How Can Smart People Be So Dumb?
I'm incensed over something petty, but dammit. I know I'm right!
I received a letter yesterday from the school district's gifted and talented program. "Your child, C-, has qualified as a state identified academically gifted student. We have just completed a review of student records and find that your child meets the state's criteria."
Now, raise your hand if, as a parent, you would want to know what records they reviewed and what the criteria are? Yeah. Me too.
So I read on.
The criteria are:
*Aptitude test scores (What test was this? When did she take it? How did she score?)
*Achievement test scores in reading comprehension and/or math concepts and problem solving. (Really? My kid? What exactly did she do well in? Also, see above questions.)
*Performance Task Testing for grades 3-6. (What tasks? How do you test them? And again, how did she score?)
"Qualified students meet the designated criteria in at least two areas." WHAT TWO AREAS? ANSWER MY QUESTIONS, DAMMIT!!!!!
Ahem.
Sela adjusts her trendy little glasses.
Is it not the purpose of a so-called informative letter, to inform? To provide necessary knowledge so that the reciever of the letter now has answers, rather than more questions? Am I misinformed, mistaken, just plain wrong about the purposes of communication? To inform, to entertain, to persuade -- even to provoke a reaction?
Well, dumbitch (who, according to her letterhead, has a PhD) certainly provoked a reaction, although I doubt it's the one she wanted. She's an ineffective toad. All that there book-learnin' ain't done her a bit of good if she's so blatantly incapable of telling me What I Need To Know!
I have gone under her over-inflated ego, er, I mean head and sent an e-mail to the woman at dd's school who actually teaches the g&t class. Maybe I'll get a useful response from her.
But you know what?
YAYAYAYAYAYAYYYYYYY!!!!!!! My kid made it into the smart kid class!!!!!!!!!!
7 Comments:
She's a whip, just like her Mom.
This is a surprise to you?
Kewl for her. She'll love the stuff they do and it will be an ego boost.
On the other hand, good luck with the school.
Fantastic news!!
I write confusing documents for a living so that my clients will spend even more money to get me to explain what it all actually means. Maybe she was a project management consultant in a previous life?
And you're surprised she made it into smart kid class, why? :) WTG!!
Although I do find it disconcerting that they don't give specifics as to why or details. I was going somewhere with this, but the thought left the building. Oh, but the thing that bugs me the most about not knowing, is that most parents would look at the letter and say, "cool, I have a smart kid," and not wonder beyond that.
By 
, at
5:22 PM
Well no, it doesn't surprise me that she's smart. I know that. But she doesn't test spectacularly out of her range in most things. It has occurred to me, however, that what I consider an acceptable minimum range is what most people consider slightly above average. I mean, the kid is reading almost 2 grade levels above herself. I figure that's normal at our house.
I don't consider my expectations unreasonably high. I'm not even pushing her! As I told her the other day, if she brings home a C and it's the honest-to-God best she can do, I'm ok with that. But if she brings home a C because she's slacking off, then we have a problem.
I should have known she'd make it into this program. Even with all the inattentiveness of last year, she still made the A-B honor roll every term except the last one.
This actually brings to mind a disturbing thought. If my darling child is Not Paying Attention, but still getting As and Bs, does that mean she's bloody brilliant or does that mean the school's expectations of their students are that low?
Oy. That'll give me heartburn tonight.
By 
Sela Carsen, at
9:17 PM
You're so funny when you're on a rant. Love it!
And congrats to the kidlet.
By Kristen Painter, at
1:46 PM
Gifted Kid?
Somehow, don't know what could possibly give me the idea, but This Is No Surprise.
Congratulations! :)
By , at
1:05 AM