Federal Law Drains Resources for the Gifted
I believe that if this is one of the consequences of the new education law, it will do more harm than good. Pulling the illiterate up to the level of the mediocre is far less important for the future of this nation at every level than fully potentializing the gifted among us. In virtually every field it is the gifted who cut the path and lead the way--in the private sector above all, but also in government, intelligence, the military, philanthropy, academia, medicine, science, the arts, education. One must be both intelligent and motivated to think beyond the current state of affairs and imagine innovations, then find creative ways to implement them. The gifted create progress, they solve problems--the rest are inertia, human baggage, just followers and laborers.
Of course, based on numbers in the article there is no reason why the new law should push out the gifted programs--Illinois was only spending $19 million a year in the first place on the gifted ($1.50 per citizen of the state). To cut such a cheap and important program displays incredible stupidity. And how can the feds offer only $10 million a year for this? The practical social ramifications of this trend will be further stratification of opportunity by income level--only those who can afford to attend quality private schools will find the blessing of an education proportionate to their ability.
