Let's be straightforward. What an idiotic article!

The author is an education columnist, while he doesn't understand basic math. No matter what standard is applied for admission to a gifted program, there are always students who are cut off just below the standard. It is a continuous spectrum. It should never be a reason to denounce a program. Otherwise, nothing gets done.

Imagine a 9-year-old who figures out how to solve a quadratic equation by reading online by himself. Is it a waste of time to sit him with his peers of same age and practice double digit multiplication?