President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act into law in 2002.
President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015. These plans
for education shaped the American public school system.
Notice how all these recently signed laws focused on students who struggle, have
disadvantages, or come from low-income families. Of course, teachers should spend time with
struggling students to help them get through challenges, but in order to achieve educational
equality, gifted students deserve the same amount of attention as all others.
As a student in a gifted and talented program, I often feel bored, left out, and sometimes
even frustrated in my on-level and advanced classes. A teacher once asked me to help my peers before I finished my own homework. Because I was a sixth-grader in a seventh-grade math class, she told me, “You got the concept anyways, and you can finish your work at home easily.” Although I was willing to help my classmates, understanding the concept faster shouldn’t make me obligated to help other students before I finish my own work.
When the American public school system focuses on closing the gap between students,
they neglect the efforts of providing the advanced students more opportunities to improve.
Students coming from different backgrounds and cultures have different goals for their future.
Some might want a college degree, while others may want to work right after high school to
relieve their families’ economic pressures. Therefore, the government and school districts should provide the resources each student needs, instead of caging all students into a set curriculum.
Because of the public school’s neglect of the advanced students, many moved to private
schools that will give these kids more attention. If public schools can provide equal opportunities to advanced kids, these talented students will contribute to society and eventually find a better way to help.
Providing more opportunities for the “talented” students doesn’t mean giving up the
struggling ones as we should still help them to master the basic knowledge. People have different talents and goals. Public schools should provide equal opportunities to maximize each one’s talents in order to make the world even better.
President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015. These plans
for education shaped the American public school system.
Notice how all these recently signed laws focused on students who struggle, have
disadvantages, or come from low-income families. Of course, teachers should spend time with
struggling students to help them get through challenges, but in order to achieve educational
equality, gifted students deserve the same amount of attention as all others.
As a student in a gifted and talented program, I often feel bored, left out, and sometimes
even frustrated in my on-level and advanced classes. A teacher once asked me to help my peers before I finished my own homework. Because I was a sixth-grader in a seventh-grade math class, she told me, “You got the concept anyways, and you can finish your work at home easily.” Although I was willing to help my classmates, understanding the concept faster shouldn’t make me obligated to help other students before I finish my own work.
When the American public school system focuses on closing the gap between students,
they neglect the efforts of providing the advanced students more opportunities to improve.
Students coming from different backgrounds and cultures have different goals for their future.
Some might want a college degree, while others may want to work right after high school to
relieve their families’ economic pressures. Therefore, the government and school districts should provide the resources each student needs, instead of caging all students into a set curriculum.
Because of the public school’s neglect of the advanced students, many moved to private
schools that will give these kids more attention. If public schools can provide equal opportunities to advanced kids, these talented students will contribute to society and eventually find a better way to help.
Providing more opportunities for the “talented” students doesn’t mean giving up the
struggling ones as we should still help them to master the basic knowledge. People have different talents and goals. Public schools should provide equal opportunities to maximize each one’s talents in order to make the world even better.
