Trends come and go in education like the tide. Many districts are currently riding the “close down gifted programs” wave. They will almost certainly regret this choice in a few years.
Understand that, at the end of the day, the people who make these decisions have one currency: test scores. So the argument is actually quite simple. If you shut the gifted program down, the students with the best scores will leave. They will go to a nearby district that did not shut their gifted programs down.
It’s an obvious cause and effect, right?
- If you shut down your honors music program, families who value music will find another place for their children.
- If you get rid of your football team, the parents of the most promising players will move to a district that serves their kids’ needs.
- If you cut off the classes designed for your gifted students, their parents will just find another option.
Now, will every family make this choice? No. Just a few will. At first. But the parents of your gifted kids are pretty clever themselves! They’ll talk. Word will get around. The brain drain will pick up steam. And, by the time it becomes noticeable, it will be difficult to reverse. Your district will have a reputation in the community. The alternatives will have gained traction.
I Saw This Happen
This situation happened at a district I taught in. We had a great elementary gifted program but offered nothing for our gifted middle schoolers. So parents started to move their kids to a neighboring district when they entered middle school. And those juicy test scores went with them, both lowering my district’s scores and raising the neighboring district’s scores.
Eventually, enough parents did this that, you guessed it, the district started a gifted middle school program! Was this because the big bosses finally understood that AP and honors classes do not meet the needs of gifted students?
Uh, no.
It was because of the test scores! And a rivalry with that other district.
My Family Is Facing This Right Now
This is something I think schools don’t pay enough attention to. The neighborhood talks! Schools get reputations. Alternatives get shared. And nowadays there are SO MANY alternatives. Districts are still in that monopoly mindset where you take your customers for granted because they have nowhere else to go. But now families do have other places to go.
As our kid reaches school age, we’re running into this very problem. Both our pediatrician and our preschool teacher warned us about sending our child to the local school because he’s “too advanced” for their kindergarten program. It’s all worksheets and sitting still. Our friend with a very bright kindergartener has told us all about the terrible time she’s had trying to get appropriate instruction for him. I kept thinking, “Does the school realize this is happening?” The community is talking.
So, it’s simple. If you take your top students for granted, word will get around, and families will find another option. And there are options for education now. Even in our tiny town, we’ve found several interesting opportunities for our kid. And they’re all run by fantastic former public school teachers Yes, if you don’t take care of your best teachers, they’ll leave too!