In Houston’s Gifted Program, Critics Say Blacks And Latinos Are Overlooked
*So Latino kids have a better chance of being identified as gifted if they were white or Asian? According to this report this twisted logic pervades the nation’s school systems. Latino kids are brilliant, we know that, but they’re being cheated out of opportunities by racial segregation. VL
By Laura Isensee, NPR
Fernando Aguilar has five kids and named his only son after his hero, Isaac Newton.
“I looked up to him and so does my son, and hopefully one day we can make contributions to society like he did,” says Aguilar.
[pullquote]”Racial bias has to be operating, inequities are rampant. Discrimination does exist whether intentional or unintentional.”[/pullquote]Isaac’s in third grade at Herrera Elementary School in Houston. Aguilar thinks his 8-year-old is a smarty, just like the famous physicist: “I think he’s going to be a lot smarter than I am.”
And Houston’s enrollment statistics indicate that Hispanic students like Isaac and African-American students would more likely be identified as gifted if they were white or Asian. That’s a trend across the country.
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[Photo courtesy of Huston Public Media]
