May 3, 2009 by SwitchedOnMom
Had an interesting visitor stop by the blog today and offer a comment: none other than Jay Mathews of the Washington Post!
He was responding to my post last month about his visit to a local middle school. Not only did he have some kind words for my reportage (thanks!) and give a little personal background about his own family’s schooling decisions, he had some very interesting words on gifted education and dare I say homeschooling. You can read his full comment here.
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Interesting comment, but I take issue with the idea that parents of gifted kids should have to homeschool. Why should schools have to provide a “free and appropriate” education to kids on the low end of the IQ spectrum (at great expense I might add) but not the same to kids at the high end of the spectrum?
I have to agree with you Crimson Wife. Or else let’s strike a bargain. I’ll take responsibility for educating my kid, but you provide me with some percentage of the resources I pay for education with my taxes. But don’t fail to meet their needs in school–and *then* create obstacles to homeschooling, like limiting the mount of homeschooling that can be carried out by someone other than the parent.
In Washington State, the legislature just passed ESHB 2261, which states in part, “The legislature finds that, for highly capable students, access to accelerated learning and enhanced instruction is access to a basic education.” To take effect in 2011.
Crimson Wife — the schools provide FAPE to the low end of the spectrum because it is federally mandated. The other end of the spectrum has no such federal mandate.
Nice planning for the economic development of this country, don’t you think? *sigh*