Failing more than just the geniuses

John Cloud reveals how the current education system fails the highest achievers (“Failing Our Geniuses”). Unfortunately, the solution offered suffers from the same fatal conceit that plagues our current education policy “geniuses” – that they can somehow do things better than the spontaneous, unstructured, complex, and creative forces of the market.

Each child has unique traits and needs. Arbitrarily assigning a child to a school based on his address fails to recognize his individual capabilities. Allowing gifted students to merely skip a grade or two still fails to adequately address their special talents.

The real solution requires an expansion of choice and competition in education. By implementing or expanding vouchers, charter schools, and tuition tax credits, schools catering to the special needs of both low-achieving and gifted students can flourish. Rather than forcing children into neighborhood schools that try to be all things to all people, parents should choose the school that meets their child’s needs.

[Letter to the Editor - TIME Magazine. Submitted 08/23/2007.]