Michael Carr was recently listed as the author of this A.W.A.D. quote: "All kids are gifted; some just open their packages earlier than others." I cannot find any definitive information about the person to whom the quote is attributed. In fact, an Australian educator named Michael Carr-Gregg seems the most likely source.

Does anybody know who Michael Carr is, if that's really his name? Educator? Blogger? Feel free to respond personally to me at notamythologist aT gmail dotT com.

Thanks for any help you can give!

or it could be this one:

Michael Carr, spokesman for the National Association of Secondary School Principals in Reston, Va.

That seems likely. It sounds a lot like quotes used by others in that same school systems - including another principal and the superintendent.

If the suggested connection to a principal in Northern Virginia is the correct one, it is interesting to note that there may well have been a significant political purpose to the message.

There is a strong push in the state of Virginia and on principals in Fairfax County (including Reston) to force every student to take at least one AP (Advanced Placement) course in their time in college. AP courses are "college equivalent" courses. (I assume most readers of wordsmith are familiar.) The super's performance evaluation is, in fact, affect by participation in AP courses.

http://www.fairfaxva.gov/school/EvaluationForSuperintendent.pdf

When they talk about a student being "gifted" it is often in reference to the ability of the student to participate in and score well on an AP test.

Again, I don't know that this is the reference, but it seems a plausible connection.