A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. ~John A. Shedd, Salt from My Attic (1928)
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (2014), a recent study was completed and analyzed related to gifted programming in a Georgia school district. The authors of the article found that, "White students are about three times more likely than black or Hispanic students to be in gifted classes." But, this phenomena is not unique to the state of Georgia, we find similar statistics are pervasive throughout our country.
The New York Times (2013) published an article addressing the same concerns. It stated the demographics of a surrounding community near its school New York City Public School 163, and the makeup of its gifted classes were the exact opposite. The neighborhood is approximately 65% African American and Latino, 30% White, and 3% Asian, while its the gifted classroom is 30% African American and Latino, 50% White, and 15% Asian. There are many theories as to why this gap exists/persists. One theory offered suggested the lack of multicultural awareness of our national teacher workforce, which is comprised of only 17% minority teachers. Shaunessy & Matthews (2008) offer tips for educators, in particular those in gifted classrooms, to use to make sure there are greater strides being taken for teachers to be more knowledgeable about the many cultures they will teach in their profession. Tips (Shaunessy & Matthews, 2008): - Reflective Writing - Personal Narrative Writing - Teaching Cases - Poverty Walk |