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Thursday 30 October 2008

Gifted is as Gifted Gets

Fewer Children Entering Gifted Programs in the New York public schools, despite attempts to "increase diversity."
I suspect in this case gifted is as gifted has been given -- the parents Providence has provided probably have the greatest effect of an single variable.
It would be un-PC as all get out, but when they compute the stats on this, it would be interesting to see if the race of the parents if a significant factor in the success or failure of attmpets to increas "diversity" in the children in the program.
Since that generation has already played and won or lost at the lottery of parents and education, at this point in the nation's history clearly a smaller proportion of some minorities would have higher education, value education, have made the commitment to teach and nurture their chidlren in a way that increases the likelihood of testing as "gifted," whatever....
But one of the greatest gifts? patently, parents who care.
Parents who value the Arts are going to expose their children to the Arts more than those who don't. Parents who place great stress on the written word are going to read to their children and read with their chidlren and talk about books, and produce readers; in greater proportion than parents who never put down the TV remote. Gang members are more likely to breed little thugs than pacifists are.
Parents are certainly one of the greatest determinants in successfully receiving the Faith.
Yes, yes, yes, many of us do good things in spite of our parents, (Thank God!) but more, IME, owe most of what is good in us to Mom and Dad.

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