What are we thinking?

Ponder the dictum of public education: “Educate every child to his or her fullest potential.” EVERY child. How is it that we have applied this only to the least able, who have clearly been historically underserved, yet ignored the most able on the grounds they can “take care of themselves.” Does it not occur to us that the future support of the least able rests on the shoulders of the more able? Does it not occur to us that giving the message to our brightest children that they don’t deserve funding to learn at their rate and level is to tell them that they are less valued than the “challenged?”

We are so paranoid about the appearance of elitism. Even mentioning that gifted children “deserve” attention is heard as an implication that the disabled deserve less. Nothing could be more misguided. That is not the idea, at all.

The needs of the disabled child often become the needs of the disabled adult. When the time comes to be wage earners and tax payers, it is the middle and upper ability levels who will be providing the funds to care for those who cannot care for themselves. Does it not best serve society to be certain that those future tax payers can work at the height of their potential?

The doctors and researchers who may find the cures, or preventions, for many handicapping conditions come from those levels most ignored by the public school system. What are we thinking? ARE we thinking?