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Dr. Abraham Tannenbaum is Professor Emeritus of Education and Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York where he taught for more than 20 years. Dr. Tannenbaum earned his bachelor's degree in English literature from Brooklyn College (1946), a master's degree in guidance and educational administration from Columbia University(1948), and a doctoral degree in social and educational psychology, also from Columbia University (1960). Early in his professional life, he was a teacher in the Brooklyn, New York public school system. He has led numerous research projects concerning gifted and talented students and has served as a consultant to many programs, including the influential Head Start Program.
Dr. Tannenbaum was awarded a Fulbright-Hays
Professorship in 1968 to serve as a visiting professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. Among his many awards, he was the 1981 recipient of the Hollingworth Award for research on the gifted and talented. He also received the 1985 Distinguished Scholar Award of the National Association for Gifted Children.
In reviewing Dr. Tannenbaum's past publications, a passion for improving the lives of gifted students in all settings is readily apparent. He has published numerous articles and book chapters on underachievement, the gifted/learning disabled, and the economically disadvantaged. Many consider his 1983 book Gifted Children: Psychological and Educational Perspectives one of the most important works in the field.
Kay: Homeschooling has always been an option for parents of Gifted/Talented (GIT) students. In your opinion, why has there been a dramatic increase in the numbers of GIT parents opting out of traditional schools and educating their children at home?
Tannenbaum: Even though I haven't eyeballed the supportive data as yet, it is true that home instruction has existed in this country throughout its history. Its "dramatic increase" may be partially connected to a growing general perception that conventional schools are failing in their avowed mission for all children. In fact, the push toward legalizing alternative schooling has become so strong that the Supreme Court may rule on its constitutionality before this interview sees the light of day. Parents of the gifted may also choose tutoring at home over attendance at school for their children as a way of revealing a deep disappointment in the quality of current school-based education, but the...