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Editor April 13, 1970 Dear Editor: I am writing this letter in answer to Mrs. Mary E. Selwyn's comments on how she feels about my negative attitude toward Rhode Island's school system. Her letter appeared in the April 9th edition of the Evening Bulletin. She seems to be sincere and I am sure she believes what she writes to be the truth. Unfortunately, there is such tremendous ignorance and unawareness of the destructive effects of school policies upon the mental health of our children. Only after a very thorough investigation, such as `I made over the past several years, is one able to fully realize how devastating the overall results have been to our youngsters and to the welfare of the state of our nation. Arnold Toynbee has written a paper, "CREATIVITY IN EDUCATION-IS AMERICA NEGLECTING HER CREATIVE MINORITY?" A quote from his work is the following: "To give a fair chance to potential creativity is a matter of life or death for any society. This is all important, because the outstanding creative ability of a fairly small percentage of the population is mankind's ultimate capital asset, and the only one with which only man has been endowed." Mrs. Selwyn believes that I have been very unfair in my criticism. In her own judgment of me she has done precisely what she erroneously accuses me of doing. If she would examine more closely the depth of my knowledge and my involvement with children, schools and our society's problems, she would not conclude that I made my evaluation before I had sufficiently studied the entire situation. Mrs. Selwyn writes, "In following the statements made by Mrs. Friedel, it is not yet clear to me what she means by a gifted child." I have made many statements, for such a long time, about the neglect of gifted children, but I will assume that she speaks of a news article written by a local reporter who certainly implied that my interest is only of a subjective nature. My study on the psychology and education of the gifted, as well as the fascinating readings on creativity that have been pouring forth since 1950, is never ending. I became aware of flaws in the educational system because I was forced to accept the fact that, in spite of its compulsory education law, our state refused to provide my child with an adequate educational opportunity. I have, in the years that followed, continually broadened my knowledge. The more intensively I study, the more I see the relationship of the economic, political, and social implications that evolve because of the rejection of our creative minority. If I gave a simple definition of the gifted as does some of our Rhode Island educators, supposedly trained in the area of concern, I would be adding to the present crisis in education. p-2 Accordingly, it would be a denial of my claim to be as well educated as I am in understanding how to meet individual differences in our children. I am sorry if I appear to be immodest, but since I am having to justify my convictions to many professionals who have impressive credentials, I can, no longer, afford the luxury of modesty. In a recent edition of SATURDAY REVIEW, I noted the following equation: AB+MS+PHD=O. Regrettably, this too often is true. When an educational system has failed to make necessary changes gradually and intelligently over many years, there are far-reaching effects on the way people think and act. It produces the malady Dr. Paul E. Witty describes as "hardening of the attitudes". I want to impress upon my critics who demand simple definitions that the problem is complex. It is utterly imperative to know that what we choose to do for the gifted and creative children, in reality, influences the quality of educational opportunity for each and every child, whatever his per- sonal potential may be. As soon as we appreciate creative offerings instead of rejecting them, we encourage innovation--we move upward and on toward excellence in all aspects of society. Our state of Rhode Island has not actively recognized the existence of creative children. Exceptional children, a term that should encompass all those in need of special services, has not included the gifted child in its definition. This state has been powerfully set against these children whose only offense is that of being born with GOD-given superior abilities, with awesome gifts that might have been nurtured if we had not deprived them of this right. America is suffering the loss and each of us will feel the tragic results of such neglect. Never in our history have we needed all the creative leadership possible; all talents should be developed to their fullest. Until our state has a change of attitude, I do not agree that programs are being implemented and that "gifted coordinators" are solving the problems. The problems concern everyone; and without community understanding and acceptance, programs will be no more effective or lasting than those implemented in the past, such as the one the city of Warwick started in 1958. I refuse to become a part of this hypocritical attempt by local educators to lessen the pressure being put on them. They are implementing programs which are superficial, inadequate, and a further waste of the people's funds that are being poured into an already bankrupt system of education. As Walter B. Barbe recently pointed out in ACCENT ON TALENT: "We must be sure that our programs for the gifted are an integral part of the total program aimed at the fullest development of every child, and that everyone understands that the differences come from the implementation of a special program, not from the mere establishment of a program." As long as there is political timidity in this area of need, I do not believe our gifted and creative children will be properly identified and nurtured. When our citizens become fully aware of the damage that has befallen some of these children and their families, I know they will rise to their defense because they are humane. The truth has been with-held from the people. page 3 I shudder each time I hear someone define gifted children as those who exhibit an IQ of 137 and above, are bigger, healthier, more mature, have a greater enthusiasm for learning and achieve two years above their grade level. How will we begin to intelligently and effectively stop this misinformation when professionals encourage it? There is more to research on the gifted than the Terman study. His study did not even begin to involve creativity. John C. Gowan and others pointed out that "Terman defined intelligence as the ability to do abstract thinking and validated his test chiefly by achievement." There are different degrees of giftedness. We know there is the very highly gifted child with potential genius who requires some individual instruction by competent, trained personnel. A child like this is in great need of excellent counselors who are prepared to help him develop emotional stability. To stop at Terman will hinder progress in this area, just as stopping at Freud has hindered progress in the field of psychiatry. We know that there is expansion of concepts of intelligence. Torrance writes: "Exceptional talents may show themselves in an almost infinite number of ways and almost anywhere--in small, rural and big, city schools; in slum neighborhoods and wealthy suburbs; and among the black, the red, the brown and the yellow as well as the white. There are many ways of identifying exceptional talents. Standardized tests of intelligence, creative thinking, music ability, achievement and the like help us become more aware of potentialities that might otherwise go unnoticed. We need not be dependent on these tests, however, and should always supplement them with observation in many different kinds of activities. Whether we are using tests or observations, the identification of talents requires motivation. We should not identify jumping ability by observing how high children happen to jump. Something has to be done to motivate the jumping behavior." When a group of experts were asked to be more specific on this question, "Should we group pupils according to IQ scores into high, medium and low groups or heterogeneously according to IQ and more specifically on the basis of achievement?", the answer was, "Very few gifted [problem solvers] will score below 115 on group tests. There are exceptions, and the procedure should be flexible enough to provide for them. The teacher should be given the opportunity to select from among all above IQ 115 those who can profit from special activities not generally suited to regular classroom instruction in groups of 30." How many of our teachers are equipped to understand convergent and divergent thinking? How many are versed in the involved concepts of various intellectual abilities? Are our teacher training courses covering all that is being discovered on new definitions of talent and the different ways to foster it? Rhode Island has a long way to go before our educational system is upgraded. It will take open minds and great cooperative spirit among all involved before it is accomplished. Let us talk about the creative child who has been so severely abused because of misunderstanding and miseducation. Why do they continually prescribe drugs to quiet them? Why not provide them with special education by people who are trained to understand that what appears to be a disruptive child is one who needs the freedom to question everything and needs to be listened to when he suggests a new idea? Allow him to move about when he cannot sit still. Take these children away from the teacher who is driven wild because she cannot cope with such disturbance. Creativity is a disturbing force, but there are ways to channel it into constructive action. page 4 This state, by its refusal to provide for these children, is guilty of criminal negligence. I have seen so many beautiful, sensitive children so cruelly and unjustly treated; I have seen so many confused parents on the verge of complete nervous collapse because of our refusal to do for these children. Yet, you deplore my negative attitude, Mrs. Selwyn. Only a negative attitude can result from such unnecessary child abuse. So many will never function normally because of this senseless neglect. Frequently, they are transferred to reform schools--they become emotionally disturbed or are drugged to the point of oblivion. Do you consider this fair? It is time for ALL to search for the truth and help to overcome this inhumanity to children. I have met hundreds of educators. who admit that they cannot speak out because of fear of reprisal; THIS in our "free" America? Speaking of misinformation--indeed, to say I have no solutions to offer is absolutely false. The solution is to put reform where it belongs. The only sound, effective, economical way to revise our school so that they reflect democratic philosophy which offers each child an equal opportunity to fulfill his potential is to change basic school policies. Then, we can stop wasting billions of dollars that are having to be spent on programs that have become necessary because of culturally deprived schools, disadvantaged schools, schools with learning disabilities, incompetent guidance people, weak state departments of education, questionable psychiatric treatment, institutes of higher learning that lack the good sense to know that American freedom is very precious and it takes an active intelligent citizenry to maintain it. If your concern does not go beyond the welfare of your own child, we will not survive. A state is no better than its educational system. A very good question for all to ponder is: Why is it so impossible to change our elementary school policies? We have learned that the vital years in our children's growth are their earliest years. Why not integrate all we know and allow it to influence our school policies? All over our nation, human potential growth centers are-evolving. Why are not our schools growth centers? We spend enough money to do a far, far better job than is being done. Many say, "We waste so much money going to the moon." Don't you wonder about the vast sums wasted on educational research that is never used to help our children grow into healthy and productive citizens? Or, haven't you noticed that some of our brightest youth are rebelling against a system that prefers to think more highly of one who compromises for political gain than one who dedicates himself to overcome injustices because of idealism? The sickening apathy of some of our "mature" adults is no less a dangerous escapism than that escapism our youth seek by way of drugs. I read the following quote in the latest FOLLOW-UP REPORTER of the National Committee for Children and Youth, and I would like to share it with fellow Rhode Islanders: "Someday, maybe, there will exist a well informed, well considered and fervent public conviction that the most deadly of all possible sins is the mutilation of a child's spirit."....Erik Erickson. Sincerely,
Marie Friedel 
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