This was first published in 2009 on a dusty old blog of mine. Oh, yes; it's that time of year. One wrought with anxiety and maybe a few tears--and not just for us parents of highly gifted children. When I said to one of my boys with the best of intentions, "Who knows maybe this will be an exciting year?" we looked at each other and started laughing. But we're all off to a decent start. My 11-year-old came home excited on two occasions: one ... [ Read More ]
Choosing a Private School for Gifted Kids: That Time I Gave up on Public Education
This was originally published with the title Giving up on Public Education: Private school provides a haven for gifted kids—and their parents in Chicago Parent circa 2005. I did not choose the headline, which I found to be cringeworthy. I believe in public education. It's the backbone of our democracy. But it doesn't always work out as parents might hope. And, in fact, on a nationwide basis, public schools generally do a poor job of educating our ... [ Read More ]
Meet Climate Change Champion Madeline Goodwin
Madeline Goodwin is a 19-year-old Master's of Environmental Studies candidate, online STEM teacher, and policy wonk. If things go her way, we'll be calling her Madame President one day. So you’re working on your Master’s degree and you’re how old? Yes, I'm working on my Master's of Environmental Studies degree; I'm 19. I got my Bachelor's of Science at 17. How did you get so far ahead? What was school like in your younger years? I started ... [ Read More ]