Parenting Blog

Home » All posts

Gifted Education and the Development of Human Capital

A newly released book entitled, The Atlas of Economic Complexity (which is available as a free download ),by César Hidalgoand Ricardo Hausmann et al. makes a case for gifted education both by its authors and its content. They were attempting to learn why the economies of some countries grow faster than others. How’s that for an impressive inquiry?

Consider first the authors of this book. César Hidalgo is not only Assistant Professor in Media Arts and Science at the MIT Media Lab, but also a Faculty Associate at the Center for International Development at Harvard. His website can be found . A TEDx Talk on Global Economic Development at TEDx Boston in August of last year can be found . A presentation on Economic Complexity can be found . He earned a degree in physics from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Notre Dame. While working on his Ph.D., he joined the Center for Complex Network Research (CCNR). The program relocated to Northeastern University in Bostonand this placed the soon-to-be Dr. Hidalgoin proximity to MIT and Harvard. Ricardo Hausmann has an equally impressive background with a Ph.D. in economics from Cornell University, followed by a position as Professor of Economics at the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administracion in Caracas, and currently is the Director of the Center for International Development at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

What does this have to do with the return on investment from gifted education besides the fact that these two individuals are prime examples of what can be achieved when people are able to reach their full potential? Plenty. The content of their book is what caught my eye. {{I know what you’re thinking … how geeky is it that a blogger on gifted parenting is reading about economic development theory … but I digress.}}

In earlier posts, I discussed the importance of a country developing its human capital when it possesses little or no natural resources to exploit. A review of leading performers on the OECD’s PISA assessments points to countries that are doing just this. Higaldo and Hausmann believe that the definition of capital is too broadly defined with regard to economic growth. They discuss production capital, but at the same time illuminate a country’s need for strong human capital to succeed.

In a nutshell, Higaldo and Hausmann theorize that a country’s economic strength lies in the diversity of its production capacity. They give as an example all the various technologies, production methods, and the obtaining of raw materials that go into a microprocessor chip. Bringing all of these factors together depends on human capital. The authors use the term ‘economic complexity’ to describe that when a country best utilizes the combined knowledge of its people to produce unique products, its society benefits economically.

Voilà! Point A connects to point B. Collaboration + Education + Higher-Order Thinking = Finding Solutions to global issues. “Accumulating productive knowledge is difficult. For the most part, it is not available in books or on the Internet. It is embedded in brains and human networks. It is tacit and hard to transmit and acquire.” (Preface, Atlas of Economic Complexity) To this end, countries must seek out, develop, and bring together their brightest minds to make this happen.

Global intellectual collaboration is the impetus behind social and economic progress. The development of expert knowledge must begin somewhere. When parents, schools, and nations fail to recognize and develop the academic giftedness of their children, students, and citizens … we all loose. This is not rocket science, folks. It is simply the acknowledgement that society needs to do everything it can to support its high-ability learners.

When my children were very young, I tried to impress upon them the understanding that they could make a difference in this world. It is my hope that you as the parent of a gifted child or children are doing the same.

Instructional Strategies for Higher Order Thinking

Earlier this year, I wrote a post on Instructional Strategies for Gifted Students. To date, it has been the most read post on this blog. An interesting comment on that post came from a teacher, “How do teachers find the time to coordinate the differentiation required to meet all students' needs? Any suggestions?” This is a very important question as well as a very ‘telling’ question with regard to the state of teaching today. And, as a matter of fact, I do have some suggestions.

Differentiating for every student in a class of 30 or more students is no easy task. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that this rarely occurs in the majority of classrooms regardless of mandates. But is there a better way to meet the needs of every child without having to write 30 different lesson plans?

Parents of gifted students need to be cognizant of these types of issues in education because invariably it will affect your child if you choose to keep them in public education … and most of you will. So, what can a parent do to ensure that their own child’s needs are being met and that they are being challenged to meet their full potential?

Enter Higher Order Thinking as an instructional strategy. And what exactly is Higher Order Thinking? I like to ‘think’ of it as thinking beyond the test … thinking beyond rote memorization or simply retelling previously learned material. One needs to understandwhat they are learning and then connect their thoughts in meaningful ways to solve problems. Sounds good to me! One caveat though … there are many educators who strongly believe that Higher Order Thinking has no place in the classroom; that it is not a function of education.

This all begs the question … who teaches your child? Is it just the regular education teacher? The gifted education teacher? What about you? You have a responsibility to teach your child as well. Therefore, you need to know about Higher Order Thinking and how it can be taught both in your child’s classroom and at home.

Alice Thomas, M.Ed., and Glenda Thorne, Ph.D., in their article, “Higher Order Thinking” , state that Higher Order Thinking skills can be learned and that skill levels can be increased. And the best strategy for both teachers and parents is modeling! This may require some knowledge acquisition on your part. Thinking about thinking, metacognition, is an intricate part of Higher Order Thinking. Understanding how you think can improve how you think. Therefore, one way to model Higher Order Thinking is to explain to your children why you think the way you do. Make sense?

In her piece for Edutopia, “Ten Takeaway Tips for Teaching Critical Thinking” , Mariko Nobori provides teachers with some excellent strategies for teaching students to think at a higher level which include embedding questions in their lessons, prompting students with provocative questions, providing tools such as “sentence starters and connectors”, modeling expectations, encouraging constructive controversy, choosing topics that interest students, employing Socratic discussions, using different methods of assessment, allowing students to evaluate each other, and letting students lead the discussion. Parents can use these techniques as well in their everyday interactions with their gifted child.

Why is this so important? In 2008, Tony Wagner wrote the book, The Global Achievement Gap, in which he details the dangers inherent in failing to educate our children to become critical thinkers with the ability to solve ever-increasingly difficult global problems. In the 21^stcentury, employers put a premium on workers who have these skills and can effectively use them. Parents, too, need to put a premium on these skills for their children to become effective problem solvers. Innovation and creativity are both enhanced by Higher Order Thinking as an integral part of the process.

Higher Order Thinking as a teaching strategy encompasses a student’s world both in and out of the classroom. It can be used by both teachers and parents. Its effective use can overcome the brain’s natural inclination to limit incoming information and can encourage our children to become open to creative thought processes and new ideas.

Connecting, Collaborating, Empowering Your Gifted Child

I have written about social media on several occasions – okay, on many occasions – well, maybe it’s a borderline obsession – but honestly, it’s just that important. Once your child connects and collaborates, they will be empowered to make a difference in the world. As a parent, it should be the newest tool in your toolbox.

What is at issue is teaching your child how to use social media to its fullest potential for their benefit and the benefit of others. Most gifted kids do not need to be instructed on how to use social media to connect with friends. They.get.it. It’s that ‘full potential’ aspect that is critical and too often missing.

Guy Kawasaki in his book, Enchantment, takes you on a journey to “learn how to change the hearts, minds, and actions of people” by building long-term relationships with other people in order to realize your passions and dreams. He discusses “push technology” - how to use e-mail, Twitter, and PowerPoint to spread your message to those you want to influence and “pull technology” - how to use blogs, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn to bring people to you. This is a skill that once mastered by gifted children will benefit them their entire lives.

While other kids are updating their status on Facebook about where the next party is, your child can be connecting with kids all around the globe concerning issues about which they are passionate. Perhaps they will participate in a Socratic seminar at a virtual conference two continents away with people from 30 other countries on solving the Earth’s need for clean water. It is a learning experience as well as a potential opportunity to cultivate leadership skills. By gaining new knowledge, they can be empowered to take the next step to connect with mentors and world class educators to find a solution and implement it.

Social media is a spawning ground for collaboration. In his post, “”, author JR Johnson illustrates the benefits that come when our children reach out to those with whom they share common passions; they develop a mutual understanding of each other. In turn, positive change can happen through friendships forged in this manner; it changes the way in which they look at people different from themselves.

Building an effective Personal Learning Network (PLN) is often the first step in developing quality relationships. Andrew Marcinek in “” , reminds educators of the need to “promote critical thinking, questioning, and constrictive criticism.” He goes on to emphasize the need for students to become active members of PLNs by posting and sharing. In this way, they move “beyond simple connections that they get, and really empower their voices, abilities, and talents.” Ultimately, the PLN becomes a support group where they feel free to share new ideas.

There are many opportunities available for kids to connect. Here are some links to get you started:

•

•

•

•

Connecting online is important in the lives of gifted children. It is a global resource for kids to build friendships with their intellectual peers. The potential of social media to empower them is priceless. The key will be parents who mentor their children in building these relationships.

Making the Choice

Making the Choice: When Typical School Doesn’t Fit Your Atypical Child by Corin Barsily Goodwin and Mika Gustavson is a part of the Perspectives in Gifted Homeschooling Series from Gifted Homeschoolers Forum. It is an easy read, it is inexpensive, and you can buy it . The end.

Now, that was easy! Of course, that’s not ‘the end’, but this book is so good … you shouldn’t need any more persuading than that to read it. I read blog posts, articles online and books about gifted education everyday. This is one of those books that really stands out as a must read for parents of gifted children.

If you are a homeschooling parent or considering homeschooling – this book is for you. If you have a twice-exceptional child that struggles in a public school – this book is for you. If you are the parent of a profoundly gifted child who is not being challenged in their current educational placement – this book is for you. If you are the parent of a gifted child who has grown weary of fighting the system year after year – this book is for you. Have I left anyone out?

Ah … but you are not considering homeschooling. Guess what? You still need this book. It is one of the best books I’ve read that truly explains the nature of twice-exceptional kids from the perspective of a parent who has walked down this path. It also summarizes the many aspects of ‘giftedness’ in a simple to understand language.

Not convinced yet? From the introduction … “Change is scary. We know that. Sticking with something that is not working is scary, too – in the long run – even if it seems easier now. It is our belief that, as parents, the final responsibility for raising and educating our children rests with us. If a situation is not working, it is up to us to recognize that there is a problem and proactively address it.”

My point is that Making the Choice delivers sound advice on parenting that we all can benefit from by making it a part of our personal libraries. Even though the book is intended to help those contemplating homeschooling, it also does an excellent job of walking parents through the steps of what to do before making a final decision. The authors explain such things as accommodations, modifications, and IEPs .

Another section of the book that I found especially compelling was the discussion of red flags and warning signs that may occur when your child is in an educational environment that simply is not working for them. Some are obvious and others not so much. They also explain the consequences of ignoring these signs.

Making the choice to buy and read this book should be one of the easiest decisions you make as the parent of a gifted child.

Grow a Generation – An Interview with Dr. Ellen Cavanaugh

Recently, I had the pleasure to sit down and talk with Dr. Ellen Cavanaugh about her new company, Grow a Generation. The following is my interview with her.

GPS: Ellen, what was your inspiration for starting Grow a Generation?

Dr. Cavanaugh: My inspiration for Grow a Generation (www.growageneration.com) stems from three sources: 1) thirty years of experience that shouts children and teens (except for the rare exceptions) only thrive with involved parents, 2) parents are getting a bad rap which makes it harder for them to get involved, and 3) parents need support navigating the massive changes that are happening in culture, education and career preparation.

GPS: What does your company offer to parents?

Dr. Cavanaugh: Grow a Generation gives tools to parents to help their kids develop 21st century skills. We offer a free weekly newsletter, skill workbooks and project workbooks that are geared for you to help your child develop the 21st century skills of innovation, critical thinking, collaboration, emotional intelligence, resilience, leadership, and vision. We also offer an opportunity for a spring Voluntour, where families travel to the Dominican Republic. We stay at a resort and have 3 days of gorgeous beaches and incredible food, and 3 days of volunteering and immersion into the lives of those building a path out of poverty through education, green engineering, and innovation. Teens and adults leave the experience inspired and motivated to bring what they learned back to their own communities. Finally, I am available to speak (in person or through Skype) to parent, grandparent, and family groups to inspire and give you tools to help the young people in your lives develop the skills they need in the 21st century.

GPS: I know there is a book to be published soon in conjunction with the launch of your company. Can you tell us about it?

Dr. Cavanaugh: The book, Grow a Generation: Parenting in the 21st Century, focuses on the seven skills needed for our children to thrive in the after-Google world of global markets and shifting sands of change. Each chapter is filled with background on why the skills are needed and lots of practical ideas on how to help your children and teens develop them. It is currently scheduled for a February 2012 release date.

GPS: Who would you consider as your main audience for Grow a Generation?

Dr. Cavanaugh: The main audience is parents and grandparents seeking to provide phenomenal experiences of growth and development for the young people in their lives.

GPS: Dr. Cavanaugh, could you share with my readers your background as a parent as well as your professional and educational background?

Dr. Cavanaugh: My background is as diverse as many professional women today who have spent their lives dividing their time between parenting, school, and work. I have two kids, my daughter 24 and graduated with her Masters in Psychology. She works with adults who suffer from trauma and mental illness. My son is 13 and mathematically gifted, thriving in a cyber school environment. My background includes mathematics and education, having taught in a technical school, 25 years of professional youth ministry, publishing, and teaching in area universities. My doctorate is in systematic theology, examining systems of thought as they evolved in history. My passion is working with youth and young adults, examining how character and integrity are formed during these crucial years, and having a blast working beside them as a FIRST robotics coach.

GPS: In closing, could you give some advice to parents of gifted children?

Dr. Cavanuagh: The best advice, hmmm… of course, subscribe to the Grow a Generation newsletter and buy the book! Something you can do today is to keep the lines of communication open, ask the favorite young people in your life meaningful questions and listen authentically to their replies. Something to build for the future is a 20% project. Google, among other companies, has what is called 20% time. Time in the employee’s life is set aside to work on a project of their choice, something they believe will benefit the company, the world, and contribute to the mission of Google. What is the 20% project your child wants to build? Is their time in their lives to work on it? Are you modeling for them innovation, critical thinking, collaboration, emotional intelligence, resilience, leadership and vision with your own 20% project?

GPS: Ellen, thanks for chatting with me today. I wish you much success in your new endeavor!

Dr. Cavanaugh: Thanks Lisa for taking the time to listen and share with all your readers. And thank you for all you are doing to empower the gifted students of today build a world overflowing with beauty, truth, belonging, integrity, justice, empowerment and hope.

GPS: Dr. Ellen Cavanaugh can be reached at:

Grow a Generation: Cultivating Skills for the 21st Century

200 Hoenig Road
Sewickley PA 15143
724-266-1498

Self-paced Acceleration

Clearly, changes are needed in how we educate our children. Those who are identified as high-ability learners or gifted or profoundly gifted or ‘whatever’ other appellation appeals to your sense of political correctness … must be included within the framework of today’s education reform.

Is it time to re-invent the wheel? I don’t think so. I think it’s time to take a trip down memory lane myself. Back to the days of the one-room school house romanticized in American folklore as a simpler time when the lone ‘teacher on the prairie’ was tasked to educate children as a group composed of many different ages.

Today, the schoolhouse may have changed, but teaching children according to their ability rather than by chronological age is an idea whose time is re-emerging as a real viable option. It’s not as radical as it may seem on face and it is gaining support in education circles. Nascent steps in this direction are already being taken with the introduction of dual-enrollment of high school students in college classes, early graduation paired with early entrance to universities, and even the elimination of grade levels in several school districts; most notably a pilot program in the Kansas City (MO) school district at the elementary level.

So what does this mean for parents of gifted children? I recently read the new book from Corin Barsily Goodwin and Mika Gustavson, Making the Choice: When Typical School doesn’t fit your Atypical Child. Although it is a part of the Perspectives in Gifted Homeschooling Series, I highly recommend it for all parents, not just homeschoolers. It is especially informative concerning 2E kids and provides a wealth of information on many educational options.

What piqued my interest in this book was why so many parents are seeking alternatives and why homeschooling is so appealing for gifted children. Ding … ding … ding! Could it be that these children progress at their own pace? Could it be that these parents were never given this option in their traditional school districts? Could it be that these students have a track-record of success? A word of caution … I am not referring to homeschoolers who make this choice based on religious reasons. I’m talking about gifted children who are languishing in classrooms that require them to ‘stay with the program’ … ‘think inside the box’ … ‘be quiet in the hall’ … and never ever challenge the all important status quo.

About now, many of you are probably thinking … this is a nice topic for a blog … but totally unrealistic. Not so fast! Is this just the pipe dream of an eccentric blogger? Well, I’m glad you asked!

Consider this – schools are strapped for money. These days nothing is off the table when it comes to slashing education budgets. Pay to play and pay to expect anything beyond the basic curriculum is the mantra of many taxpayers.

But what if we move academically gifted students through the school system at an accelerated rate? Students no longer become bored who are able to self-pace through the curriculum, teachers are free to devote more time to students who need more attention, and school districts save money by getting these students through in a shorter amount of time.

Yes, I know … the devil is in the details. It takes time to make radical changes and the powers that be do not like to be challenged. The crux of the matter is this. Parents must be willing to advocate for change that may never be implemented in time for their own children. They must begin to advocate at the very first signs that their child’s needs are not being met by the system. Is this too much to ask? Think ~ grandchildren if you need inspiration. Or perhaps you’ll be fortunate enough to partner with parents who have already started the ball rolling. Whatever it takes … do it now!

It’s a lot to think about, but thinking is a good thing. I do it often and take great pleasure in the results. It’s especially rewarding to think with others … crowd-sourcing a solution to a problem. I look forward to your comments.

World Council for Gifted and Talented Children

Today is being celebrated as the first International Day of the Gifted by the as part of their being held in Prague, Czech Republic from August 8th to August 12th.

This year’s conference boasts attendees from 69 countries and keynote addresses by some of the world’s most respected speakers in gifted education including Dorothy A Sisk, speaking on Developing Leadership Capacity in Gifted Students; Maureen Neihart, speaking on Revised Profiles of the Gifted (originally proposed in 1988 with Dr. George Betts); Franz J Mőnks, speaking on Gifted Education Worldwide: Retrospective and Prospect; and Ken McCluskey, speaking on Creating Creative, Cooperative Environments; as well as notable speakers: Leslie Graves, Roya Klingner, Peter Csermely, Barbara Kerr, Julie Taplin, and Paige Morabito among others. Of special interest this year will be a presentation by Rebecca Howell who will present, “Experience, Issues and Concerns of Parents of Gifted and Talented Children”.

As a parent of a gifted child, you may not be aware of this organization as its main stakeholders are educators, scholars, and researchers. Although they do mention “supporting and enhancing parent and family education regarding the development of the potential of all children” in their , their history belies a closer association with educators.

Begun in 1975 in London, England, and inspired by Henry Collis (then Director of the National Association of Gifted Children UK), the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children held its First International Conference for Gifted and Talented Children. In 1977, a seven member executive was first headed by Iraj Broomand of Iran. In 1979, a permanent Secretariat was established at the Teachers College, Columbia University in New York. (A full history may be found .) Today the group publishes a newsletter, World Gifted, a journal, Gifted and Talented International (both available with membership; basic membership is $75US), and holds international biennial conferences. Their headquarters is located at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY, USA.

Why is this of interest to gifted parents? Information disseminated by the WCGTC is widely read and used by gifted educators and scholars around the world. The organization provides an inspirational on its website. Participation is such organizations can broaden resources for parent advocacy.

In a post last year, fellow blogger Gifted Phoenix suggested that the World Council should “update its approach to communication to encompass social networking and other online tools." Sounds good to me! The 21st century has become a brave new world when it comes to advocacy. All gifted organizations need to be networking with each other through social media and parents need to be joining with them to make their voices heard. Consider who is the greatest stakeholder in the gifted advocacy movement? (Hint: have a mirror handy.) Who should be the greatest beneficiary? (Answer: your child.)

Bold action and universal cooperation between organizations and parents is imperative if significant progress is to be made in gifted education. At this point in history, we cannot afford the forces of inertia to forfeit the future for our children.

Help Wanted: Seeking Highly Qualified GT Teacher

Okay. I know what you’re thinking. What’s the point … who has the luxury of looking for the best possible teacher for gifted students? Most parents are thankful just having a gifted teacher; and for many, even that is a stretch.

All parents want their children to have quality teachers, but what should parents of gifted children look for in their child’s teacher? Consider this … the gifted education program at your child’s school is only as good as its teachers.

There are certain qualities and qualifications that distinguish the best teachers of gifted students. Here is my ‘top ten’ list of things to look for in your child’s gifted teacher:

10) Highly intelligent, patient, empathetic, out-of-the-box thinker, and gt certified

9) Understands the social-emotional aspects of ‘giftedness’

8) Lifelong learner who is passionate about what they do

7) Seeks out learning opportunities and advocates for their students

6) Embraces technology as a teaching tool and understands the value of social media

5) Inspires their students; engenders a love of learning through modeling

4) Engages their students in the learning process

3) Facilitates learning through a variety of strategies such as Socratic teaching

2) Collaborates with their students; willing to have ideas questioned by students

1) Sees parents as partners

So maybe this is more than ten qualities, but you get the idea. If the personnel responsible for gifted education in your district are not supportive and passionate about what they do, you will have a sense of the quality of program being offered.

Another area to look at is how the school system supports their teachers. Do they require certification in gifted education for their gt teachers? Do they provide professional development in gifted education for all teachers? Is there a gifted education program in place at both the elementary and secondary level so that teachers can see a continuum of support for their efforts? Is there a genuine teacher evaluation system in place that can give teachers beneficial feedback on performance issues beyond student testing?

It’s a lot to consider and certainly more than most parents think they have the time to do. However, it is called responsibility and it is an important aspect of parenting that can’t be handed off to someone else. Just do it!

On Becoming a Gifted Parent

Today begins National Parenting Gifted Children Week hosted by (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted). You can follow the throughout the week and download SENG's free NPGC Week ebook, .

Twenty years ago today, I joined the gifted community with the birth of our first child. Unlike the Harry Chapin song, “Cat’s in the Cradle”, our child arrived, but not in the usual way. You see … our little bundle of joy decided to join us 7 weeks early. After a month in the NICU, we brought her home not knowing for sure what the future held. Throughout the first year, she reached few developmental milestones such as holding her head up or walking on time which was cause for concern. Those concerns were soon replaced with amazement at what she could do!

The first child can be a daunting experience for new parents. 2AM feedings are followed by 10AM logins to the Internet searching for the latest information on parenting techniques. For the parent of a gifted child … even before they are identified … you are hoping for encyclopedic results to your searches. One day your baby is cooing and the next day you swear they are ‘listening’ to your conversations! Soon, they are engaging in the conversation.

With the birth of our son two years later, we simply assumed that all children could talk by a certain age and that reading was no big deal. We later learned from talking to other parents and then pre-school teachers that our children were indeed advanced for their ages. Subsequent testing and entrance to the gifted program confirmed this.

The road to becoming a gifted parent has many entry points. It is certainly the road less traveled. It has twists and turns as well as bumps along the way. We all travel different paths; but when we connect, there is almost always a special bond. These connections ultimately help us to build bridges over rough waters and share in the joys of our children’s lives.

Although it was not available when our children were born, we now use social media platforms to connect with gifted parents locally, nationally and even internationally. These connections help us appreciate the fact that raising gifted children is a challenging responsibility; no matter where you live or in what circumstances you find yourself.

The past twenty years have taught me that the perfect parent does not exist; nor does the perfect child. The frustration that comes with trying to find the right placement in school for your child, combating the myths that surround gifted children, explaining to teachers what ‘asynchronous’ development means … it will all fade in time. The happy memories remain!

It is easy to become overwhelmed by a precocious child. Once you’ve answered all of the ‘why?’ questions that you can, you one day realize that you no longer have all the answers. It is a surreal and exciting, yet humbling, experience to watch your children grow into incredibly gifted adults.

When you’re having a particularly stressful day with your emotionally intense gifted child, consider this … your child has the potential to one day change the world. Not all parents are so privileged. Count your blessings!

Some Things Never Change … But They Need To!

Take a look at some of these newspaper headlines … “Experts Pity Gifted Child”, “Gifted Children Are a Problem”, “Nation is Asked to Provide for Gifted Children”, “Educators Taking New Look at Nation’s Gifted Children”, “Mere Skipping No Answer to Gifted Child”, “Gifted Children Need Attention”, “Gifted Children Face Problems”. Would you like to venture a guess when these articles were written? I’ll give you a clue – they are all over 45 years old! In this order: 1935, 1940, 1950, 1958, 1959, 1964, 1965.

So, what’s wrong with this picture? Decades of research, advocacy, and bookshelves full of titles on gifted education … to what end? Here we are, one decade into the 21st century, and we are still having to dispel the myths that surround gifted children and how to educate them!

What needs to change? How do we shake things up? Who is going to make a difference in this seemingly unending debate? It is apparent that something or someone needs to make a radical change here. A new strategy needs to be implemented … ‘cause folks … not only are battles being lost, but the frontline is moving backwards. Budget cuts to gifted education are at the top of the list for most cash-strapped schools. The general public is suspect of funding programs for which they don’t believe will benefit them personally.

Some of the answers lie within the articles I mentioned at the beginning of this post. From the Toledo Blade dated November 5, 1993: “Many of America’s brightest youngsters are bored and unchallenged in school, the Education Department said yesterday. ‘The United States is squandering one of its most precious resources – the gifts, talents, and high interests of many of its students,” the report said. … Most classroom teachers make few provisions for these children. … Talented poor and minority students suffer the most.” Sound familiar? It went on to “urge teachers to use new criteria for deciding who is gifted, rather than relying just on test scores, and recommended that they develop new schools to teach high-level curricula”.

In an article dated June 5, 1950 from the Youngstown Vindicator (provided by the New York Herald Tribune News Services), the president of Harvard University, Sr. James B. Conant, warned that “United States leadership in a free world is threatened unless a much greater percentage of the nation’s gifted youth is induced to seek fuller educational advantages”. I’d say that’s about right.

But it isn’t just about the United States or other industrialized countries. It is about all gifted children. They all need the support of their respective teachers, schools, and governments. But who will make the difference? Who needs to have a greater voice in the discussion? There is one group that I never saw quoted in any of these articles. Parents.

Oh, wait! I was wrong. Mothers are mentioned in the 1935 report from the Toledo News-Bee (United Press) … the experts pity the gifted child because they are spoiled by their mothers and are thus handicapped by them. Okay, so they apparently had a lot to learn in 1935.

My point is that not only do parents of gifted children need to be more actively engaged in advocacy, but those players who are already at the table need to listen to them. Many major groups in the U.S. are heading in this direction … and it’s a good direction. I applaud their efforts. Hopefully, their counterparts in other countries will give equal weight to what parents have to say. Too many cultural barriers exist, but with the support of parent advocates actively engaging through social media platforms; change we can believe in will occur!