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Advocacy—Spreading an Understanding of Giftedness

Top 10 Advocacy Tips for Parents of Black & Hispanic Gifted Students

by Joy Lawson Davis, Ed.D.

School districts nationwide are being challenged by scholars, families, and educators to do a better job of including more students of culturally diverse backgrounds in gifted education services. Your role as an advocate for your child is critical. School districts will become more responsive when parents speak up and stand up for their children’s rights.

If you believe your child/teen has high potential/ is gifted as demonstrated by their unique responses to the world around them, school performance, exceptional gifts as demonstrated in community or church related events, arts activities, test scores or school grades and they have NOT been considered for the school district advanced learner or gifted education program services, use the following ten advocacy strategies to help get your child noticed, identified, and served in gifted education or advanced classes.

Read the rest of Dr. Davis's article here...

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Dr. Davis is a career educator with over forty years of experience as a practitioner, scholar, author and consultant. In addition to local district and university experiences, Davis served for five years as the Virginia State Specialist for K-12 Gifted services. A graduate of the College of William & Mary, Dr. Davis holds both master’s and doctorate degrees in Gifted Education. Davis has conducted workshops, been a long-term program consultant, and served as a keynote speaker and distinguished guest lecturer across the nation, in South Africa, the Caribbean, Dubai UAE, and Turkey. Diversity Education and Gifted Education are her areas of special expertise. Dr. Davis has published numerous articles, technical reports, and book chapters. She is the author of the award-winning book, Bright, Talented, & Black: A Guide for Families of African American Gifted Learners, and Gifted Children of Color Around the World: Diverse Needs, Exemplary Practices and Directions for the Future, co-edited with Dr. James L. Moore III. Davis is the Special Populations columnist for the NAGC publication, Teaching for High Potential, and serves on the Gifted Child Today advisory board. Dr. Davis was recently awarded the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted organization (SENG).

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From the Editor

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Celi Trépanier

Gifted Advocacy

Navigating your gifted road can be rife with potholes, bumps, blind curves, and sometimes seemingly insurmountable roadblocks. Whether helping your child navigate through a world which often stereotypes our gifted children, or finding your way as a gifted adult with unique social and emotional needs, we could all use a little understanding of who we gifted people are.

Advocacy.

The only way to create a better world for gifted people everywhere, no matter their zip code, the color of their skin, or the diversity or learning differences they possess, is through advocacy.

Through this issue of the GHF Journey, it is my fervent and heartfelt hope that you will be inspired to raise your voice in advocacy for the gifted. One voice leads to many.

It matters not how you choose to advocate. We all spread awareness in our own way—all effective, all necessary. It only matters that you choose to.

Whether in big ways or small ways, every word that spreads awareness and a better understanding of giftedness benefits us all. Please lend your voice.

And if you do not receive The GHF Journey in your inbox, but are seeing it shared on social media, here's how to subscribe: Send an email to me at my email address using SUBSCRIBE in the subject and please provide your email address. I'll get you signed up!

Celi Trépanier
Editorial Director for GHF Learners

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Global Gifted Advocates

Gifted advocates throughout the world share one commonality: our goal is to see every gifted child receive the educational, social, and emotional support they need to fulfill their life's potential regardless of their zip code, the color of their skin, or any diversity or learning differences they possess. We want every gifted child to have the best opportunity to become who they were meant to be, whatever that may be.

Gifted advocates everywhere are tackling our mutual goal in various ways, using a multitude of tools and marching down different paths. This is as it should be—creating an understanding for the world's gifted people necessitates a far-reaching, multilevel approach.

Read more here...

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More on Gifted Advocacy

by Dr. Gail Post

Gifted advocacy

What do you think about when you hear those words?

Meetings with school administrators?
Lobbying to get your gifted child identified?
Insisting on ability grouping, enrichment or acceleration?

But battling with the schools is not the only place for advocacy; parents find themselves championing the needs of their gifted child wherever they go. Dismissive comments about gifted children are overheard as often at family reunions and the sidelines of soccer games as they are during parent-teacher conferences At first timid and uncertain, parents quickly learn that if they don't educate others about gifted children's differences, their own child will suffer.

Continue reading here...

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by Paula Prober

Maybe you are an enthusiastic, hungry learner. You have so many questions and so many answers; your drive to analyze and create is massive and never-ending. Your intense curiosity annoys your fellow students and rattles your teachers.
Was this your experience in first grade? Is this your story even now that you’re in grad school? If so, it can be deeply painful and frustrating. You may blame yourself for your too muchness and your seemingly inadequate communication and social skills. You may have been labeled a know-it-all but you wonder how that’s possible when you feel like a want-to-know-it-all and a slacker.

Continue reading here...

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For those of you who can give at least $500 we have created a special recognition program where you will be listed on the GHF website and in our monthly newsletter, The GHF Journey, as valued members of the community. Donations may be kept anonymous.

 
 
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