Au Contraire: Where’s the Courage?

James R. Delisle

As someone who has focused his career on teaching and guiding gifted adolescents, I have often wondered why a rift exists between those who advocate for students who are gifted and those whose passions involve middle school education in general. Historically adversarial in nature, the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and the National Middle Schools Association (NMSA) seem to operate as if few foundational links existed between the two organizations. While NAGC tries to voice its concerns about the valid cognitive and affective needs of gifted children, NMSA treats such attention as divisive and antithetical to their mission.

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