What is gifted education? How is a child selected to enroll in a gifted program? Why aren’t students of color well-represented in gifted education?
Next Tuesday, August 24, Dr. Mary Ruth Coleman, an education expert on students with learning disabilities and students with gifts from the University of North Carolina, will answer these questions and more at a presentation entitled Black Youth and Gifted/Accelerated Education at Highline Community College from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Parents and education advocates are encouraged to attend this free public event by registering online here.
Dr. Coleman gave a recent presentation to the Highly Capable Technical Working Group, which will recommend changes to our state’s gifted education programs. The work group will meet again September 16 and October 26 – 27.
(Blog updated with title of event.)
How come you don’t use Highline’s more specific title
Black Youth and Gifted/Acceleration Education?
What I find odd is that LEV makes it sound like this is about general gifted education and the Highline link makes it sound like it’s more about outreach to minority families and gifted education. LEV also says it’s about “how a child is selected to enroll in a gifted program” which is puzzling because that varies from district to district, state to state.
Very strange indeed, especially after Ms Gerlitz’s comment in the blog recently that “”We need teachers that find a way to reach the ones that really need their help – the others will do it on their own. We don’t really need school at all for those bright, enthusiastic, healthy/wealthy, self-motivators – they will do it on their own.”
Perhaps LEV is trying to posture itself as a supporter of not only the “groups” that drive reform (the needs of gifted students aren’t driving reform…) but as a supporter of ALL students?
LEV, with the Alliance and its Our Schools Coalition, is driving hard for “reform” and this drive, here and nationally, is predicated on the use of “group data” of poor and minorities. So why did LEV here decide to take a conference addressing Black (and other groups’) relationship to gifted programs and advertise it here as addressing only the general needs of gifted students everywhere?
Here’s a description of the conference:
“Why are so few African American students in gifted/accelerated education and so many in special ed? Why are Latino, Islander, Native American, and low-income White students also under-represented in “highly capable” programs? These questions will form the basis of a community forum entitled, “Excellence and Equity: Black Youth and Gifted /Accelerated Education” to be held on Tues., Aug. 24 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Highline Community College.”
and here’s LEV’s description of the same event:
“What is gifted education? How is a child selected to enroll in a gifted program? Why aren’t students of color well-represented in gifted education? Next Tuesday, August 24, Dr. Mary Ruth Coleman, an education expert on students with learning disabilities and students with gifts from the University of North Carolina, will answer these questions and more at Highline Community College from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.”
What’s up, LEV, why the edit of the information about Black gifted students? It’s very strange, escpecially given your recent use of group statistics of Blacks, Native Americans and other groups to sell “Reform.”
What are you trying to do? Manipulate the public opinion? Try and get the public to see that you are interested in ALL students, even though you posted a comment by LEV’s Connie Goerlits that “We don’t really need school at all for those bright, enthusiastic, healthy/wealthy, self-motivators – they will do it on their own.”