Why would the Texas Legislature knowingly choose to defund the education of the brightest children?
The answer is simple: it’s popular. It is easy to kick-around gifted education. It is easy to make jokes about nerdy and unathletic kids. And it is easy to not worry about gifted kids because everyone knows they will do fine on their own. Right? Wrong.
Do any of the following complaints about gifted education sound familiar? “Allowing students to accelerate puts them at a social disadvantage.” “It is not fair to spend extra money on these kids.” “If these kids get to do something special, it will hurt others’ feelings.” Now, instead of gifted students, use the above examples in reference to a high school varsity football team. We not only allow varsity athletes to be on teams based on ability, not age, but we also spend large amounts of school money on the programs. Lastly, we have showcases for students to display their talents during games. We, as a society, have no problem with talents and gifts as long as they are athletic, musical, or artistic. Something else happens when these gifts or talents are intellectual.
This “something else” is a contradiction called anti-intellectualism.