I take it as true that a high percentage of American optimists out there still believe social and economic upward mobility is possible. The American Dream. The belief that if you start at the bottom, you can – through hard work and a can-do attitude – make a vertical leap and change your life significantly.

But is this true of the country we live in today? Over the past century, researchers and academics have attempted to understand upward mobility in America, to make sense of what seems like a stasis of migration between classes and a real lack of resources for those who might need them most. In a 2014 article, James Surowiecki, staff writer at The New Yorker, wrote about . Surowiecki references a study co-conducted by researchers at Berkeley and Harvard that revealed: “Social mobility is low and has been for at least thirty or forty years… Seventy percent of people born into the bottom quintile of income distribution never make it into the middle class”.

This question of mobility becomes more complex when you consider the gifted kids at the bottom of the ladder. There is a myth alive and well in American culture that individuals with a natural intellectual ability and prowess somehow have a “leg up” in life. “They’re smart; they’ll be fine.” As though gifted kids are somehow invulnerable to the ordinary woes of childhood and adolescence, not to mention the difficulties most gifted children experience with regards to social and emotional development, anxiety, fear of failure, perfectionism, and depression – to name a few.

Another point worth considering is the fundamental relationship between learning and challenge. All children deserve to be challenged – even gifted kids. The foundation of learning is growth, a measurable change in behavior and comprehension through challenge and experience. For gifted kids, the process of learning is often an atypical feature of their everyday classroom experience. And for these kids, learning is crucial to their sense of well-being and place in the world.

Maybe this is why the dropout rate among gifted students is estimated at almost 25 percent. Because the myth that says, “You’re smart; you’ll make it” fails to take these facts into consideration. Add to this the disappointing truth that , and we’ve got a problem worth talking about.

This is what Malcolm Gladwell, best-selling author of books like Blink and The Tipping Point, discusses in his new podcast, , a podcast dedicated to going back and reinterpreting something from the past which was overlooked or misunderstood. In a recent three-part installment on the American education system, Gladwell asks important questions about the system as it stands and how, if at all, it supports this idea of upward mobility. Can those at the bottom really rise to the top? Is the system set up to help students succeed – even the “smart” kids?

The first episode of the series tells the story of a kid named Carlos. A math-loving kid from a small, disadvantaged enclave of West Los Angeles, Carlos was identified for his exceptional ability by a local nonprofit organization, the ,Ěýa group dedicated to maintaining America’s promise of equal opportunity for equal talent. Supported by YES, Carlos is able to attend an elite private school with challenging curriculum and advanced learning opportunities. But even with the support and advocacy of YES, life isn’t easy. As Gladwell probes beneath the surface, the listener is confronted with hard truths about the experience of kids like Carlos in America.

I should qualify: I am definitely not saying that giftedĚýkids born into money don’t also deserve to be challenged, receive a transformativeĚýeducation, or be encouraged to reach their fullest potential. Every child deserves to be challenged. Every gifted child deserves (and needs) to be challenged.Ěý The point of Gladwell’s podcast and this blog is not to shame those with more resources – like time or money –Ěý or imply that gifted kids from wealthy backgrounds have things easier. The focus of this conversation is whether upward mobility is as common as we would like to believe. Being smart doesn’t guarantee success, especially if you are a kid like Carlos. The greater the gap, the greater the need for resources to leverage the playing field and help these brilliant students tap into their academic and personal potential.

To hear this episode of Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast,ĚýRevisionist History,Ěývisit their website at: . You can also access all three episodes of Gladwell’s inquiry into the American education system (which I highly recommend) directly on their site.Ěý

Like the Institute for Educational Advancement (ÓĹĂŰĘÓƵ), YES is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing advocacy, support, and resources for our nation’s most promising students. For more information about Young Eisner Scholars and the incredible work they are doing in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Appalachia, visit them online at: .

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On The Move: A Life by Oliver Sacks

“I have the New York-based podcast, Radiolab, to thank for my fascination and love of the late neurologist and author, Oliver Sacks. In On The Move, Sacks continues to draw in the reader with his unique marriage of narrative and neuroscience, story-telling and scientific oddities. Under the microscope this time: retrospectives from his own life and tales of his ongoing obsession with the complexities of human life and the brain. Sacks is a great read for the humanities-based learner who finds science curious but often hard to comprehend.” – Brianna Safe, Resource Coordinator

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

“This memoir is a powerful and beautiful meditation on grief and mourning. Written after the severe sickness of her daughter and subsequent sudden loss of her husband, Didion shares her personal story of learning to adjust to life as a widow and reflects on both the good and bad times in her marriage. I love its rawness and honesty about the harsh realities of life and loss.” – Nicole LaChance, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Love in a Dish by M.F.K. Fisher

“A collection of articles from the gourmet food writer about life and food and how it connects with the heart.” – Zadra Rose Ibañez, Director of Operations

Tuesdays with MorrieĚýby Mitch Albom

“I picked up this book just before Yunasa West. It’s a short book, but the stories are filled with wisdom and love. A dying professor teaches his student how to live and be mindful of the present. The lessons and reflections in the book send an important yet blissful message to us all.” – Qiao Li,ĚýCoordinator

The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

“It is an extremely moving story about a Dominican boy and his family in living New Jersey. So far, reading this story has felt like a warm and brutally honest encounter with American culture, Latin ethos and the human experience.Ěý The writing is dynamic and just downright wonderful. I would highly recommend it.” – Morgan Carrion, Assistant to the President

David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

“In David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell challenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, offering a new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, or cope with a disability, or lose a parent, or attend a mediocre school, or suffer from any number of other apparent setbacks. Gladwell begins with the real story of what happened between the giant and the shepherd boy those many years ago. I heartily recommend this book for students and parents within our ÓĹĂŰĘÓƵ community, as Gladwell’s research is impeccable, and this subject has tremendous resonance and bandwidth for the people we work with.” – Bonnie Raskin, Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Manager

Harry Potter SeriesĚýbyĚýJ.K. Rowling

“I just finished listening to all seven Harry Potter books on Audible. It has been seven or eight years since I finished reading the series, and listening to them was entirely pleasurable.” – Jennifer de la Haye,ĚýProgram Coordinator

I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb

“I love biographies! This true story of a young Pakistani girl who fought for women’s right to education when it was taken away by the Taliban is truly inspiring. Malala Yousafzai survived being shot in the head on her way to school and turned this horrific incident into a rallying cry for the plight of women in the region and the fundamental right for everyone to have an education.Ěý Malala is a not only a role model for young girls, but for all of us—demonstrating that one person can make a difference.” – Kelly Gray, Administrative Assistant

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain

“An old favorite that seems lighthearted at first glance (a man displaced in time amazes the locals with his knowledge of future technology), but uses its premise to explore some of the most disturbing societal problems of Mark Twain’s day. This novel is a vastly entertaining read (with a clearly gifted protagonist, no less) and an ending that encourages each of us to reflect on how we shape history.” –Ellen Gruber, Development Coordinator

˛Ń´Ç±ô´Ç°ě˛ąâ€™i by Alan Brennert

“Historical fiction that is both informative and engaging. Brennert uses the fictional story of Rachel, a young Hawaiian girl suddenly struck by leprosy, to explore the very real world of a turn-of-the-century Hawaiian leprosy colony, where patients are sent to live out the rest of their days in isolation from their families and the rest of society. The story was captivating and motivated me to learn more about this little-known part of history.” – Nicole LaChance, Marketing & Communication Coordinator

End of Watch by Steven King

“This is the final volume in a trilogy focusing on Brady Hartsfield, perpetrator of the Mercedes Massacre, where eight people were killed and many more badly injured, who has been in a prison clinic for five years in a vegetative state. According to his doctors, anything approaching a complete recovery is unlikely. But behind the drool and stare, Brady is awake and in possession of deadly new powers that allow him to wreak unimaginable havoc without ever leaving his hospital room. Having met Mr. King and worked on several Steven King novels that were made into television miniseries in my former career—It, TheStand and Storm of the Century—I am an unabashed fan of Steven King’s brilliance as a storyteller and a plot wizard. Not for young readers.” – Bonnie Raskin, Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Manager

Dracula by Bram Stoker

“I’m listening via Audible, as performed by Alan Cummings, Tim Curry, et al. It’s interesting to hear the original story, as told through letters and diary entries from all the characters.” – Zadra Rose Ibañez, Director of Operations

What is your favorite summer book?

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