Smarts

Just to make you laugh, my kids, who were off for three days following our last snowstorm even though the weather was gorgeous, are in school today, when it is sleeting and hailing. WTF.

Josie is actually at home for the second day. She has this coughing, snotty thing that won't go away. I took her to the dr yesterday, and it's nothing serious, just something gross. The thing is, she's perky and wants to go to school, but I wouldn't feel right subjecting the other kids and her teacher to whatever this is, so she's at home with me.

I actually am happy that she's been here. I love having her around. She's nearing eleven (hold on, I have to get out the paper bag... in...out.... OK), and she's so witty and perceptive and funny and just smart. I love to watch and listen to her. Plus, for an added benefit, she's still young enough to think that I'm brilliant and cool, so it's the best of both worlds.

So many of you have posted about your child's first kiss, or getting their periods, or whatever, and it got me thinking this morning about how she's starting middle school this fall. Holy sheet, people. It kind of wandered across my radar a few weeks ago when we were at the testing place for Patrick's magnet exam, because the woman talked about the middle school programs as well. She said that those of us with children in enrichment programs would be getting paperwork to enroll our kids in merit programs, which I take to be magnet-lite - they're not magnet programs, which she rather snottily said are only for the 'truly gifted' (nose in the air), but are still advanced, and we'll get a copy of our kid's potential schedule early as well.

I'm glad about getting her schedule early, and the merit paperwork, so I can ease into this whole thing. Josie didn't want to apply for magnet middle school because she wants to stay with her friends, who will also be merit, in her school. She would almost definitely get into the arts-language magnet program if she wanted to, but I respect her decision. With any luck, Patrick will be accepted into his choice.

However, I didn't appreciate the woman's tone about 'gifted kids'. "Let's face it, these kids are the ones who are going to get into the big universities. They're the ones who are going on to big things." Just the way she said it was so offensive to me, like they were better than other children and we were all in on some secret society, IF our children could make the cut. I have friends who haven't bothered to apply because they've talked to her and decided that they didn't want their kids to be part of whatever she's got going on and get big heads. On the one hand, it's flattering to be told that your child is Fabulous, but on the other, it feels like greasy pandering. It bothers me that someone in the dept of ed seems to place a higher value on some children while passively disparaging others.

So listen up, lady: my multi-challenged nephew will have a special place in this world, and so will all the special ed kids I've worked with, even if it's not a place you put value in.