REALIZING THE DREAM TO 'FLY'

 ‘I BELIEVE I CAN FLY’!!

I believe I can fly 
I believe I can touch the sky 
I think about it every night and day 
Spread my wings and fly away 

If I can see it, then I can do it 
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it 

I believe I can soar 
I see me running through that open door 
I believe I can fly 
I believe I can fly 
I believe I can fly.... 

(lyrics by R. Kelly)

For so many children & youth in this country, this is their song. They have great dreams of ‘flying’ out of circumstances that seem to keep them from accomplishing their dreams. Some have dreams of ‘flying’ above all the limitations and low expectations placed on them by others.. Some dream about ‘flying’ to accomplish anything! Their self-esteem is high because they believe in their own abilities, gifts, and talents. However, even with high self-esteem opportunities for these potential ‘high flyers’ are too often limited.

They are limited by school programs that only focus on rote memorization, regurgitation of facts, never allowing for creativity or thinking ‘above level/outside of the box’…they are also limited by adults in their surroundings who don’t believe in their potential to accomplish anything significant simply because they misunderstand and have disdain in their hearts for children of color, children from low-income environments. The thoughts and erroneous perceptions of teachers and others who are in a position to enable and help  young people to realize their dreams become barriers that are so often too hard to overcome.

Unfortunately, many of the dreams of these brilliant, creative and intelligent young people will go unrealized because of lack of resources, lack of access to opportunities, and the limitations placed on them by adults in their environment.

Dreams of literally ‘flying’ are not so far fetched. Over past few weeks, I’ve read three very unique stories of ‘flying’. If you have seen these stories, please share them with others. Historically, there are two African American women who dreamed of flying and AGAINST ALL ODDS, did just that. There is the more familiar name of Bessie Coleman who was the first female pilot of African American descent and the first person of African American descent to hold an international pilot license. The tenth of thirteen children born to sharecropping parents, Bessie began attending school in Waxahachie, TX. Coleman learned to fly in a Nieuport Type 82 biplane and on June 15, 1921, she became not only the first African-American woman to earn an international aviation license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, but the first African American woman in the world to earn an aviation pilot's license.*

Another female aviator, perhaps  lesser known, but no less accomplished is Willa Brown, aviator and educator was born on January 22, 1906. As a young high school teacher in Gary, Indiana, and later as a social worker in Chicago, Willa Brown felt that her talents were not being used to their greatest use; she sought greater challenges and adventures in life, especially if they could be found outside the limited career fields normally open to African Americans. She decided to learn to fly, studying with Cornelius R. Coffey, a certified flight instructor and expert aviation mechanic at one of Chicago's racially segregated airports. She earned her private pilot's license in 1938. Together with Cornelius Coffey and Enoch P. Waters, Willa Brown helped form the National Airmen's Association of America in 1939, whose main goal was to get black aviation cadets into the United States military*.

And then, there’s a contemporary dreamer who set his plan into motion even when others believed he was foolish to seek a career in aviation instead of following a path to become a professional football player. Please make note and follow the ‘Flying Dreams’ of Barrington Irving, of Miami. At 27, Barrington was the youngest person to fly solo around the world. His historical trip was featured by National Geographic** and followed by over 300,000 of school children around the world. Click on the link below to  hear Barrington's amazing story of the person who encouraged him to 'fly' and all of the challenges he overcame.  As a result, with the support of technology, Barrington has created a Classroom in the Skies program to enable school children to follow his journeys and for classroom teachers to integrate his work via specially-designed lesson plans across disciplines (science, math, technology, history, etc).

These African American aviators are just three examples young people in communities across the nation and around the world who need three sources of support to enable them to ‘fly’ and realize their dreams, they need:

1. Access to school based opportunities in advanced programming in science, technology, engineering, math and the arts &  humanities

2. People to believe in them: Adults, including teachers, policymakers and families to believe in their potential, and

3. Resources (financial & material) to participate in programming already being made available via technology, after school and summer enrichment programs.

As we consider the potential of children and youth from ALL different backgrounds, we understand that being able to ‘fly’ is not so far-fetched after all. If we all do our part to open a door, believe in the potential for children to excel regardless of the color of their skin or the neighborhood they originate from AND help to provide resources (donations, time and funding) to enable more children to experience advanced programming opportunities we’ll see more & more young people realize their dreams and ‘fly’!!!

What will you do to help a young person realize their dreams?

 Joy Lawson Davis. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 2/16/2013.

*Source: www.browngirlcollective.com

**Source: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/specials/nat-geo-live-specials/irving-aviation-lecture-nglive/

TIME FOR A RADICAL CHANGE!!

Coast- to-coast, gifted students and their needs are beginning to get attention. Since the first of the year, I've read several national news articles about programs and new policies affecting gifted students in schools across the nation. This is an exciting time for our field!! Now, more than ever, we are noticing that our budding scientists, writers, artists, mathematician, innovative idea makers, and humanitarians have special needs that should be fairly met with appropriately challenging instruction led by teachers who are empathetic to their needs, well-trained and who are up to the challenge. 

 

IN THE MIDST OF ALL THIS ATTENTION, HOWEVER,  IS THE CONTINUING CONCERN ABOUT THE PERSISTENT UNDER-REPRESENTATION OF BLACK & HISPANIC CHILDREN (IN PARTICULAR) IN GIFTED EDUCATION PROGRAMS NATIONWIDE.

It’s a sad commentary on America, without a doubt one of most racially diverse nations in the world, when we continue to hear reports and see ‘visible evidence’ of classrooms segregated by race in 2013. Even more disheartening is that some of these classrooms exist in public schools and are classified as ‘gifted education programs’.

Giftedness truly knows no color. We’ve all seen the studies, we’ve heard the stories of gifted people from across all cultures who have made historical contributions in the past and today - others who are doing remarkable things.  Just today, I read about a homeless African American girl who lived a very challenging life, but was able to earn her way into Columbia University, one of our nation’s premier institutions.  Last week, I learned of a first grade female tech prodigy and saw the ‘Kid President: everyone needs a pep talk’ video. Stories like these are everywhere!! I dare anyone today to give substantive evidence of the inability to identify giftedness in children of color!

To make a difference in the way that children of color are viewed and treated in schools, we must change the culture of schools. Schools must be places where expectations are high for all, and individual needs of students are met, regardless of their racial or economic background. Changing the culture of schools means that all schools make earnest efforts to seek out gifted learners in every classroom.

Many school districts have been very successful with providing intellectually rich environments for children from all cultural backgrounds and as a result, have seen excellent results. For the districts that have not been as successful, maybe it’s time for a RADICAL CHANGE in COURSE. We lose so much intellectual & creative potential when ALL children & youth given the opportunity to engage in rigorous, challenging instruction. 

Working together we can change the course~

PARENTS & FAMILIES OF CULTURALLY DIVERSE STUDENTS- The schools need to hear from you! They need your presence at school programs, board meetings, your volunteer service on Committees. The schools belong to you as well as any other group of citizens. Your child needs you to ask the critical questions- how can I find out if my child qualifies for the gifted classroom/course, the special program or other opportunity? When does the school test students for gifted services? What about my teen who was in the gifted program earlier, but says ‘he doesn’t want to be gifted anymore', what can you do to help me? Professional educators in your schools should be able to answer these questions for you.  A RADICAL CHANGE IS NEEDED!!

TEACHERS AND OTHER SCHOOL PERSONNEL – Cultural competency training along with gifted education training should be mandatory in every professional development program. The districts that have been most successful are those who take teacher training seriously and know that cultural competency is a must in increasingly diverse schools! Many school districts have been very successful in identifying Black, Hispanic and Native American students for gifted programs using multiple criteria which include a combination of traditional, culturally fair verbal &  nonverbal tests,  work samples, performance based assessments, student interviews, teacher and parent rating and other tools. No one instrument or tool should ever be the standard for eligibility! Multiple criteria is a MUST and the standard for our field today. A RADICAL CHANGE IS NEEDED!!

COMMUNITY, CIVIC, & FAITH-BASED LEADERS- Schools and families need you! Everyone should be involved in the effort to ensure that all children receive an education appropriate to meet their needs – especially civic, community and faith-based leaders. You know your community best! Your role in collaborating with schools to offer after-school, Saturday and summer programming is also critical. Citizens who believe in public education deserve to have the needs of their gifted students met as does any parent.  Your role as leaders is very important to the success of all children. A RADICAL CHANGE IS NEEDED!!

Identifying Black , Hispanic, Native American, first generation immigrant children as ‘gifted’ may be a radical change in the course of education in America- But change we must if WE BELIEVE IN EQUITY & EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION FOR ALL! Racially segregated classrooms is a vestige of the past. Too many citizens sacrificed and stood against racial injustice for education and segregation to be used in the same sentence in America today. Together we can eradicate under-representation and racial segregation in gifted education classrooms across the nation! Together we can do this!!

Mentoring-A Guiding Hand in a Time of Need

‘We all get where we’re going with a push from someone else’

–Denzel Washington, actor, director, & philanthropist, A Hand to Guide Me

January is National Mentoring Month. The word MENTOR means: ‘a wise and trusted counselor or guide’.  Everyone has had a mentor at some time in their lives. Think about the life of President Barack Obama -the first African American to serve in the highest office in the land and what  his life would have been like without very special people who helped him at the most critical times of his experience. As we celebrate President Obama’s second term in office, this is a great time to think about how mentors help young people to fulfill their potential. Even a person as great and fulfilled as Dr. Martin Luther King, whose birthday we also celebrate this week, attributed his peaceful resistance strategy and other success in the civil rights movement to the guidance of great mentors- Mahatma Ghandhi, his family, and colleagues in the civil rights movement. 

Most of us can remember individuals who had a positive impact our lives. I remember the ‘guiding hands’ of my favorite elementary teachers, high school counselor, my family, and later, my mentors in graduate school: Dr. James M. Patton and Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska. It was Jim who deepened my commitment to working for Equity in Education for culturally diverse students and Joyce’s firm hand and wise counsel that led me to my passion for  Gifted Education.

Mentors for high ability & gifted children are just as critical as they are for all children, especially for those students who have missed out on early and sustained access to rigorous classroom experiences. Having high intellectual ability does not mean that a young person will not need guidance, encouragement, and assistance to help them fulfill their potential. No matter how bright a student may be, a good mentor can be critical to their future success- just when they may need it the most.

I invited Torie Weiston, Executive Director of the Youth Mentoring Action Network in Southern California to write about the importance of mentoring for this blog. Below is an excerpt from one of her articles, entitled: THE  POWER OF MENTORING .

I often think of what my life would be like if I didn’t have great mentors all along my journey….

‘The Power of Mentoring’

By Torie Weiston

  

We know that the potential of African-American youth is unlimited, and often untapped. However, in much of the literature and in educational conversation, we often hear more focus on the ‘achievement gap’ when referring to African American students, rather than their untapped potential. The achievement gap must be addressed in honest and thoughtful ways as we approach a new era in American education.  While many researchers have discussed strategies for closing the achievement gap over the years, very few have looked specifically at the power of mentoring for an answer.

Mentoring is a successful strategy for youth, in general (Allen, 2007; Keller, 2010; Rhodes, 2002; 2010), but few have related mentoring to the academic achievement gap.  Some studies have demonstrated that mentoring has  a positive correlation to academic achievement (Jekielek, Moore, Hair, & Scarupa, 2002).

Research on mentoring highlights several positive effects:

Ø  First, mentoring has been documented to help increase the academic progress of youth, including an increase in grade point averages, in school attendance, and in college acceptance and attendance.

Ø  Second, mentoring is helpful to youth regardless of the race of the mentor. Cross-race matches are as valuable as other mentoring matches, and

Ø  Third, mentoring has an immense effect on the resiliency of youth. Resiliency has been identified as a key factor for the success of African American youth.

The Youth Mentoring Action Network, a grassroots non-profit in Southern California, has established a school and community based mentoring programming, based on a synthesis of research and evidence-based practices. Working with African-American high school students from various backgrounds the Youth Mentoring Action Network has become a change agent. Through direct work with mentors and specifically designed programming, last year the organization celebrated a 95% college acceptance rate among its graduating seniors.

Providing long-term guidance from mentors, academic support, establishing a college- going culture, and teaching vital “real-world” skills are the basis for the Youth Mentoring Action Network. We believe that these strategies over time will be instrumental in closing the achievement gap.  We highly recommend the development of mentoring programs in every neighborhood, every school and every community across the nation. To find out more about the Youth Mentoring Action Network please visit us at: http://prezi.com/qhnsjgl9yftl/youth-mentoring-action-network/?kw=view-qhnsjgl9yftl&rc=ref-4729692.

Will you lend a hand and devote some time to a budding scientist, journalist, educator, politician, artist today?  Somewhere a student is waiting for a ‘nudge’ or a ‘hand to guide’ them closer to accomplishing their dreams.  Just think about it! Your encouragement could be the difference between a dream realized  or a dream deferred. Become a Mentor Today!!

References

Allen, T. D., & Eby, L. T. (Eds.). (2007). The Blackwell handbook of mentoring: a multiple perspective approach. Malden, MA: Blackweel Publishing Ltd.

Jekielek, S. M., Moore, K. A., Hair, E. C., & Scarupa, H. J. (2002). Mentoring: a promising strategy for youth development: Child Trends Research Brief.

Keller, T. E. (2010). Youth mentoring: Theoretical and methodological issues. In T. D. E. Allen, L.T. (Ed.), The Blackweel Handbook of Mentoring: A Multiple Perspectives Approach (pp. 23-47): Blackwell Publishing.

Rhodes, J. E. (2002). Stand by me: the risks and rewards of mentoring today's youth. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Rhodes, J. E., & Spencer, R. (2010). Structuring mentoring relationships for competence, character, and purpose. New directions for youth development, 2010(126), 149-152. doi: 10.1002/yd.356

Other highly recommended readings

http://freespiritpublishingblog.com/2013/01/10/guest-post-effective-mentoring-programs/

Edelman, M.W.(1999) Lanterns: A memoir of Mentors. Boston:Beacon Press

Washington, D. (2006). A Hand to Guide Me: Legends and Leaders Celebrate the People who Shaped their Lives. Des Moines, IA: Meredith Books

A TRIBUTE TO TUPAC SHAKUR-THE GENIUS WITHIN

Several years ago, I discovered an original copy of Tupac Shakur’s book ‘The Rose that Grew From Concrete’ in one of my daughters' personal library. I was amazed when I saw the name of the author and awestruck  when I began reading the poetry and seeing the  illustrations. This book was published post-humously. The book is very unique in that it has pictures of the author's hand written version of the poem, some with drawings, juxtaposed with the typed version. It is a collection of some of the most sensitive and thought-provoking poems ever written (at least in my opinion), especially given that Shakur was just a teen when he wrote this collection. A young black teen growing up in urban America, trying to make sense of the world around him.

Recently, I’ve seen a revival of  his work and a number of tributes in different forms  and in particular, heard mention in different venues of the title poem ‘The Rose that Grew From Concrete’. On nationwide television you can hear a narrator sharing this poem as part of a marketing campaign.  Interesting...

Let me make one thing clear. I do not condone violence of any kind. Nor do I condone the popular media’s tendency to perpetuate negativity in their portrayal of the lives and experiences of African American males. This young man had a tumultuous life, no doubt. This tribute is an effort to focus attention to the ‘genius within’ - the young person who was overshadowed during his life. It’s an effort to help more parents, educators and other advocates to look more closely at young people everywhere and work harder to discover and develop their gifts.

The Rose that Grew from Concrete

Autobiographical

Did u hear about a rose that grew from a crack

in the concrete

Proving nature’s laws wrong it learned 2 walk

without having feet

Funny it seems but by keeping its dreams

it learned to breathe fresh air

Long live the rose that grew from concrete

When no one even cared!

-Tupac Shakur, 1999

Like Tupac, so many very gifted, very thoughtful, very sensitive young people are seated in classrooms everywhere with little thought by the adults around them of how bright they really are.  As a matter of fact, the popular media perpetuated the myth around Tupac life’s that he was a ‘gangsta rapper’ and little else. Until now. People who have ‘discovered’ this book are now beginning to take a closer look at the life and mind of Tupac Shakur- the genius within. The problem is that he is no longer with us.  

However, I believe that Tupac wrote his poetry so that his legacy could live on and this very inspirational title poem is the one that provokes us to understand that even through the dark, tough, seemingly insurmountable odds against them…a rose with beautiful petals, heavenly fragrance, and great dreams can grow.  Even without ‘feet’…Tupac suggests that the rose can also walk..carrying its aura with it wherever it goes. As you read through this uniquely insightful book, you will also discover the heart of a young man who envisioned a better world, but who understood more than anyone his age should..that there were numerous inequities facing his people.

We make far too many assumptions about young people based on historical biases, popular media, stereotyping, and all of the negativity surrounding so many of our communities and in our assumptions we become caught up. Caught up and every now and then—someone or something ‘amazes’ us with their insight, their ideas, their imaginations. Like Tupac, I believe there are more ‘roses’ with the capability of growing but need a fertile soil in the form of a helping hand, an advocate, someone who looks more closely, listens and does something to help these young people live out their dreams.

In my undergrad diversity education class, one of the assignments is for my students to write a book review from a list of books with multicultural themes. This book has been on my class list since the Spring of 2010. Each semester at least 1-2 students select it and write a review. This is an excerpt of a review written by one student (a preservice teacher):

TuPac was not only a gangsta rapper he was also a sensitive soul.  In the collection of poems …he references the idea that he is making it through a life that has all odds against him.  In his first poem The Rose That Grew From Concrete, he is comparing himself to the rose.  Typically it would be impossible for a rose to grow where there is no good soil to help it along the way, but that rose grew even still.  It (meaning the book) gave me insight into another side of the youth that I will face in my classroom.  All students are to be nurtured and encouraged to express themselves.  ..Children go through some of the same struggles today that TuPac had to deal with when he was young.  It is crucial for us as teacher not to stereotype our children based on the color of their skin, how they dress, or their economic status.  Children like TuPac are probably passed over or ignored all the time because they come with a little baggage, and the sad part about it is that they could be just as brilliant... 

As we end this year and begin anew in 2013, I encourage each of you to look closer wherever children may be found and consider that among the group there may well be an insightful genius with great potential, who like the rose,  is seeking a way to 'break through' the concrete to share their beautiful mind with the world.

References-

Shakur, T. A. (1999) The Rose that Grew from Concrete. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. 

ATTENTION: WRITERS ARE NEEDED. IF YOU HAVE A STORY, IDEA OR A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE HERE THAT IS RELEVANT TO INCREASING EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE IN OUR NATION’S SCHOOLS, PLEASE CONTACT ME! 

PLEASE TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY ALSO TO SHARE THIS BLOG WITH OTHERS AND DO YOUR PART TO ADVOCATE FOR IMPROVED SERVICES FOR ALL GIFTED STUDENTS!!

TOGETHER WE CAN DO THIS!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!

Several years ago as I discovered an original copy of Tupac Shakur’s ‘A Rose that Grew From Concrete’ in my daughter’s library. I was amazed when I saw the name of the author and awestruck  when I began reading. The poetry and illustrations are creative, insightful and so thought-provoking. This book was published post-humously. It is a collection of some of the most sensitive and profound poetry ever written (at least in my opinion), and it was written while Tupac was just a teen, a young man, trying to make sense of the world around him.  The book definitely demonstrates that Shakur was a very gifted writer, thinker, and humanist.

Recently, I’ve seen a revival of  his work and a number of tributes in different forms  and in particular heard mention in different venues of the title ‘A Rose that Grew From Concrete’. On nationwide television you can hear a narrator sharing this poem as part of a marketing campaign.  Interesting...

Let me make one thing clear. I do not condone violence of any kind. Nor do I condone the popular media’s tendency to perpetuate negativity in their portrayal of the lives and experiences of African American males. This young man had a tumultuous life, no doubt. This tribute is an effort to focus attention on the ‘genius within’ the young person who was overshadowed during his life. It’s an effort to help more parents, educators and other advocates to look more closely at the young people around you and work hard to discover and develop their gifts.

The Rose that Grew from Concrete

Autobiographical

Did u hear about a rose that grew from a crack

in the concrete

Proving nature’s laws wrong it learned 2 walk

without having feet

Funny it seems but by keeping its dreams

it learned to breathe fresh air

Long live the rose that grew from concrete

When no one even cared!

Tupac Shakur, 1999

Like Tupac, so many very gifted, very thoughtful, very sensitive young people are seated in our classrooms everywhere. Unfortunately, many adults in their environments ever give any though  to  how bright they really are.  As a matter of fact, the popular media perpetuated the myth around Tupac life’s that he was a ‘gangsta rapper’ and little else. Until now. People who have ‘discovered’ this book are now beginning to take a closer look at the life and mind of Tupac Shakur. The problem is that he is no longer with us.  

However, I believe that Tupac wrote his poetry so that his legacy could live on and this very inspirational title poem is the one that provokes us to understand that even through the dark, tough, seemingly insurmountable odds against them…a rose with beautiful petals, heavenly fragrance, and great dreams can grow.  Even without ‘feet’…Tupac suggests that the rose can also walk..carrying its aura with it wherever it goes. As you read through this uniquely insightful book, you will also discover the heart of a young man who envisioned a better world, but who understood more than anyone his age should..that there were numerous inequities facing his people.

We make far too many assumptions about young people based on historical biases, popular media, stereotyping, and all of the negativity surrounding so many of our communities and in our assumptions we become caught up. Caught up and every now and then—someone or something ‘amazes’ us with their insight, their ideas, their imaginations. Like Tupac, I believe there are more ‘roses’ with the capability of growing but need a fertile soil in the form of a helping hand, an advocate, someone who looks more closely, listens and does something to help these young people live out their dreams.

In my undergrad diversity education class, one of the assignments is for my students to write a book review of a book selected from a list of books with multicultural themes. This book has been on my class list since the Spring of 2010. Each semester 1-2 students select it from the list, read it, and write a review. This is an excerpt from one student’s review:

TuPac was not only a gangsta rapper he was also a sensitive soul.  In the collection of poems …he references the idea that he is making it through a life that has all odds against him.  In his first poem The Rose That Grew From Concrete, he is comparing himself to the rose.  Typically it would be impossible for a rose to grow where there is no good soil to help it along the way, but that rose grew even still.  It (meaning the book) gave me insight into another side of the youth that I will face in my classroom.  All students are to be nurtured and encouraged to express themselves.  ..Children go through some of the same struggles today that TuPac had to deal with when he was young.  It is crucial for us as teacher not to stereotype our children based on the color of their skin, how they dress, or their economic status.  Children like TuPac are probably passed over or ignored all the time because they come with a little baggage, and the sad part about it is that they could be just as brilliant . 

I encourage each of us as we end this year and begin anew in 2013, to look closer and consider among the children and youth in our environments..how many ‘roses’ there truly are that are simply craving a way to ‘break through’ the concrete and share their ‘beautiful minds’ with the world.

References-

Shakur, T. A. (1999) The Rose that Grew from Concrete. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. 

ATTENTION:  IF YOU HAVE A STORY, IDEA OR A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE HERE THAT IS RELEVANT TO INCREASING EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE IN OUR NATION’S SCHOOLS, PLEASE CONTACT ME! 

PLEASE TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY ALSO TO SHARE THIS BLOG WITH OTHERS AND DO YOUR PART TO ADVOCATE FOR IMPROVED SERVICES FOR ALL GIFTED STUDENTS!!

TOGETHER WE CAN DO THIS!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!

THE POWER OF PARENT ADVOCACY

Research and practice in child development and family involvement has generally indicated that parents know their children best (Epstein, 2001). Parents are the child’s first teacher, and the one set of individuals who stand the best chance of honestly engaging with educators to help nurture their children’s intellectual, academic, creative abilities.

Research on parenting gifted children is the same (Jolly & Matthews, 2012; Webb, Gore, Amend & DeVries, 2007). What we know is that parents and families can identify traits of giftedness early and can clearly describe when a their gifted child first spoke in full sentences, the kind of quirky humor they express, how they surprised them by reading on their own for the first time,  and ALL of the other indications that their child is uniquely different.

The parent is the one who experienced a child crying when a tree was cut down in the woods, a parent was the one who first saw their child’s reaction to homelessness, and a parent is the one who helped their gifted child deal with the inconsistent messages heard in the adult world. Extended family members are also important to gifted children (Davis, 2010).  Grandparents, aunts, older siblings, all share a role in listening to and nurturing gifted children. In some communities, the extended family is a very important part of their tradition and cultural legacy.

You understand..parents and other family members see, interact with, and experience the exceptional nature of gifted children early and on an intimate level every day. Parents then send their children to school only to have some schools disregard any notion that their child is highly intelligent, or has any potential beyond that of the ‘norm’.  Some families become frustrated with schools, some withdraw their children to home school (thus, the increasing number of Black parents who are homeschooling nationwide), and others may send their children to private schools. Many families, however, don’t have these choices OR believe firmly that the public system has a duty to provide the best for ALL children.

For families of color, African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Biracial- these disappointments and frustrations are accentuated because many schools are less likely to recognize and identify the gifts and talents their children demonstrate because of long-held biases and expectations that these children are not as intelligent as others (Castellano & Frazier, 2007; Davis, 2010; Ford, 2011).

I have had the good fortune of meeting many parents across the country throughout my career. Most recently, through workshops and a national study, (resulting in interviews and narratives from parents) many families have shared their stories of having to literally and figuratively ‘fight’ for their child to access gifted identification and advanced learner classrooms (Davis, Fears & Bianco, in progress).

Here are a few excerpts from their stories:

v  There’s the Latino family from the far Southwest with five, that’s right, five identified gifted children. The mother of this family has spent a great deal of her time advocating for her children (and for others) to ensure that they would be identified. School personnel, she reports, didn’t believe in her children as she did. In one case, a son was misdiagnosed as having a behavior problem. Later, when placed in a new school (that mom advocated for) with trained teachers who understood giftedness- this same child is now flourishing!

v  A rural area African American mother of three girls in a mid-Atlantic state had challenges in both the former and a new district getting her oldest daughter (who by all accounts was quite exceptional) identified as gifted. After moving to a new district, the mother provided evidence of exceptional school performance and test scores from the previous district (where the girl was eventually identified as gifted)- and the new school district personnel were still slow to respond. This mother was a strong advocate and continuously asked questions to ensure that decisions about her daughter’s placement would be made swiftly and fairly. She simply wanted to make her daughter’s transition to a new school, classmates, and new environment as smooth as possible. Any parent wants that for their child.

v  Out west,  there is a Native American mother whose twice exceptional son attended a regular school where educators focused more on his weaknesses and refused to recognize the gifts that her son demonstrated. As with other 2E (twice exceptional) students, this young man, was challenged in a school setting where teachers felt bound by law to serve him for his disability, but felt no such obligation to nurture his strengths. The teachers’ lack of understanding of the Native American culture also posed a challenge in identification of her sons’ gifts. The ‘cultural mismatch’ between students and teachers has been recognized in research literature as a systemic form of discrimination that leads to low performance (Davis, 2010).

In all of these cases, it was the POWERFUL ADVOCACY of parents that made the difference for these gifted students from culturally diverse families. Parents, you know your children best! Be make sure that educators understand your child’s intellectual abilities, social-emotional, and academic needs. Take advantage of expert resources (some are noted below) to support your belief in your child’s unique and exceptional abilities!!  

Improved family advocacy nationwide can make a strong impact on addressing under-representation of students of color in gifted education programs.

 

References

Castellano, J.A. & Frazier, A.D. (2010). Special Populations in Gifted Education: Understanding our Most Able Students from Diverse Backgrounds. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press

Davis, J.L., Fears, N.S., & Bianco, M.M. (in progress). Multicultural Families Raising Gifted Children: A National Perspective.

Davis, J.L. (2010). Bright, Talented & Black: A guide for Families of African American Gifted Learners. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press

Epstein, J.L. (2001). School, Family & Community Partnerships: Preparing Educators and Improving Schools. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Ford, D.Y. (2011). Multicultural Gifted Education, 2^nd Ed. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press

Jolly, J.L. & Matthews, M.S. (2012). A critique of the literature on parenting gifted learners. Journal for Education of the Gifted, 35(3), 258-290.

Webb, J.T., Gore, J.L., Amend, E.R., & DeVries, A.R. (2007). A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press.

For more Gifted PARENT/FAMILY ADVOCACY resources, go to:

www.hoagiesgifted.org/ – Resources, links, articles, programming for gifted learners. Largest online link re: gifted education, in general  

http://nagc.org/php.aspx Parenting for High Potential , A Publication of the National Association for Gifted Children.

http://www.sengifted.org/ Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted- National organization providing membership, scholarship, parent training, articles, resources, expert advice.

Upcoming SENGinars: http://www.sengifted.org/programs/senginars

Check the listing for the SENGinar on Feb, 2013- Title: ‘Addressing the Unique Challenges of Culturally Diverse learners: Issues & Solutions’. Go to the website for more information.

http://scottbarrykaufmann.com : Articles, studies of interest re: intelligence, assessment, and gifted education, in general.

Also, check your state organization's website, and other parent support groups.

A CALL TO ACTION TO: Show UP! Stand UP! and Speak UP! to ERADICATE UNDER-REPRESENTATION IN GIFTED EDUCATION PROGRAMS NATIONWIDE!!

African American, Hispanic, Native American, first generation immigrant, and other culturally diverse children and youth are under-represented in gifted education and advanced learner programs nationwide!! These young people are highly intelligent, creative, resilient, hard-working, and possess all of the traits required to enable them to be identified and served in publicly-funded programs in schools that are labeled gifted education and advanced learner classes. Almost every state has mandated that gifted children be identified and provided an appropriate education that meets their intellectual, leadership, arts, and academic potential. While it is recognized that funding for gifted education programs is suffering in school districts everywhere, we also realize that there are places where services are being provided and that gifted education, advanced learner, academic competition programs do not represent the demographics of the district and the schools in their communities at large.

Like 3,000 other educators and advocates for gifted children, I attended the 59^th Annual Convention of the National Association for Gifted Children in Denver, Colorado last month. The convention was exciting! More diverse educators there than I’ve seen in my decade or more of attending NAGC conventions.  More attention to the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students is definitely needed. But the lack of attention to diverse students at NAGC is a reflection of what is happening nationwide. The NAGC represents a small closely knit group of scholars, educators and advocates who spend a great deal of their time focusing on gifted learners, how they can be identified and how schools should attend to their unique and complex needs. One of our goals at the national level over the next few years is to grow a new group of scholars, practitioners, members, and leaders in the organization to address the needs of a growingly diverse student population across the U.S.!

The support of more educators and policymakers (even if gifted education is not your ‘priority’ or the first task on your list of ‘to dos’), is needed to ensure that more children and youth with intellectual and creative potential are challenged and provided access to appropriate educational opportunities. This is a plea to you to ‘join us’ in this effort. It’s a win-win situation for everyone. The students benefit most initially, but in the long-term, we all benefit!

The brilliant minds of these young people are going to waste. They are floundering in our classrooms, some very bored and underachieving. Some of these students are simply overlooked because of the color of their skin and stereotypical notions that educators have about their potential for high level achievement in academics, arts, and leadership.

Action is needed immediately to correct this monumental problem!! While these students represent  as many as  40-50% of the school-aged population, in some parts of the nation they represent less than 10% of those students identified and served in gifted education and advanced learner programs. In some districts, African American, Hispanic, first generation immigrant, and other children of color may represent even higher numbers of students in school yet are relegated to remedial programs, special education classroom, general education classes where they are NOT intellectually and creatively challenged. This limitation keeps these brilliant youth from being adequately prepared to meet the academic rigor of advanced coursework in high school and thus, they are ill-prepared for college and careers for which they have natural gifts and talents!!

Families and community members, this challenge is yours as well. We need you to become stronger advocates for our children and insist that schools fairly and equitably provide highly skilled, culturally sensitive teachers for ALL children & youth and that they target their identification and services to those children and youth who have not been served in the past and who should be provided specialized coursework, access to academic competitions, mentors, internships and engagement w/ professionals across all disciplines to better prepare them for the future!!

Join me and my colleagues in fighting for this cause and ERADICATING UNDER-REPRESENTATION IN GIFTED EDUCATION AND THE SCOURGE OF UNDER-PERFORMANCE of culturally diverse students across this nation. If you have ideas to share, please write in the comment box or email me so that I can share them in an upcoming blogpost.

The children & youth are counting on us to SHOW UP!! STAND UP!! AND SPEAK UP!! They DESERVE ACCESS TO EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION, TO HAVE THEIR GIFTS RECOGNIZED, AND THEIR FUTURES MADE BRIGHTER!!

We’re all in this TOGETHER!!

Please comment below or email me @ profjoy1022@gmail.com