How to Champion Your Gifted Child: Everything You Need to Know!
By Teagan Taylor
You are your child’s #1 support system, and with that often comes a daunting amount of responsibility. However, as parents, we love our children dearly and want what’s best for them, even if that means knocking down barriers and asking hard questions. If you’re a parent of a gifted child, this especially holds true, as gifted education tends to be misunderstood, misrepresented, and underfunded.
Looking for ways to advocate for the unique needs of your gifted or potentially gifted child? Well this post is your one stop shop! This is a great time for advocacy as the school year ramps up with testing and classes are getting underway. We are here to provide some insight since change only happens when multiple stakeholders work together for the best of our future generations!
Over several weeks, we will share 5 important topics that parents are often curious about when seeking to advocate for their gifted child. For each topic are questions educators have received from parents over the years, and also questions generated by Chat GPT. We do our best to address these questions and provide you some valuable resources, so click away at the links! Happy reading!
Topic 5: Advocacy & Support
Q: “How can I advocate for my child’s needs in school, especially if they are not being challenged?”
A: This article by Davidson Academy answers this question almost perfectly! It states that you are ultimately responsible for advocating for your child and determining what their needs are. Once you have collected objective data from multiple sources to generate buy-in, decide what is reasonable to ask your school to do for your child. Keep your interactions with school staff positive and focused. Remember, at the end of the day, typically your child’s school is trying the best they can to serve and meet the needs of all of their learners. They may just need a supportive nudge in the right direction.
There has been a lot of news in recent years about the state of education in NC and more importantly, the state of gifted education in the US. Did you know that the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program is the only federal funding gifted education receives? Did you know that this funding has been on the chopping block several times, and currently is again? Without funding, programs get eliminated, students don’t get identified, and thus students may not be properly served/challenged in school. Oppose the elimination of gifted education in FY 2025 by clicking HERE! You can also find your local representatives HERE, to advocate and express your commitment to gifted education.
Q: “Are there parent groups or organizations that can help me advocate for my gifted child?”
A: Yes, there are many! According to NCDPI’s AIG Program Standard 5 on Partnerships (pg 5), “The LEA ensures ongoing and meaningful participation of stakeholders in the planning and implementation of the local AIG program to develop strong partnerships.” Thus, be sure to join or start a NC (Partners For The Advancement of Gifted Education) PAGE chapter through NCAGT. NCAGT has several suggestions for how to advocate and also offers several Parent eXchange events throughout the year for families/stakeholders to learn from one another and brainstorm ways to support gifted children in the state. Furthermore, every spring NCAGT has a conference for teachers, administrators, and parents alike, so be sure to put that on your calendar!
Q: “What resources are available to help me learn more about gifted education?”
A: By just googling, you will come across thousands and thousands of resources on the topic of giftedness and gifted education. To save you the time, we have compiled a list below of our favorite resources that are research based, reputable and relatively easy to understand!
For more information, check out NCAGT’s They’ll be Fine podcast episode(s): E01, E05, E16, E18, E25, E32, E35
In the comment section below let us know what questions you have about “Advocacy & Support” that weren’t addressed above, or perhaps what tips/resources you have gained when advocating for your child!
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