Reply #235: There is no evidence to suggest that her parents haven't or aren't willing to

[sense]

listen to educators. She's home schooled, which usually means out in the world interacting with all ages every day learning life skills that the children locked up all day don't have as much opportunity to learn. Why would you think that if it became intolerable she'd continue? If it doesn't work for her, then she and her parents will continue on their educational journey in another way.

13 is not the same for every child. We are individuals. She's not going to live at school, simply take some classes. Her father has offered to attend with her. This bizarre attempt to separate people by age is really odd. It's also relatively new...and an invention of those looking to control the masses. She's not attending an orgy, it's a few classes where she'd be engaged and actively learning. She will not be on her own. Quit painting perfectly ordinary people as monsters because they're over 18. The world is not this black and white. We don't have to be sheep.

She won't miss any of the things that are important to her. Why would anyone assume that? Because she wants to learn she's not allowed to do anything but that? She must go straight home after class, no friends allowed? No activities? Nothing? Why? You sound like you want to punish her for being bright. If she gets to learn, then the rest of her life is over? She doesn't live in a vacuum, she lives in a neighborhood with other people..... Home schooled gifted children have friends just like everyone else.

I have a gifted child who took college classes early, as did most of his gifted friends. He also played on a high school sports team and took classes with adults in the community. These kids are different and unless you've got experience with them and/or you've done a bit of research like the parents of gifted children normally do, you wouldn't know that. Most people don't want to believe the truth about gifted kids, because somehow they think that means the parents or the kids think they're better than the rest. It's so bizarre. People love those gifted athletes, but really, really don't want to hear that someone learns more quickly than them. There are studies showing that early college is a very viable option and that colleges normally accept them, with certain provisions. I'm certain, that just as we agreed to those provisions, her parents would as well. The whole parental ego thing with gifted kids is tired and worn and wrong. We are a nation of individuals. Such a simple concept. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. Why is that so easy to see with most other subjects? Gifted children aren't better, they're just different and trying to deny that they have different educational needs is ridiculous.

We don't insist that the kids at the other end of the spectrum must learn the same as the middle section. That would be considered cruel. Accommodations would have to be made, mainly by her and her parents, not by the school or other students. They're not asking for anyone to alter the curriculum, classroom conversations or for any special dispensation. They're just trying to access an education at her rate and level of learning like all the other parents and children have been guaranteed. When your state or city refuses to provide an education for your child, you cannot just accept that and not try to fight for the rights of your child.

Explicit talk about sex, alcohol and drugs are available on any city transportation and any middle or high school. My son found much more of that at the local high school than at c.c.