Why does the left want to level the playing field by holding people back?

Research Used to Justify California's 'Equity' Math Doesn't Add Up

The push to create “equity” and more “social justice” in public schools in America's largest state rests on this basic premise: “We reject ideas of natural gifts and talents,” declares the current draft of the California Math Framework, which also states that it rejects “the cult of genius.” Informed by that fundamental idea, the 800-page Framework calls for the elimination of accelerated classes and gifted programs for high-achieving students until at least the 11th grade.

But the Framework, which could be adopted next year, claims its recommendations are based on the latest, seemingly unimpeachable findings of advanced social science research. Phrases such as “researchers found,” “the research shows” and the “research is clear” are sprinkled through the Framework, which states unequivocally: “The research is clear that all students are capable of becoming powerful mathematics learners and users.” If true, this evidence would provide a powerful rationale for adopting the Framework's proposals, which, given California's size and prestige, is commonly seen as a model for other states.

A review of much of the research cited, however, reveals that what the Framework describes as “clear” is often actually pretty murky, hotly disputed, or contradicted by other research, misleadingly stretched to cover situations for which it was not intended, or, in some instances, just plain wrong.

This isn't an issue of research, social or otherwise. This is an issue of societal experience, common sense, and reality. All of this points to the fact that whether the area is academia, music, arts, athletics, or whatever area you choose, people have differing levels of natural abilities and skills. Nobody is going to convince me that there is no such thing as a naturally gifted mathematician anymore than they can convince me that high level athletes like Michael Jordon do not have natural gifts. To deny that people have different abilities is to deny reality and no amount of social research will change this.

It would be no less difficult for an student of average or even below average intelligence to compete with genius level students in higher math, than it would be for the average sized non-athletic person reading this blog to complete with a 6' 6"highly athletic person on the basketball court. While it can certainly require a large amount of hard work and dedication to make it to the top of any field, there are always many people who give it everything they have and still fail to make the cut. Those differences many time fall down to natural ability. 

The issue here isn't about making opportunities fair for people based on color, race, creed, or zip code. But the issue here is about allowing everyone to excel in the areas that they have the most abilities. When your idea of equity is to hold with these gifts back from pursuing them, then you didn't level the playing field, you lowered it. Unfortunately the playing field in 2021 isn't just California or even the United States. The playing field is global, and that field will not be leveled or lowered in the least by what California does.