Seattle Public Schools replaced their gifted program with an "equity-driven STEM program", claiming gifted kids will be supported in regular classes.

These construction paper houses are a showcase “engineering project” from the new program

This is a school of 6th-12th graders

The “Technology Access Foundation” (TAF) program replaced Washington Middle School’s Highly Capable Cohort (HCC), ending the classes that offered advanced curriculum to high-achieving students, and instead requiring them to return to general education classrooms.

When I tell parents that we teach 2- and 3-year-olds to read, they get excited.

Often they ask me “My child isn’t 2 yet, what should I be doing to get ready?”

My answer surprises them: If you want to accelerate your child's education, the most important skill you can teach is the ability to make a mistake.

I finished calculus in 8th grade. Many other kids could do the same but they were never given the opportunity.

This is how my parents beat the system to make sure I always had the opportunity to learn.

Thanks, mom and dad! I’m not sure exactly when my dad realized that our education system is actively hostile to fast learners, but thankfully he realized it early on, and he was determined not to let it hold me back.