The previous post reminded me of an incident that happened when Ben was in second grade (although I'm not comparing him to the genius level of those kids). We were living in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, a suburb of Tulsa. The school he attended had a lot of great programs, but I didn't realize how rich it was until we moved to California.
Anyway, the school had a lot to offer, but the attitude of the folks was Okie, at best.
Here's what happened.
The students in grades 3-6 competed in something called Fact Masters. They had to complete 300 problems - 100 addition, 100 subtraction, and 100 multiplication - in 10 minutes or less, error free. It was a huge deal. The winners were recognized in school wide assemblies, and their pictures were in the foyer for everyone to see.
Ben wanted so much to compete, but he was only in the second grade, and it was not offered to second graders, only 3rd thru 6th graders.
So, being the proactive mom that I was, I asked the powers that be to give him an opportunity to compete.
I'll never forget his teacher's comment. "Why are you pushing him?" she asked. I responded with a question of my own, "Would you ask that if he were Asian?"
I didn't make a friend that day.
That was OK.
Bottom line, Ben was allowed to compete. He loved it, and he was the youngest Fact Master ever. Funny thing though, his picture didn't make it up in the foyer.
Again, that was OK.
This was a small town with a little newspaper. I stopped by, shared Ben's accomplishment, and he made the headline news the next day.
A big, beautiful picture, with him missing a tooth, graced the top half of the paper.
I'm guessing the folks at his school threw a party after we left.
Anyway, the school had a lot to offer, but the attitude of the folks was Okie, at best.
Here's what happened.
The students in grades 3-6 competed in something called Fact Masters. They had to complete 300 problems - 100 addition, 100 subtraction, and 100 multiplication - in 10 minutes or less, error free. It was a huge deal. The winners were recognized in school wide assemblies, and their pictures were in the foyer for everyone to see.
Ben wanted so much to compete, but he was only in the second grade, and it was not offered to second graders, only 3rd thru 6th graders.
So, being the proactive mom that I was, I asked the powers that be to give him an opportunity to compete.
I'll never forget his teacher's comment. "Why are you pushing him?" she asked. I responded with a question of my own, "Would you ask that if he were Asian?"
I didn't make a friend that day.
That was OK.
Bottom line, Ben was allowed to compete. He loved it, and he was the youngest Fact Master ever. Funny thing though, his picture didn't make it up in the foyer.
Again, that was OK.
This was a small town with a little newspaper. I stopped by, shared Ben's accomplishment, and he made the headline news the next day.
A big, beautiful picture, with him missing a tooth, graced the top half of the paper.
I'm guessing the folks at his school threw a party after we left.
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