In article ,
"JC Der Koenig" wrote:

"Bob (this one)" wrote in message
...
JC Der Koenig wrote:

"Chris Smolinski" wrote

"Welcome to Central High, where every student is in the Gifted and
Talented program" (or whatever they call it today).

It's still called the same, although we often ask, "Gifted and talented
at what?"

Four school years ago, my daughter was "tested" for being a "TAG" student.
The guidance counselor (with no email address, unique among all staff in
that school - no computer in her office) and a woodshop teacher (I swear
it's true) evaluated musical and dramatic talents. Each student had 5
minutes to display their talents. No criteria for the presentations were
published.

My daughter was selected for the musical TAG program and rejected for the
dramatic one. She can barely carry a tune and has not enough desire to
play a musical instrument to actually try to play one. She has, however,
been in a few drama training courses for kids that she did well in and
enjoyed.

When she indicated she didn't want to be in the musical TAG, they said
that one or nothing. The big musical project for that year was to make a
marimba! Cut pieces of wood, sand them. Build the frame and assemble
everything. Shave the pieces of wood to get true tones. When I suggested
that it was a shop project, not a musical one, the reply I got from the
fatuous guidance teacher was, "Of course it's musical. Do you play any
musical instruments?" When I said, yes, I play several stringed
instruments, she said, "See?" Then she quickly walked away. I looked
around for the Candid Cameras.

"Talented and Gifted" is what the original name was, but it has since been
changed to "Gifted and Talented" for reasons no one seems to know but the
school administration still called it the TAG program. Why I changed
schools for the kid. The principal was a blowhard and it seemed that his
example was the best way for staff to survive in that school. Sad, really.


Seems about par for the education environment. There are some exceptions,
although they are few and far between.

Which, yes, is sad.

Indeed. I wish every kid who was gifted or talented in something could
have the high school experience I had. I was a horrible underachiever
until I got into the performing arts Magnet school, where you had to
keep up your grades to stay in.

We took performing arts classes as electives, and we also had
requirements to participate in a certain number of shows per quarter.

They were very strict with us. If rehearsal started at 4, you were
onstage on your mark at 4, not walking in the door, not chatting with
your friends in the seats, not putting your stuff down.

We also learned a lot about how the real world works. When 200 kids
audition for a show with 20 roles, there are bound to be
disappointments. Crying and complaining that "it's not fair" wouldn't
even get you sympathy, let alone a part in the show. There was even
tons of competition for backstage work, so if you screwed up, you'd be
replaced.

One time I was supposed to be an usher for a matinee, during school.
There was a dress code for ushers, and I forgot it was my turn, and I
was wearing jeans. Just for showing up in jeans, I had to work in the
costume shop every day after school for a month, during the hour break
between school and rehearsals.

I learned more about the real world from that program than anything else
in my childhood.

--
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick