“We all know if we were to ask the question, are students of color or students in poverty less gifted? We would all answer that question, absolutely not. Well then why are we identifying them at such a lower rate?”
By asking that critical question, Interim Superintendent Tabitha Branum and her colleagues in the Richardson ISD Advanced Learning Department increased the identification of Gifted & Talented students on certain Richardson campuses by seven or eight times, allowing students like Aydin Franco to learn and thrive in new ways.
“He has more opportunities than I did in my years,” says Aydin’s dad Giovanni. “It's great to know that there's this program out there that can help kids like him. As parents, that's what we want to see.”