From the editor's desk

The scarcity of racially and culturally diverse teachers remains a major issue in education nationally, particularly given projections which indicate that the representation of minority teachers is declining while the number of minority students is increasing¹. The number of minority teachers in gifted programs, however, has received little attention in the literature. Accordingly, this article provides data on the under‐representation of Black and other minority teachers in education, explores personal and professional barriers to their representation, and provides recommendations for the recruitment and retention of minority teachers in gifted education. Owing to the limited information available on minority teachers in gifted education, the authors reason by analogy in order to draw implications from the general education literature and apply them to gifted education. Similarly, since the majority of research and writing have focused on Black teachers, we use Black teachers more often as a case in point, and draw implications for other teachers of color.     

From the editor's desk

This article examines the underrepresentation of African American and Hispanic students in gifted education, proposing that social inequality, deficit thinking, and microaggressions contribute to the inequitable segregated programs. Underrepresentation trends are presented, along with methods for calculating underrepresentation and inequity. Underrepresentation is placed under the larger umbrella of achievement gaps and inequities in school settings with attention to de jure segregation. I argue that underrepresentation is beyond statistical chance and is a function of attitudes and beliefs grounded in deficit paradigms among those with power or social capital. Denying access to gifted education based on race is counterproductive and illegal and is discussed with Brown v. Board of Education as the legal background and a recent court case in gifted education (McFadden v. Board of Education for Illinois School District U-46). Recommendations for desegregating gifted education are provided.     

Sliding under the desk

Sometimes the awkward, human moments of teaching are the most memorable.Lila Steinberg is a teacher retired from the New York City Public Schools.     

"课桌文化"透视--关于高校"课桌文化"的调查报告

“课桌化”不仅是大学生道德水平的反映；而且关系到大学生的交友、学习、生活等方方面面，是大学生心灵的透视。部分学生在人生观、价值观、学校适应性等方面存在不足。因此，在加强大学生公德教育的同时，还应加强心理咨询、心理辅导等活动，开展形式多样、内容健康向上的校园化活动，以引导大学生形成健全、稳定的人格结构。     

桌边神游族

英文中把那些成天赖在沙发上看电视、不爱动弹的人叫作couch potato。自从有了网络以后,有相当一部分人已经放弃了couch potato的身份,转而加入了desk potato的行列。