Ungifted

Ms. Bevelaqua notes parallels between The Wizard of Oz and Mr. Osborne’s class, especially where Donovan is concerned. She likens his test score to the Scarecrow’s meaningless diploma. He passed the test but is still failing math and science, barely passing English, and earning a C- in social studies. His only acceptable grade is his B in robotics, mostly owing to his ability with a joystick. Mr. Del Rio reminds Ms. Bevelaqua that the faculty cuts Noah Youkilis “a lot of slack” (106), and asks why they can’t do the same for Donovan. She is not convinced. She believes the faculty puts too much stock in test scores and gives Donovan too much credit for having solved the Human Growth and Development problem. Keeping Donovan at ASD, she believes, dilutes the quality of the gifted students’ education and prevents Donovan from learning “at his own level” (107).

Believing that Mr. Osborne is “the last bastion of sanity left in the building,” Ms. Bevelaqua storms into the robotics lab to confront him and finds the class lying on the floor, practicing a new form of Lamaze breathing that Noah developed. After class ends, Mr.