Comments on: Gifted Advocacy: What Not to Do

By: shaun

shaun — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:46:25 +0000

Oh dear — I agree, poor judgment, but I totally understand those feelings. Trying to advocate with the school was such a nightmare! It’s a wonder you don’t read more stories like this.

By: adsoofmelk

adsoofmelk — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:26:53 +0000

I would like to politely disagree with Amiga. Whereas I understand the frustration that many parents feel, Scott Rogers’ tactics are very different from Parks’. Park sat quietly and firmly — and above all, peacefully. Her immovably peaceful protest gained force not from the volume of her voice, but from the fact that a woman sitting on a bus could be perceived as a threat to the social order. That discrepancy helped many people question segregation law and realize that those laws were not only discriminatory, but utterly illogical and meritless.

Unfortunately, by presenting himself in the way he did, Scott Rogers only adds to the perception that parents of gifted children are delusional elitists with a sense of entitlement, when the reality, for most of us, is really quite different: we’re parents who want an appropriate education. Acting inappropriately, especially as Rogers did, is not the way to go.

By: Amiga

Amiga — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:40:38 +0000

Good for Scott Rogers! This incident might have the same effect that Rosa Parks had years ago.

By: SwitchedOnMom

SwitchedOnMom — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:07:54 +0000

You know, after I posted it struck me that this is about a *dad* who lost it. So often it is the mom who is in there tirelessly, thanklessly advocating. They’re the ones who are dismissed as over-involved Psycho Moms. I suppose it’s a testament to our gender that we don’t read about more moms taking equally dramatic steps. For every Scott Rogers there are probably 10 , 50, 100, 1000 frustrated moms.

By: Christina

Christina — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:33:45 +0000

Those were my thoughts exactly – he didn’t use the best judgement or tactics and I feel really bad for his son, but boy do I understand his frustration! The gifted/advanced parents from our tiny district did try to band together to effect change and still the powers that be just blew us off.