Gifted children are punished by the public school systems

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Permalink Reply by Maria on August 31, 2008 at 1:24am

I have a lot of the same issues but I get them from the whole school not just one teacher. To top it off my kids turned 5 just after the cut off to begin school, so they started a year behind. I tried to get them to test them to see what level they could be in and they wouldn't even hear it! My oldest is in the 3rd grade this year. Last year he was so bored that he would go to the office "sick" or with a headache and I would get called to pick him up. This was happening a least once a week sometimes more than that.
My son loved school and thrived and still does with learning, but he is no longer learning at school therefore he is no longer thriving and hates going. It isnt about wanting to have fun, he loves to learn he just needs to be challenged! I will give this year until about Christmas if the teacher & school doesn't work with me in keeping him challenged and learning new things.....I will pull him out and look at other options. He is amazing and I just don't want to fail him as a parent in putting up a fight for him to learn and have a chance at a good future.

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Permalink Reply by Its me..Marie on August 31, 2008 at 3:19am

I'm having the same exact problem. My son reads at a 2nd grade level and I have made sure that he'd be ready for Kinder and excel as a student. Just like Maria, my 2 boys were born right after the cutoff and have suffered for it. On the first day of school, my 5 yr. old's teacher was already complaining about him not listening to her regarding very minor and absurd things, one of them being crossing his legs when asked. Now, he's a great little guy and he is very well mannered yet I think that they should give kids at least a week to adapt to the new environment before they start complaining about the silly stuff. I agree, the work they're given is non-challenging and wish they had better programs to fill their needs. My son's teacher actually writes the kids' names on the school work for them, shouldn't 5 yr olds know how to write their names in addition to all the personal info? ie..address, phone #? JMO!

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Permalink Reply by Pupsin on August 31, 2008 at 10:43am

Schools seem to be for average only. If a kid needs extra help the teacher gets frustrated they aren't up to par. If a kid needs more challenging work, the teacher again is frustrated. My oldest son was way above in math and reading in elementary. In 3rd grade he read on the 7th grade level. They were to check out books, then after reading them take a test. Well he was told by his teacher he 'had to stay in the 3rd grade level' for his books. Even books that were in the computer on higher levels so you could test, were not allowed. They had 3 things to reward for, you got free Subway coupons..well to little kids that is a big thing I guess. My son never completed all 3 things, because I fought with the school to let him read on the higher level. They called it accelerated reading, I call it accepted reading. You were by no means rewarded for accelerating at reading. The teacher just wanted to make sure everyone was on the same level. Now they could arrange for a child who was behind to get help, although the teacher seemed to rebel against this as well. I felt bad for the kids who needed extra help, and for my son and a few others who could move on, but were told 'you won't get your 3 different rewards, just 2, if you go ahead and read out of level'. I got sooo ticked, and told her I'd buy him a freakin' sub for every book he read, we didn't need a free coupon. They had an award ceremony at the end of the year, calling all the 'average' kids up for their rewards, and were going to make the ones that were behind and ahead stay in their classroom, as sort of a punishment. So I took it on myself that day to bring in cupcakes, cookies, and milk. Along with some fun little toys...I was the one who volunteered to watch the room of kids, and decided they all deserved rewards, for putting up with a school system that refused to help kids that weren't average. Needless to say the teacher was TICKED, but I had called all the moms of the kids and they were all there...one mom brought ribbons, and yes one mom brought subway coupons for all the kids...it was a great feeling, all of us together, we had been through so much crap, we just had to unite.

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Permalink Reply by Bayleesmommy on September 3, 2008 at 10:28am

I am a teacher. I stay at home now with my two year old now though. It's such a wonderful gift to have a "gifted" child. It also comes with it's downside. Alot of my students who are "gifted" have a really hard time relating and socializing with their classmates. I usually find them "hanging out" with the older kids, which, makes me sad because the older kids like to tell them things about stuff little kids shouldn't know about. Their peers just have a hard time understanding them or relating to them. It's sad to see my "gifted ones" at recess and in group settings because it's very frustrating for them. In the classroom however, I think my gifted children are a delight! They are usually well behaved and catch on very quickly to what is expected of them. I'm not sure why the K teacher has a bad attitude. I think you need to find out what's going on in the classroom. What is your little one doing so wrong to make this teacher have a bad attitude towards you? If you can't meet with her/him or if your meetings never turn out the way you would like you need to request a meeting with the teacher and the principal. Don't just go to the principal and start complaining because this will probably add fuel to the fire. There are some really good teachers out there and some really not so good teachers. You will find this in a public or a private school. (I grew up in a private school, taught in a public, there isn't much of a difference) Talk and communicate with the teacher to solve this problem. Believe it or not there are alot of teacher out there who have your child's best interest in mind and want to see them succeed. Keep an open mind. You don't have to agree with what they say but they are observing a side of your child that you may or may not see on a day to day basis. I hope this helps. :)

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Permalink Reply by Bayleesmommy on September 3, 2008 at 10:40am

Pupsin said:

Schools seem to be for average only. If a kid needs extra help the teacher gets frustrated they aren't up to par. If a kid needs more challenging work, the teacher again is frustrated. My oldest son was way above in math and reading in elementary. In 3rd grade he read on the 7th grade level. They were to check out books, then after reading them take a test. Well he was told by his teacher he 'had to stay in the 3rd grade level' for his books. Even books that were in the computer on higher levels so you could test, were not allowed. They had 3 things to reward for, you got free Subway coupons..well to little kids that is a big thing I guess. My son never completed all 3 things, because I fought with the school to let him read on the higher level. They called it accelerated reading, I call it accepted reading. You were by no means rewarded for accelerating at reading. The teacher just wanted to make sure everyone was on the same level. Now they could arrange for a child who was behind to get help, although the teacher seemed to rebel against this as well. I felt bad for the kids who needed extra help, and for my son and a few others who could move on, but were told 'you won't get your 3 different rewards, just 2, if you go ahead and read out of level'. I got sooo ticked, and told her I'd buy him a freakin' sub for every book he read, we didn't need a free coupon. They had an award ceremony at the end of the year, calling all the 'average' kids up for their rewards, and were going to make the ones that were behind and ahead stay in their classroom, as sort of a punishment. So I took it on myself that day to bring in cupcakes, cookies, and milk. Along with some fun little toys...I was the one who volunteered to watch the room of kids, and decided they all deserved rewards, for putting up with a school system that refused to help kids that weren't average. Needless to say the teacher was TICKED, but I had called all the moms of the kids and they were all there...one mom brought ribbons, and yes one mom brought subway coupons for all the kids...it was a great feeling, all of us together, we had been through so much crap, we just had to unite.

I taught AR (accelerated reading) at the last school I taught at. They are given a beginning assessment test (STAR test). It's a small, quick test to determine their comprehension level. From that level they are given books in that range. They are also given points for books they read and score high on the tests over that book they read. The problem I've seen is that a lot of kids get excited and want to speed through the book, just to get to the test so they can earn the points. If they don't pass the test, they don't get the points and their grade level range goes down. It was not the focal point in my classroom. They were rewarded for many other things. I've seen a lot of "issues" with AR in regards to your concern. The Library was probably making your son read at that level, but the classroom should have books of many levels and they should be able to take a test on whatever level they want in the classroom. Here's the underlining problem...it's a good system that could be a very helpful tool, but it needs a lot of funding. Public, private schools, just don't have the funding for it. AR is a Nationally funded program that is becoming required for schools to implement, but then do not provide the addition funding for it to be successful. Also, the kids don't take it very seriously, fly through books to earn points, and when they get a bad score, it effects them.

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Permalink Reply by Cheryl Burns on September 3, 2008 at 12:14pm

I have been there and this yr. I can honestly say finally I got a teacher who listened to me and must importantly to my son, and everyday she was in touch with the teacher running the gift program. This yr has been a dream all parties involved from teacher to principal wanted to see everything done right by my child and me ( meaning doing their job so he could get in the program.
We are military and we move alot. 3 yrs ago my son had a 3rd grade teacher who immediatly pushed to put him in a program. Her efforts and mine failed because he had never been in a program before and they wanted to review him for the school yr because he was new and they just didnt want to go by previous yrs records ( who could imagine that the PARENT might be able to help with this situation) anyway the following yr the same teacher let the next teacher know where things stood and they together pushed again and he was entered into the reading part only of the gifted program (baby steps i guess). We move again for the 5th grade yr and that teacher was a piece of work. She did not want to have any part of him in the program said that because he wasnt there the yr before so on...... I went over her head and straight to the gifte teacher and he was immedatly excepted. Half way through the yr. my son started slacking in his regular classes(he is bored) and because he dropped in his homeroom teachers classes SHE pulled him from the IP class. I had no knowledge, no phone call, no note. I found out when I realized that my son stopped talking about his IP class and what fun it was. I had him immmedatly reassigned to the class. Why do they punish those who are ahead of some students. or better yet why do we offer plenty of classes for childern who dont speak english or have never been in school until the 4th or 5th or 6th grade. My son sits in the classroom falling behind not advanceing to his potential beacause a teacher has to teach something that should have been taught at a 2nd grade level.
I have a jr in high school..... he said that the students in his class think that CALIFORNIA is a country?!!!! I asked the guidence couselor about this, he wasnt surprised. What is going on?

anyway, this yr. is much better for my IP student and the school is great. but I dont have anymore answers to your or my questions than my own comments.

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Permalink Reply by Melissa Barlow on September 3, 2008 at 3:46pm

I have good news about my daughter's teacher. She is actually being nice to me now. She has a plan to keep Olivia busy and to encourage her to go as far as she wants to go with her work. I feel so much better and am not worried about her not learning anything this year. They actually had books for her to read on the table that will still challenge her. She has had good behavior for 3 days now which is impressive to me. My other daughter who is also gifted was playing under the desk, peeling paint off the wall, walking around the room because she was bored and the teacher would not give her work when she was already finished and waiting for the next activity. My outlook for this year has changed to being positive!

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Permalink Reply by Bayleesmommy on September 3, 2008 at 6:08pm

I'm really glad that things are going better for you! It's amazing how much can be done when parents and teacher work together. I used to put on my newsletters every week my phone number and opened my classroom to anyone who wanted to just drop in. I've been a big preacher of the whole partnership idea. I've seen it work and I've seen what happens when parents do the opposite. Anyone feel free to drop me a line if you need any advice or a ear to listen if you're having problems with your teachers at school. Everyone wants to see their child succeed and most teachers do too, it makes them look good! :)

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Permalink Reply by gagesmom314 on September 8, 2008 at 1:54pm

I guess we are very lucky at our school. My son is another case of just missed the cut off date by a week or so. In kindergarten he had an amazing teacher who loved her job and was very good at it. She started AR during second semester and Gage was reading at a 2.6 level. When he moved to 1st grade he couldn't wait to get started on AR and after a few weeks they were up and going. By the end of 1st grade he was at a 3.9 level. His teacher always made sure he had an extra packet of work to work on when he was done with his regular classroom work. Now that he is in 2nd grade I am by far the most impressed with this teacher. He is reading at a 5.9 level and reads at least 2 to 3 books a week. In her class there is no set time for center work. So instead when the kids are done with their work they can go to the center their group is assigned that week and work on it. They have clothespins with their names on them and that is their key to freedom in the classroom. If they get in trouble the clothespin is taken away. So far they have been in school for two weeks and he has had amazing behavior. Every Friday she sends home a report that has what the child's behavior is like at school and extra homework they can do throughout the week if they so choose. She never told the kids that it is optional. In most cases parental envolvement with the teacher is key. So many parents seem to be afraid of their children's teachers and it really needs to be a partnership. I hope that everything works out well for your child.

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Permalink Reply by Renee Concolino on September 9, 2008 at 6:35am

When my daughter was in the first grade I had to request AR for her because it was not automatically offered, she has been above her grade level for years and still is now although the AR selection of books in the 5th grade leaves a lot to be desired. My son's not so much of a reader but had a 100 average in spelling last year and the only grades below an A he gets are in the "special" classes of Gym and Art, he is in the 3rd grade and while a bit uncoordinated I also have to say he gets bored really easy in unstructured environments and unfortunately the "special" classes tend to have a lot of downtime. Last year he was devastated to get a B in gym and asked me why, he said, "I am doing the best I can, that's what you say to do, and I still am only getting a B". It was hard to know what to say. I told him that as long as he is truly doing the best he can in ANY subject that is all I can ever ask for.

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Permalink Reply by Shawna on September 9, 2008 at 8:59am

Wow!!!!! That is just crazy!!!! I can not believe that!!! All of you guys are making me scared when my kids go to school here!! My oldest daughter will be going next September. And after reading all of this I don't know if I'm looking forward to it anymore!! I'm more scarred that I will be dealing with crap from the school! I do hear the school is a good one so maybe hopefully I'll be alright. But it seems every year it keeps getting worse!! Good luck to you all. I hope it gets better for you!!!


Pupsin said:

Schools seem to be for average only. If a kid needs extra help the teacher gets frustrated they aren't up to par. If a kid needs more challenging work, the teacher again is frustrated. My oldest son was way above in math and reading in elementary. In 3rd grade he read on the 7th grade level. They were to check out books, then after reading them take a test. Well he was told by his teacher he 'had to stay in the 3rd grade level' for his books. Even books that were in the computer on higher levels so you could test, were not allowed. They had 3 things to reward for, you got free Subway coupons..well to little kids that is a big thing I guess. My son never completed all 3 things, because I fought with the school to let him read on the higher level. They called it accelerated reading, I call it accepted reading. You were by no means rewarded for accelerating at reading. The teacher just wanted to make sure everyone was on the same level. Now they could arrange for a child who was behind to get help, although the teacher seemed to rebel against this as well. I felt bad for the kids who needed extra help, and for my son and a few others who could move on, but were told 'you won't get your 3 different rewards, just 2, if you go ahead and read out of level'. I got sooo ticked, and told her I'd buy him a freakin' sub for every book he read, we didn't need a free coupon. They had an award ceremony at the end of the year, calling all the 'average' kids up for their rewards, and were going to make the ones that were behind and ahead stay in their classroom, as sort of a punishment. So I took it on myself that day to bring in cupcakes, cookies, and milk. Along with some fun little toys...I was the one who volunteered to watch the room of kids, and decided they all deserved rewards, for putting up with a school system that refused to help kids that weren't average. Needless to say the teacher was TICKED, but I had called all the moms of the kids and they were all there...one mom brought ribbons, and yes one mom brought subway coupons for all the kids...it was a great feeling, all of us together, we had been through so much crap, we just had to unite.

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Permalink Reply by NC Mom on September 9, 2008 at 10:04am

Bayleesmommy said:

I am a teacher. I stay at home now with my two year old now though. It's such a wonderful gift to have a "gifted" child. It also comes with it's downside. Alot of my students who are "gifted" have a really hard time relating and socializing with their classmates. I usually find them "hanging out" with the older kids, which, makes me sad because the older kids like to tell them things about stuff little kids shouldn't know about. Their peers just have a hard time understanding them or relating to them. It's sad to see my "gifted ones" at recess and in group settings because it's very frustrating for them. In the classroom however, I think my gifted children are a delight! They are usually well behaved and catch on very quickly to what is expected of them. I'm not sure why the K teacher has a bad attitude. I think you need to find out what's going on in the classroom. What is your little one doing so wrong to make this teacher have a bad attitude towards you? If you can't meet with her/him or if your meetings never turn out the way you would like you need to request a meeting with the teacher and the principal. Don't just go to the principal and start complaining because this will probably add fuel to the fire. There are some really good teachers out there and some really not so good teachers. You will find this in a public or a private school. (I grew up in a private school, taught in a public, there isn't much of a difference) Talk and communicate with the teacher to solve this problem. Believe it or not there are alot of teacher out there who have your child's best interest in mind and want to see them succeed. Keep an open mind. You don't have to agree with what they say but they are observing a side of your child that you may or may not see on a day to day basis. I hope this helps. :)

I totally agree with you and wish more teachers were like you! I have LD kids and have had fantastic teachers and not so fantastic!

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