“A handful of responding schools said either that they are not required to hire teachers with state certification, or that other credentials (e.g., PhD in relevant field) preempt certification, at least for several years. In general, however, routine regulations and contract provisions prevail. We were struck by how few schools reported explicit freedom from them. Principals did say, however, that they could usually “work things out” as needed.” (Finn and Hockett, 2012, p. 13)
“This challenge, however, goes far beyond the specialized world of selective high schools. It's evident from multiple studies that our K-12 education system overall is doing a mediocre job of serving its "gifted and talented" youngsters and is paying too little attention to creating appealing and viable opportunities for advanced learning." (Finn. 2012, p. 16)