Thank you, God, for giving me the wisdom to avoid reproduction and thereby having to associate with the millions of people determined to keep their offspring at the top of the heap of faceless humanity, including this IA.

Some parents can be obnoxious but it isn't a hate crime to advocate for your kids while being white. The "public" in public school means all taxpayers have a voice.

It's good that people are more aware of less privileged groups but playing wokier-than-thou is self-congratulatory masturbation. You're not actually helping those homeless kids but if you feel guilty that makes you a good person, right?

Any parent that doesn't advocate for their kid is doing it wrong. If your kid is not getting the help, don't expect the district to figure it out for you.

@1 Agreed, and amen!

"I, too, was there to advocate for my kids who have everything they need. I am disgusted with both of us."

More white guilt nonsense. If you're not actively advocating for your kids school to improve, (and let's be real, all public schools gave room for improvement) then you're not doing your kid or any other kid any favors.

Advocating for an education commensurate with your child’s abilities is praiseworthy, nor does such advocacy deprive less advantaged students.

Every kid should have a parent that advocates for them like this. The problem is that many don't. Minority children are much less likely to have a mom that can take time off of work to attend a school board meeting, and also has the skills & articulation needed to create and present cogent arguments to a panel of representatives.

The end result is the kids that need the least amount of extra government support (often white, upper middle class kids with 2 educated parents) get more, while minority children in poverty & single parent households have no one to argue for them, so they get less.

As a teacher in an diverse urban school public schools district, I can tell you that nearly every white parent thinks their kid is gifted. If the goal is raising children who become productive adults who are tolerable to be around, then gifted education is not a good decision. Most of the adults I've met who were in GT programs are terrible to be around and nominally employed.

@8 bingo!! can't advocate for your kid if your working 2 jobs.

I had a child who was tested as 'gifted' and as such was, by law, to have the chance for opportunities for additional educational enrichment. People would tell us we had no real problem here and that there were learning disabled, trainable mentally handicapped et, child who had real problems - and I agree. But here's the deal. A gifted child presents their own set of challenges to a school system, to keep the student focussed, to keep them engaged in class and to CHALLENGE them. Otherwise they will get bored and not learn, or won't learn how to learn, or learn how to handle frustration when they are confronted with difficulty. That mother may have fought this battle many times.

Kids really are our future and should be protected and educated equally. Unfortunately, recent past generations have saddled kids with their own entitled baggage at home only to then have to deal with forming social bonds in a group setting. Its hilarious that its supposed to take a village to financially support the education system for these poor mentally screwed-up youth (gifted or not), but only to the point where the “baggage carriers” dictate whats best for “THEIR” children while the taxpayer is supposed to just go along. If a kid is gifted, then why are you not putting that kid in a private school for such children? Probably because its unaffordable and mommy and daddy didn't make the right financial decisions early on to get that kid in a private school to which now the taxpayer is expected to bow and pay. Ive been to these meetings and frankly, those boards will listen to you, but really they are just show and they dont care. No one gives a rats furry about your kids other than you. Their concern is working within budget constraints, keeping the broods safe for the time they are on public property, getting them through the public education machine, and praying one of the screwed up parents in their district didnt leave loaded guns lying around so their progeny could bring them to school and use them intentionally or not. Its a sad fact of life, and since there is nothing in the constitution that guarantees the right of a public education there could be a day where it goes by way of the dodo.

@9. That’s a ringing endorsement for privatizing your profession.

@8 MrEvievo: I second @10's Bingo!! So well said and spot on.
How many parents--especially low-income single moms or dads working two jobs and just barely scraping by---can advocate for their kids, let alone make a PTA meeting? As I've said, I'm not a parent, myself, but such inequality in our public school system really needs to change for the better.

@14: (re @1, and my comment @5): Mr Evievo's comment @8 is further reason I am so glad I never had children. I survived a toxic, physically and psychologically abusive marriage. Any daughter or son my ex and I might have had in such a hostile environment would have ended up a total mess. If I had divorced with one or more children, I, too, would probably be working two jobs to try to stay afloat only to go under as a single mom.

Since when did thinking your child is gifted and advocating for their education (even obnoxiously so) become a "white" trait?

That is racist coming and going. I am seriously considering that some of you have never met a parent, nor a non-white person.

Highly capable children are meant to be supported by the school system. That's part of the state constitution. If Seattle Public Schools aren't holding up their end of the bargain, that's also a problem.

Framing this as entitlement is ludicrous, shrill and self-centered. We're supposed to do it this way because a while back, smarter people than you figured out that different kids have different needs, and we need to support them all.

If you want to aim your bile somewhere, aim it at the state legislature.

...there is nothing in the constitution that guarantees the right of a public education...

The McCleary decision says hello.

@2 It's good that people are more aware of less privileged groups but playing wokier-than-thou is self-congratulatory masturbation. You're not actually helping those homeless kids but if you feel guilty that makes you a good person, right?

Slow clap. All the slow clap.

IA, eat a dick.

Maybe a good method of exercising giftedness would be to develop a program whereby gifted students aid those with learning disabilities and/or obstacles. They could be assessed on their implementation to provide those ever important marks/brownie points. Gifted students could develop a new skill-set of great utility to themselves and others, and they might like it and incorporate into their future careers. And if they just want to be corporate lawyers and rock-star doctors then maybe it will provide much needed balance in perspective.

You're right, fuck parents who try to get the best for their children!

What is the hell is the matter with you. Maybe this particular lady was a pain in the ass, and maybe she didn't explain herself in an endearing manner, but for fucks sake she's just trying to get the best education possible for her kid. The truth is public schools have historically done a poor job meeting the needs of gifted children, and it's this woman's duty as a parent to advocate for her kid. You're doing the same thing. I'm disgusted that you're disgusted with yourself for doing what you SHOULD be doing.

classic. someone overpromises and underdelivers, you go to advocate for yourself, and then you feel guilty.

Fake.

@20 doesn’t seem to think it takes unique skills or experience to educate the learning disabled. Just throw some brown-nosers at the problem.

The lack of services to one set of students doesn't justify the lack of services to another set.... sure I suppose I agree that the students with the most systemic oppression ought to be first when setting priorities, but you know what? If this state would live up to its constitutional mandate to fully fund k-12 education (it's currently in contempt of court for failing to do so and has been for what..... a year?) then we wouldn't have to make these choices.

how dare but the most needy ever need things

@11 - You just described my education.

@13 -No, it really doesn't.

I was at every school board meeting of the last four years (with a few exceptions) and presided over the meetings of the last year and I do not recall this alleged testimony at all. In fact, much of the testimony of the last year has been against gifted ed (which is also problematic).
So here's the problem with allowing anonymous rants like this: Anyone with an axe to grind can claim anything with no need to provide facts or prove credibility. I call rubbish on this post.
Other commenters are correct -- gifted kids are legally recognized as a special needs group. Gifted ed is not a privilege, it is an intervention. It is legally defined as part of basic education for this category of student, and the district is required to provide a basic education for all students. All parents and guardians are within their rights to advocate for their children. The gifted student-bashing bandwagon in this town is getting tiresome. It's disappointing that the Stranger is copying the Times in this proclivity.
Sue Peters, Seattle School Board Director 2013-2017

Yeah, because I'm sure being homeless, being gifted, and being white are mutually exclusive.

@29 Sue Peters: Thank you for serving on the Seattle School Board 2013-2017, and pointing out that gifted education is a way of addressing the students who require additional assistance with special issues. By advocating as Seattle School Board Director, you have done what many single parents working two or more outside jobs cannot easily do. Well done.

"Your privileged white child has everything, and yet you demand more."

This testimony was at the last Board meeting, I believe. But you know what? Parents ARE supposed to advocate and yes, public schools are to serve all kids. Serving one group does not mean denying another AND by advocating for a better gifted program, it means it will be a better program for all students including minority/low-income.

And fyi, you have NO way of knowing that child "has everything." You are making a judgment you are not entitled to make. And, you have no idea if that child is only white; many people have ethnic backgrounds and upbringing that don't always present themselves.

"You're not actually helping those homeless kids but if you feel guilty that makes you a good person, right? "

Yeah, there's a lot of these people running around.

"Advocating for an education commensurate with your child’s abilities is praiseworthy, nor does such advocacy deprive less advantaged students."

Bravo!

"If a kid is gifted, then why are you not putting that kid in a private school for such children?"

Because legally, public schools have to serve gifted children. Yeah, it's a law. And if you pay taxes and believe in public education, why go private?

To those of you that believe only white kids have advocates, not true. I write a public education blog and there are hundreds - yes, hundreds - of parents advocating for other people's children. For example,a parent group - Soup for Teachers - had one parent who raised hundreds of dollars in Safeway gift cards for low-income SPS families. There are Native American groups that regularly advocate for their students. And Director Betty Patu has been a strong advocate for students in Southeast Seattle. She just go elected to a third term.

thanks for the outrage.
there's not enough of that these days.

Well, I understand that perspective, but not advocating for your kids could lead to them becoming one of those homeless people you refer to. Ive seen it. You can advocate for more than one thing - theyre not mutually exclusive.

Also, most folks do not have money for private schools.

This rant is ridiculous. As someone whose life was saved by being put in a gifted program after enduring years of merciless bullying, I can tell you that sometimes even gifted middle class kids don't actually have everything they need to survive school, much less thrive. Looking back I realize I'd probably have attempted suicide without the gifted program I was put in. Smart kids are used as a punching bag in schools sometimes. Gifted programs help them build friendships and support in what may otherwise feel like a hostile environment. And it's kind of a sad commentary on our culture that someone can plausibly argue that we can either have better programs for homeless kids or we can have a gifted program but not both (especially fun for the gifted homeless kids!).

I don't see anything wrong with parents advocating for their children's gifts and a better quality of education. If they feel painfully aware of the "lack thereof" in terms of people advocating for those with less .. well, why don't they, then, take it upon themselves to *also* advocate for the needs of those students, too? Don't just stop advocating for your child - it's not a crime - advocate for other children, as well. I hope that solves someone's problem.

Wrong. The only speaker not in favor of District Staff's plan was ASIAN. Sheesh such a liar.

HC programs are really anti-bullying as most 6th graders are taking classes with 8th graders many in schools that care less about their social emotional needs of gifted kids. And yeah being extremely bright doesn't mean you are going to be huge money earners. It just means you are more likely to listen to facts.

Thank you Sue Peters. You did a great job on the Board.

Any child who has needs not being met deserves to have their parent advocate for them. Why is it no problem to advocate for a child who is not meeting grade level expectations but you think it is "privilege" for the gifted child's mom to advocate for her? Just because she is academically advanced? That is bigotry. Every child deserves to have their needs met, not just those underperforming.

In a way, a gifted child who is not being properly challenged is underperforming.

And I used to be a gifted program teacher in Seattle, before moving north. So I know how much these programs benefit the kids in them. They are also at risk for failure.