riddle@ut-sally.UUCP (Prentiss Riddle) (02/03/84)
I agree that one should guard against "Talented and Gifted" programs
that merely pander to parents' inflated opinions of their kids, or
which cause undue problems by boosting some kids' egos at the expense
of others.
Still, such arguments can be overused. One example (not in connection
with a "T&G" program, but close enough) happened at my high school in
Stillwater, Oklahoma: our principal was an ex-coach who got his job by
promising to be a tough disciplinarian. His solution to all of our
school's problems was to boost enthusiasm about athletics to a
near-mania; the resulting "school spirit" was to be a panacea that
would wipe out apathy, poor attendance and drug problems. At the same
time he tried to gut our school's academic programs, putting on
pressure to cut or eliminate foreign language, Honors English and even
calculus courses (and this in a school which turned out as many
engineers for its size as any in the state!).
Why? They were "elitist". Now tell me: can you think of any school
program more "elitist" than a varsity football team?
--- Prentiss Riddle
--- ("Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada.")
--- {ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!riddle