Latest news with #AmericanSchools
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
I Was Enrolled In A 'Gifted' Program As A Kid. Years Later, I Discovered A Dark Side I Never Knew About.
I don't remember precisely when I first heard the word 'gifted,' but it must have been in early elementary school. I do remember being pulled out of my first-grade class and led to the fifth-grade classroom, where a teacher told me to choose a chapter book that was 'more at my level.' I appreciated the chance to choose from all sorts of new books, but it marked an early example of what would eventually be both a privilege and a curse: my foray into being 'set apart' academically from my fellow classmates. By the time I reached middle school, the gifted and talented program in my district had taken wing. The timing makes sense: In 1998, many American schools were provided with official K-12 standards for so-called 'gifted education' by the National Association of Gifted Children. While the NAGC first promoted advanced academic programming in the 1950s, its work in the late '80s and '90s represented a more structured approach to educating students who were found to be gifted. K-12 gifted education standards were preceded by the passage of the Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Act in 1988, which secured funding to 'orchestrate a coordinated program of scientifically based research, demonstration projects, innovative strategies, and similar activities that build and enhance the ability of elementary and secondary schools to meet the special educational needs of gifted and talented students.' In those early days, my experience with Gifted & Talented (or G/T, as we fondly called it) was almost entirely positive. Our G/T class was tucked away in a windowless classroom whose walls we decorated with silly drawings and posters. Several of my close friends were also in the program, and there was nothing better than getting to hang out with them for an hour or two per day while working on our largely self-assigned curriculum. Our teacher was warm and encouraging, always pushing each of us to incorporate our individual interests and skills into projects. In fact, nearly all the teachers I worked with in G/T were engaged educators who genuinely wanted their students to thrive. I'm forever grateful for their personal guidance, regardless of my later reflections on the program. In so many ways, G/T was a safe place at school — a place where I could be my true (weird) self and engage in more self-directed learning. But there was a troubling flip side to the G/T experience that took me years to unpack. From what I could gather, most students qualified for the program based on standardized test scores. While the NAGC defines gifted pupils as 'those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains,' it seems inevitable that many kids would be excluded from gifted education for factors beyond their control. In her 2016 book 'Engaging and Challenging Gifted Students: Tips for Supporting Extraordinary Minds in Your Classroom,' Jenny Grant Rankin, Ph.D., outlines gaps in gifted education. Nonwhite students, socioeconomically disadvantaged kids, girls, and those classified as English language learners are disproportionately excluded from gifted and talented programming, Rankin reports. She also cites a 2016 study by Jason A. Grissom and Christopher Redding that found that Black students were 50% less likely to be considered for gifted and talented programs than their white counterparts, even when both groups recorded similar standardized test scores. What's more, students of color were less likely to be labeled gifted when their teachers were white. In G/T, I learned quickly that much of my self-esteem came from academic praise and approval from adults. The 'gifted' label seeped into everything I did and was a stumbling block at times — if I struggled to master a concept in math class or didn't understand a question on a social studies test, I'd avoid asking for help. After all, I was gifted. I shouldn't need help with anything, right? It felt like my so-called 'natural' giftedness should pre-qualify me to succeed in any endeavor, which led me to prematurely give up on new hobbies later in life when I didn't immediately feel like a master. And when a project in a non-G/T class earned anything less than an A, I often found myself in tears and seeking reassurance from my family and friends that I was 'still smart.' The question of 'potential' was another overwhelming aspect of G/T. Gifted kids at my school were encouraged to pursue all sorts of fields — with the unspoken message that no matter what we pursued, we were expected to be excellent. Most of us went on to take as many Advanced Placement classes in high school as our schedules would allow, driven by the sense that we simply had to be high achievers. Academic excellence would translate directly to excellence in career and life in general, many of us thought. It wasn't until college that I first experienced the lingering impacts of the gifted education experience. Suddenly, I was a very small fish in the massive pond that is the University of Michigan. I wasn't the 'smart kid' anymore— I was one of thousands of 'smart kids,' all of whom had ambitions on par with or beyond my own. College instructors rarely offered direct praise, and the occasional B in a class became commonplace. When I couldn't maintain perfection, I felt like I was failing the version of myself I was supposed to become. Unsurprisingly, college was also when my mental health took its first major nosedive. Alongside a handful of personal issues, my sudden sense of academic invisibility had triggered a crisis. My path felt unclear. Wasn't I supposed to get to college, breeze through with perfect grades, and immediately jump into an impressive career? When graduation rolled around, I got a dose of validation by heading off on a Fulbright teaching grant to Malaysia, but my life beyond that looked so blurry. It took a long time to admit that I didn't want to go to grad school, which felt shameful. Without academic validation or 'high achievement' on the table, would I be untethered forever? In the decade since, I've drawn connections between my most plaguing anxieties and my early education. It's taken practice to feel more comfortable with accepting professional criticism or admitting when I'm not sure how to do something at work. I see how my G/T years merged self-worth with accolades and grades, and I feel sad for the younger version of myself — along with other 'formerly gifted' peers — who internalized so many false measures of success. At times, adulthood feels like an ongoing battle to remind myself that I'm a valuable, worthy person, regardless of outward achievements. I'm not alone: In recent years, the 'formerly gifted kid' trope has become something of a meme, with TikTokers cracking dark jokes about their lingering sense of anxiety, perfectionism and perceived failure to live up to parents' and teachers' expectations. It's funny because it's true. Data shows that while gifted programs can result in better long-term academic outcomes and college success for some students, these benefits still reflect inequities. A 2021 study by Grissom and Redding found that small associations existed between participation in gifted programming and long-term achievement in math and reading, but there was no evidence to support a correlation between gifted kids and their general engagement with school. Most glaringly, even these small positive associations were skewed toward higher-income white pupils, with low-income or Black gifted students excluded from long-term academic gains. What's more, this research doesn't begin to explore gifted education's extended impact on social and emotional development for all participants. I don't regret my time as a gifted kid, but I do wish G/T had offered more care for students' mental health and more inclusivity for children who didn't fit the program's relatively narrow mold of exceptionalism. I wish I could unlearn the idea that outward praise equals true success, and measure excellence in the form of learning for learning's sake. Above all, I wish we'd had an environment where every single student was reminded how smart and talented they were, and given the tools to explore their gifts — no matter what form they took. Do you have a compelling personal story you'd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we're looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@
New York Times
6 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Why Boys Are Behind in School From the Start
Girls have been outperforming boys in American schools for decades, from elementary school through college. But the gender gap in education starts even earlier: Boys enter kindergarten less prepared than girls, and this early deficit can compound and help explain some of the recent struggles of boys and young men. Across measures of kindergarten readiness — including reading, math, motor skills and behaviors like socializing, paying attention and regulating emotions — girls score higher than boys. Girls Outpace Boys in Kindergarten Skills Share of U.S. children ages 3 to 5 considered on track for kindergarten in 2022 and 2023 combined. Source: National Survey of Children's Health By The New York Times These are averages, and researchers emphasize that there are many boys with strong skills and girls with lagging skills. Other factors also contribute — the gaps in kindergarten readiness by family income and by race are larger than they are for gender. But over the last two decades, as those gaps have narrowed, the gender gaps have become more consequential. Kindergarten has become significantly more academic because of a national law passed in 2001, with children expected to spend more time sitting still and learning math and reading — and many boys do not enter with the skills to meet those expectations. Adding to that, childhood has changed in recent years in ways that could have set back boys further. The isolation of the pandemic delayed young children's development, parents are increasingly stressed, and children are spending more time on screens. These factors affect all children, but they may have been particularly hard on boys, who scientists have shown are more vulnerable to hardship. Race and Kindergarten Readiness Share of Ohio kindergartners demonstrating kindergarten readiness in fall 2024. Source: Ohio Department of Education and Workforce By The New York Times Less Art and Play, More Math and Reading Share of kindergarten teachers who agreed in 1998 and 2010. Source: Daphna Bassok, Scott Latham and Anna Rorem By The New York Times Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Career Change Tips for Teachers Ready to Pivot
There's a quiet exodus from American schools. Many teachers aren't just burned out—they're boxed in by a rigid, overloaded system that no longer matches their values: autonomy, impact, and growth. Many also face dwindling respect and, for too many, unsafe working conditions—both physically and psychologically. Dozens of teachers tell me they haven't lost their passion for teaching; instead, they've lost patience with a system that refuses to change. The good news? Teachers' skills—communication, leadership, instruction, adaptability—are exactly what industries like workforce development and instructional design, especially in programs like apprenticeship. As I've said before, 'jobs without people, people without jobs' sums up our workforce paradox. Teachers are the untapped talent pool employers claim they can't find. The problem isn't the work—it's the system: bureaucracy, safety risks, political pressure, and a lack of agency. More than 51,000 teachers left U.S. classrooms last year, and more than a third plan to leave within two years. Teachers are leaving their professions in record numbers. It's not about qualifications; it's about being tired of waiting for broken systems to change. A 2024 PhD study analyzing 116 public YouTube videos found that stress, workload, and lack of administrative support are the top reasons teachers leave. Hearing it straight from teachers themselves shows just how widespread and deeply felt these challenges are. Put simply, overwork and red tape are holding teachers back. Cut the bureaucracy, and you unlock their potential to help students thrive. Teachers bring more to the table than most entry-level hires: they're pros at instructional design, communicating under pressure, managing stakeholders, and assessing performance. They stay on top of fast-changing tech, hone people skills daily, adapt to adversity, and maintain a growth mindset—always ready to learn and evolve. These professionals manage risk, work to tight deadlines, instruct and assess others, and coordinate across teams in high-pressure environments. Many have taught outside their specialty, adapting on the fly. They don't need coaching on accountability—they need hiring managers who can recognize their potential. Teachers also get people—of every generation. Every day, they work with students from elementary school to high school, engage with Gen Alpha, Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and even Boomers. They know how to adapt their approach for different ages, backgrounds, and learning gives teachers a real-world grasp of what makes each generation tick—an insight businesses need to navigate a multigenerational workforce. So, when teachers move into business, they bring the ability to engage and motivate across age groups, bridge generational gaps, and understand what drives today's—and tomorrow's—workforce. For employers, that's a huge asset. Teachers' generational know-how helps organizations design better training, build stronger teams, and connect with customers of all ages. That's the kind of real-world expertise businesses need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Teachers Want More Than a Paycheck. They Want Purpose. Just look at any teacher group online—educators are searching for what's next. Burnout, shifting values, and the post-pandemic reset are pushing them to seek more than a paycheck: they want purpose, recognition, and real chances to grow. Too often, employers overlook teachers when hiring. Yet fields like career technical education, healthcare, renewable energy, IT, and apprenticeships are crying out for the skills teachers bring. Teachers' communication, leadership, and people skills make them naturals for building strong teams and positive workplaces. They're pivot-ready for roles in: In these positions, former teachers can draw on their experience to: Let's be honest: Teachers are pros at turning big ideas into hands-on learning that sticks. They blend theory and practice every day—that's the core of competency-based education, and it's exactly what makes apprenticeships and technical training succeed. Governments in the U.S. —and in countries like Australia—have recognized teachers as key to school-based apprenticeships and 'earn and learn' programs. If you want someone who knows how to build real-world skills and keep learners engaged, look no further than teachers. Transitioning teachers into your workforce doesn't require a new talent strategy — just better filters. Employers should focus on: Too many companies still overlook non-corporate résumés or assume 'tenure' means inflexibility. The truth? Teachers are resilient, fast learners, and want purpose-led workplaces, which is exactly what many organizations claim to offer. Hiring former teachers is a smart move. They bring emotional intelligence, systems thinking, and the ability to coach and lead under pressure. With most companies bracing for rapid, tech-driven change, these adaptable, mission-driven professionals are exactly what's needed. If you want to close skills gaps and build resilient teams, look to teachers—they're not after charity; they want a real challenge. With more than 85% of companies preparing for rapid, tech-driven change, teachers are exactly the kinds of adaptable, mission-driven professionals businesses need. To close skills gaps and build resilient teams, organizations need to look beyond traditional résumés and recognize the high-capacity talent teachers bring. They're not after handouts—just the opportunity to make a real impact. You can't close workforce gaps by ignoring people already halfway there. Stop searching for perfect résumés and start recognizing proven talent, teachers included.
Fox News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
David Zweig: Closing Schools During Covid Was The Most Catastrophic Consequence Of The Interventions
David Zweig, investigative journalist and author, joined Brian Kilmeade to discuss his new book 'An Abundance of Caution: American Schools, the Virus, and a Story of Bad Decisions' Zweig spoke about the failures of public policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially its impact on children after school closures and how elected officials, the medical establishment working with government and the teachers unions failed their students. Zweig explained how closing schools during the pandemic was the most catastrophic consequence of the interventions and it's impact is still affecting kids to this day. Zweig pointed out that during the early days of the pandemic, the EU opened schools and with millions of students back, there was no negative consequences on the community. Zweig stressed it was not just on kids, but also no increased transmission to teachers and everyone else in the community after schools opened. Zweig took the media to task for not reporting on no negative consequences on the millions of children returning to school in the EU. The failures according to Zweig all comes back to journalists not fulfilling their most basic duty of asking questions and being skeptical of those in power. Click here to order 'An Abundance of Caution: American Schools, the Virus, and a Story of Bad Decisions' Watch here:
