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My husband is a blue-collar worker and I work part-time for a governmental agency. We are a middle-income family. I mention this because we keep running into a mistaken belief that is held by staff at multiple levels within the public educational system. There is a misconception that TAG kids only come from upper-income families and that their parents are the only ones that step forward to complain. Nothing could be further from the truth. TAG students come from a variety of socio-economic groups throughout our state. Currently, there are approximately 41,000 identified TAG students in Oregon. The key word in the previous sentence is IDENTIFIED. There are more intellectually gifted and/or academically talented students in Oregon that have not, and may never be, identified. These students once identified as TAG are required by the Oregon TAG mandate to receive classroom instruction at the appropriate level and rate for them.

I have a question that begs to be answered: By not providing the appropriate educational services for TAG students in the public school system, isn?t the system creating an even wider divide between the ?have and have-nots?? Upper-income families do have a choice to provide other educational options for their students, which most families cannot afford.


Here?s a brief overview of our family?s experience with TAG in our school district. Our student attended public school through 4th grade, but increasingly our child?s educational needs were not being met at the public school, so we chose to home school 5th through 8th grade. Fortunately, both my husband?s and my schedules have allowed us to accommodate our student?s educational needs. Others do not have this option. Many TAG students, for a variety of reasons, may only have public school as an option for their education. We have had to make it work for our child. We don?t want to see our student lose the love of learning. So far our student hasn?t, but we have watched as our child?s friends have. Our student is now attending our local public high school. With our re-entry into the public school system, we have discovered that our belief that high school would offer appropriate educational opportunities for our student and others that ?tick? like them is, for the most part, incorrect. Our student has had a few gems over the past two years, but they are exceptions. This is unfortunate for this population of students. Sadly, I am sure that other TAG families can concur on this point.

Now picture yourself sitting in an all day seminar that you are required to attend. Every piece (or just about every piece) of information that is being relayed to the audience you already know. In fact, you may find that you know more on the subject than the one who is presenting the material. Now multiply sitting in this seminar and others like it for 180 days. This is what many of these students face from the elementary through secondary level in Oregon. These students are ?dropping out? as they sit in the classroom.

I?ve often heard it suggested that these kids can just go to the library or attend an extra ?enrichment? activity after school hours. Some families can?t afford these extra events. Shouldn?t these students? brains be engaged during school hours? Do we hand a basketball to a promising athlete and tell them to go shoot a few hoops, or do we have a coach work with them so they can hone their skills? Likewise, do we point an individual to a piano and tell them to practice, but not supply them with a mentor and the materials that they need to excel as a musician? Why should it be any different for TAG students in the classroom?

To quote my student?s motto, ?Logic is primary.? The way our current public educational system works for TAG students, it doesn?t seem to be functioning logically.

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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