kids from other ethnic backgrounds. Fix it or eliminate it.
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:40 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
How do they even screen for "gifted" kids at kindergarten age? My elementary school didn't start to sort out a few 'gifted' kids until 5th or 6th grade.
posted by jon1270 at 5:46 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by jon1270 at 5:46 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
I don't have a kid in NYC schools but I have a niece and nephew in them and I'm the parent of an incoming kindergartener in an urban school district.
There is definitely the sense that people (gentrifiers) use gifted and talented to create a two tiered system. I applaud this change to create a more inclusive kindergarten class. But I bet people will be sending their kids elsewhere.
posted by k8t at 5:46 AM on January 31, 2014
There is definitely the sense that people (gentrifiers) use gifted and talented to create a two tiered system. I applaud this change to create a more inclusive kindergarten class. But I bet people will be sending their kids elsewhere.
posted by k8t at 5:46 AM on January 31, 2014
Good. The Gifted and Talented programs are just bullshit anyways.
posted by fungible at 5:46 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by fungible at 5:46 AM on January 31, 2014
« Older Women And Their Machine | Red Light, Green Light, and Belly Rubs Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 5:30 AM on January 31, 2014