[Ohiogift] Published letter regarding Rosemond column

[Mary Collier]

I was surprised to see my letter (already) in today's Dayton Daily News regarding the Rosemond column.  It might not have said everything, but it was my take on the version I read in Monday's Dayton paper after Art flagged his column to us on ohiogiftlist.  I did not read the column until Wednesday and submitted my letter the same day because our Monday paper was soaked.  (Tuesday was a busy day.)  I cannot find the letters online so I am sending my original version with the tweaks the paper made.  It appears to have been edited very little.

Mary Collier
"Rosemond's advice surprisingly wimpy"
 
Re "Let daughter make education decision," June 10: While family psychologist John Rosemond is usually hellfire and brimstone on parents, forcing authoritarian concepts on their children to show them who is boss, he has a suspiciously wimpy "whatever the child wants to do" attitude in a recent column advising parents regarding their 9 year old "gifted and talented" child's education.  
 
Rosemond pleads ignorance on "compelling research" supporting gifted and talented programs, is uncharacteristically complacent about wasting young minds that are chronically under-challenged in America's classrooms, and seems to write off the long-term social and economic impacts on our already anti-intellectual, dumbed down culture.  
 
One major research effort I know about as a parent is "A Nation Deceived  - How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students" - the Templeton National Report on Acceleration (see nationdeceived.org).  This 2004 report was endorsed by the National Association for Gifted Children and the report was managed through the University of Iowa.  This report recommends individual approaches for informed students and parents. 
 
As a psychologist, Rosemond should know to seek out more expert opinion before providing this type of specialized advice to parents.  Students, especially a nine year old, might have some misconceptions about the program and fears that can be overcome.  I doubt Rosemond would have the same permissive attitude about anything else regarding a child's education.  Apparently, it is OK with him for a child and her parents to simply blow off her academic and mental abilities, which can lead to low achievement, discipline problems, and talents denied through a lifetime. 
 
Mary Collier
Beavercreek 


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