| A recent article in The Times Picayune covers the struggle some New Orleans parents are going through in search of public prekindergarten programs for their children. In particular, the story addresses coveted spots in "good" public prekindergarten programs and the lengths parents will go to in order to attain these spots. One of the most popular ways to grab one of these openings is to have your child tested and labeled "gifted." The couple featured in the article had their child tested by a private psychologist, who indeed deemed their child "gifted." The Orleans Parish School Board, who has its own testing methods, found the designation invalid. One parent of the child said, "I feel like I'm in one of Dante's new circles of hell."
Really? One of Dante's new circles of hell? Well, to The Times Picayune, to the parents of the "gifted" child denied, and to all parents like these, I want to tell you about a real circle in Dante's hell. Notice: I did not have to make up a new circle. Dante's old circles never go out of style. While you all are whining about your "gifted" children, thousands of children are forced to take what leftovers they are offered. In fact, too many people forget that these children were actually called this name - leftovers - by Glenny Lee Buquet, member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary & Secondary Education not too long ago.
The parents of these children, too, want their kids to go to prekindergarten. These children and their parents want "good" schools available to them as well. They want nice facilities, not crumbling buildings with two working toilets. They want curriculums that will excite and challenge them, not second-hand books and uncertified teachers. They want to play in a band, throw a football, and paint a picture, not only just be provided with what is absolutely necessary. These parents want the time and money that others can invest in shopping for schools and child psychologists. They desperately want all of these things-and absolutely deserve all of these things.
How many truly gifted children are we leaving out? The answer is all of them. They are all gifted. Let them in. Give them hope. Gift them with a good school. |
