Denise Fawcett Facey

Do you think of the words “gifted” and “minority” as mutually exclusive? Even if you don’t — or won’t admit it — far too many educators act as if gifted African American and Latino students are non-existent or, at the very least, a rarity. That’s why I’m so enthusiastic about the Los Angeles Unified School District’s effort to prove otherwise. (more…)

High school students have some compelling academic choices nowadays. For example, which should they take: Advanced Placement courses that require rigorous work to achieve college credit or less arduous college courses offered at the high school for credit at both high school and college (i.e. dual-enrollment)? Yet, as the pendulum swings toward dual-enrollment replacing Advanced Placement courses, it’s a dilemma that increasing numbers of students won’t even have to solve. And this is where the battle is joined. (more…)

When Virginia Governor Tim Kaine announced last week that his state’s Education Department was reviewing minority students’ low rate of participation in Virginia’s gifted education classes, I began to wonder about the other forty-nine states. (more…)