President's Message
Summer, 2002

"No Child Left Behind!" It sounds so noble, so enlightened, so fair. None of us wants any child left behind, right? Doesn't each child have the right to an education that doesn't leave her in the dusty educational wake of others? And, after all, we live in a democratic society; it's just wrong to leave some kids behind!
At a recent forum on the future of public education in Pennsylvania, many who hold positions of leadership in school districts, government and private entities concerned with or responsible for public education discussed the meaning of "No Child Left Behind" with surprising passion.

It became very clear that everyone, on both sides of the political aisle, supports the concept of "No Child Left Behind." They may differ on what it means, how to get there, how to fund it, and who gets credit, but they all LOVE it.

But I've been wondering……Behind WHAT? What does this educational slogan mean to gifted children? And where do they fit in to the funding that inevitably follows slogans?

Listening to the heated discussions of leaders in the field did little to calm my concerns or answer my questions. None of the discussion centered on or even mentioned the gifted child. Clearly, in the minds of those who are leading this movement, the gifted child is not left behind…..in fact, he's often way ahead of most of his age peers. He already sits and waits for his peers to catch up. So why worry? The educational system is already serving him well. He usually does well on all the state and national assessments; he often gets terrific grades and great ACT and SAT scores.

After all, the idea of "No Child Left Behind" is really the federal response to the current assessment frenzy. We administer assessments of every kind, at every grade level, and for every reason known to man (and women). We better have some response to the results. Thus, "No Child Left Behind." Perhaps we could restate it as "No Child Gets Ahead" since there is absolutely no plan for children who max out on these assessments. Do we move them ahead, adjust their instruction, exempt them from courses or curriculum they already know, group them with others who have demonstrated mastery, and most importantly, properly fund such efforts? With few exceptions the answer is a resounding NO!

I want to make it clear that I am not against assessment or educational slogans or helping children who are behind. But I don't want the needs of gifted children to be buried under a movement that is aimed at addressing assessment results that do not and, in fact, cannot uncover the needs of gifted children. Gifted children in our schools ARE BEHIND. They are behind where they could be. They are behind a wall of standards that are, by design, limiting and vague. They are behind the barrier of the regular education teacher's incredible pressure to prepare children for the next assessment. They are behind the very real force of anti-intellectualism that frees some in leadership positions to openly oppose efforts to address the needs of gifted children.

As the parents, educators and other supporters of gifted children, we must stay informed and active to assure that "No Child Left Behind" doesn't leave the needs of our gifted children behind.

Back