Years ago when I set out to find the right fit for my gifted and twice-exceptional children I spent a lot of time trying to find the right school for my very talented children. Starting within my social circles, I began asking teachers and friends who had experience with Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs. With Los Angeles Unified being the second-largest school district in the United States, there were many resources available. As a novice, however, I felt ill-equipped for the task.
First I gathered data about my children. With my daughter, I was able to present books and academic tasks that she could navigate with ease. I also began conversations with the first-grade teacher who had taught her reading in kindergarten. That teacher recognized her abilities and recommended her for gifted testing during the second semester. A relative with experience working with gifted and 2e students then helped me understand how to make formal requests for testing and additional educational support, accommodations, and a Resource Specialist. Eventually, I submitted a written request for GATE testing and waited for a testing date.
My son's needs presented a different challenge. I was aware of his difficulties with auditory and visual processing, but I was less prepared to recognize and address his exceptional abilities. He could spend long periods studying complex material when it involved his interests in thermodynamics, force, motion, flight, airplanes, and roller coasters. While I supported those interests by taking him to air shows and getting passes to a local theme park where he could experience and study different types of roller coasters, eventually I found a school with specially trained resource teachers who provided the reading support he needed while allowing his strengths and interests to continue developing.
My experiences with both children taught me that giftedness does not always look the same. They also taught me that parents of twice-exceptional children must look at the whole child—not only at what the child struggles to do, but also at what captures the child's curiosity, reveals exceptional ability, and brings the child to life as a learner.
This can be especially important for Black families and other historically underserved families. Our children's gifts may not always be recognized through traditional testing, classroom performance, or teacher referrals. Learning differences can also mask giftedness, just as giftedness can sometimes mask a child's need for additional support.
Parents may need to ask questions, provide examples of their child's abilities, request evaluations in writing, and advocate for both advanced learning opportunities and appropriate educational support.
Most importantly, we need to include our children in the school-search process. A school may have an excellent reputation, impressive test scores, or a gifted program, but those things alone do not tell us whether it is the right school for our child.
We also need to ask: Will my child be seen here? Will my child's strengths be recognized? Will their challenges be supported? Will their culture and identity be respected? Will they be challenged academically? And will they feel that they belong?
Finding the right fit means finding a school where the whole child can thrive—academically, socially, emotionally, and culturally.
Author Debby Dillard is an educator and the mother of two gifted adults. See the checklist developed by Dr. Dillard to help you find the right school for your child.
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Finding the Right School for Your Gifted or Twice-Exceptional (2e) Child
Use this checklist when researching, comparing, or visiting schools.
Don't look only at rankings and test scores. Look for a school where your child's gifts are recognized, challenges are supported, culture and identity are respected, and your child feels that they belong.
— Debby Dillard
By Ashley Kimathi
For most of our children's lives, making decisions for them is part of the job. We choose their schools, schedule appointments, sign permission slips, and guide countless decisions along the way. Then suddenly, they're young adults making choices that can shape the rest of their lives and our role as parents begins to change. College can make that transition especially complicated.
Choosing a major isn't simply choosing what classes to take. It can influence how long a student remains in school, how much their education costs, and what career opportunities they have afterward. Naturally, we as parents want to help. We have life experience our children don't yet have, and when we see a decision that worries us, every parental instinct may tell us to step in. But there is a difference between offering guidance and choosing someone else's future.
I understand how complicated those decisions can become because I experienced some of that uncertainty myself. When I first considered college, I had ideas about what I wanted to study, but concerns about whether those choices would lead to a financially secure career influenced my direction. I tried a more practical path, changed majors several times, and eventually spent time and money on courses that didn't lead where I originally hoped. Looking back, I don't think the lesson is that parents shouldn't offer advice. It's that young adults need both guidance and enough ownership to understand why they're choosing a path in the first place.
On the other hand, giving young adults independence doesn't mean sending them off to figure everything out alone.
College is expensive, and students need to understand what they're signing up for. Before choosing a program, families can have honest conversations about the courses required, the careers a degree may lead to, expected salaries, whether graduate education might be necessary, and the overall cost of reaching that goal.
Students should also learn to advocate for themselves. Meeting regularly with an academic adviser and understanding which courses count toward graduation can prevent unnecessary classes from quietly adding time and expense to a degree. Parents can encourage those habits without managing every decision.
Perhaps that's one of the hardest parts of parenting older children: realizing that our wisdom still matters, but the way we offer it has to evolve.
Our children need room to discover what interests them, make thoughtful decisions, change their minds when necessary, and sometimes even make mistakes. Our job becomes less about directing the path and more about helping them learn how to navigate it.
We can ask questions. We can share what we've learned. We can encourage them to consider both passion and practicality. And when needed, we can challenge their thinking. But eventually, we have to remember something that can be surprisingly difficult for a parent to accept—
— Ashley Kimathi
Note: The final sentence of this column was truncated in the PDF source extract.
By Donna Palmer
On September 4, 2026, the city of Los Angeles—originally named El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora La Reina de Los Angeles de Porciúncula (The town of Our Lady Queen of the Angels of the Porciúncula River)—will be 245 years old. Los Angeles happens to be the second largest city in the United States. It is multi-ethnic and multi-language, where over 224 languages are spoken. California, by the way, has the largest population of the 50 states and is the 5th largest economy in the world. Sounds impressive, right? Let's have an exploration into our home, the metropolis Los Angeles.
To begin our deep dive into the beginnings of the city, a few questions: How was the city founded? Who were the founders? What do we know about these brave individuals? After all, starting a city of any size from scratch requires resourcefulness, courage, the ability to deal with the unknown, and luck.
Before there was a city, the earliest occupants of the area were people of color. The earliest residents were the Gabrieleño/Tongva people, who lived in and around the Los Angeles basin for thousands of years—from Malibu to Laguna Beach, from the Southern California Channel Islands to what is now Riverside County. They utilized their environment to meet society's needs and established trade with other tribes throughout the area. The Gabrielino/Tongva tribes are recognized by the State of California, but they still lack formal federal recognition from the U.S. government. In late 2022, a historic land transfer returned a one-acre parcel of their ancestral land in Altadena to a Tongva-led nonprofit. (The Eaton Fire that swept through the region in 2025 devastated the structures on that one acre of ancestral land, but because the tribe had applied Traditional Ecological Knowledge to the land—the removal of invasive eucalyptus trees—they were able to mitigate the wildfire's damage, allowing the native oaks to survive and the community to begin healing the land.) Today, Los Angeles is home to the largest First Nations population in the United States. Some Gabrieleño/Tongva reside on ancestral lands; others live in Los Angeles or adjacent cities—but that's another story.
In 1769, a Spanish expedition stopped and camped by a river. While there they met native people from the nearby village of Yang-na. Years later, the Mission of San Gabriel was established near modern-day Montebello and relocated.
Los Angeles was officially founded on September 4, 1781, by forty-four persons who made the trek from Sonora, Mexico and were founders. What do we know of these people? Did anyone really publicize the fact that of the 44 founders of Los Angeles, 26 of them were Black? The Los Angeles residents were made up of 44 pioneers from Spanish Mexico, known as the "pobladores." According to the City of L.A. historical website, "the 23 adults and 21 children included people of Spanish, Mexican, Native Indian, and African descent." They settled around the area we know today as the Plaza, Olvera Street—and the rest is history.
Between the years 1784 to 1810, many of the large ranchos surrounding the city of Los Angeles were owned by Hispanic and Black people. The parcels of land were given as land grants by the Spanish government. The Simi Valley area was owned by the Pico family (1795); San Fernando, including Encino, was owned by Juan Francisco Reyes. The area called Conejo was owned by the Rodriguez family. Las Virgenes was owned by the Ortega family. Malibu was owned by Barolo Tapia (1804). Las Quintos was owned by the Zuniga family. Los Nietos, later called Orange County, was owned by Crispein and Manuel Nieto (1784). Luis Quintero, one of the original founders of Los Angeles, willed his 4,500-acre rancho to his granddaughter. The rancho was called Rodeo de Las Aguas (Meeting of the Waters). The land eventually fell into the hands of a Yankee subdivider who changed the name to Beverly Hills.
Manuel Camero, one of the founders of Los Angeles—and incidentally a Black man—was one of the town's first regidores, or town councilmen.
Pio Pico, one of the largest land holders of the area, and the last Mexican Governor of California, was of African, Indian, and Spanish ancestry. He had a grandmother who was classified as Black.
Biddy Mason, born in Georgia, came to California as a slave in 1851. The California constitution had outlawed slavery—a much-ignored fact. Biddy went to court to win her freedom. She later went to work for a white doctor. She invested her savings in real estate and built a home at 331 South Spring Street. She spent considerable time helping the poor and the needy. She also bought the property to found First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME).
In order to fully understand our history, one has to know a little bit about the dominant culture of the area at the time. Mexico was a colony of Spain. Slavery had been abolished by 1781 and there were no restrictions regarding the mixing of the races. Of the over 40 settlers who founded Los Angeles, only two claimed to be white or Spanish. As mentioned before, 26 were Black and the others were either Indians or of mixed ancestry or mestizos. The first Black Angelenos considered themselves citizens of Mexico. They spoke Spanish and their culture was genuinely Mexican.
Both Black Angelenos and their Hispanic neighbors have long been segregated in a city founded by them and Indigenous people. Young Hispanics see reminders of their historic contributions to the Anglo metropolis in the streets named for their forebearers: Soto Street, Pico Boulevard, Figueroa Street, and Sepulveda Boulevard. However, Black and Indigenous children for years were allowed to be ignorant of their ancestors' contributions to the founding of the city.
The purpose of this series of monthly articles is to shed some light on the Blacks, Hispanics, and Native American people who played an instrumental part in the history of Los Angeles. This story first printed in 1982 has been updated… To be continued.
City Council advanced a proposal that will rename Pershing Square in honor of Biddy Mason. (See Roots for more details about Biddy Mason, the first Black female millionaire in Los Angeles.)
Renaming of the school to honor LAUSD educator and former Washington High principal.
961 E. 61st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90001 — a state-of-the-art technology hub designed to prepare South Los Angeles youth for careers in technology, engineering, entrepreneurship, entertainment, and digital media. Register for Fall 2026 after-school programs and workshops in computer engineering, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), coding, game design, esports, graphic design, music production, digital media, entrepreneurship, leadership, and career readiness. All programs are designed to help bridge the digital divide and are offered free to eligible South Los Angeles youth.
Contact: (323) 306-4645 · thesolafoundation.org/tech-center · info@thesolafoundation.org
Join the magic of Debbie Allen's beloved holiday classic and perform alongside an inspiring community of artists. Full Company Auditions | September 11–12 with callbacks on September 13.
2401 W. Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles. Saturday, September 19th — AGC will be back in session for Act I of the fall season. A special Open House will be hosted on September 12th, 3:00–6:00 p.m., for new and returning students. RSVP: amazinggraceconservatory.org
6233 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028. December 1–13, 2026 at The Hollywood Pantages Theatre. (323) 463-4367 · M–F 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
2800 E. Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Local astronomy clubs provide telescopes and guidance for observing the night sky. (213) 473-0800 · griffithobservatory.org · information@griffithobservatory.org
100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802. Hands-on marine science programs for children; Ocean Conservation and Community programs; science camps exploring careers in marine biology, environmental science, and conservation. (562) 590-3100 · aquariumofpacific.org · guestsupport@aquariumofpacific.org
600 State Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90037 — admission free. A New Song: Langston Hughes in the West through September 13, 2026. (213) 744-7432 · caamuseum.org · info@caamuseum.org
Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, 3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Suite 245, Los Angeles, CA 90008. Throughout September: author talks, book signings, children's literacy programs, and community discussions introducing young readers to diverse authors, history, STEM, entrepreneurship, and African American literature. (323) 389-8040 · malikbooks.com · info@malikbooks.com
Paid one-year youth program for Los Angeles teens aged 14 to 18. Application deadline September 3, 2026; program starts October 2026; in-person meetings on Friday afternoons. museumeducation@oscars.org
800 W Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015. Mix beats, perform live, learn from industry legends, and explore music through hands-on tech. Admission is free for kids and teens 17 & under. Sunday–Saturday 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (hours vary). (213) 725-5700 · guestservices@grammymuseum.org
2520 West View Street, Los Angeles, CA 90016. Open Tuesday–Saturday, 12:00–5:00 p.m. Exhibit featuring Floyd Bell; Acceleration-in-Equilibrium: Crisis as Quintessence. Selection underway for the 44th annual Black Doll Show. (323) 734-1165 · wgsac.wordpress.com
Presents the full mural of Chicana artist Barbara Carrasco's landmark 1981 mural, L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective, portraying the city's history through vignettes woven into the flowing hair of la Reina de Los Ángeles. Spider Pavilion returns September 20!
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By Bailey Massey
Choosing a high school is an important decision for both students and their parents. When looking for a school, parents should include their children in the decision. The school should make students feel safe and supported. One important thing is to make sure that students are not bullied at the school. Even though teachers can't always stop bullying, schools should take steps to prevent it and create an environment where students feel safe reporting problems and asking for help. Students should be able to attend school without worrying about being bullied, threatened, or treated unfairly.
Schools should make sure that teachers are teaching. When introducing new lessons, students should understand the material before they have to do classwork or homework. For example, in some math books, students are expected to figure out how to solve a problem before the way to solve it is explained. I think teachers should provide clear instruction and examples before expecting students to solve problems. This could help students become more confident and successful in their classes.
Another important thing to consider is the focus of the school. At some schools, it feels like the focus is more on earning good grades than on truly understanding and learning the material. While grades are important, school should be about more than getting high scores. Schools should be about learning new information and understanding what they are learning instead of simply memorizing information to earn a good grade. Other schools focus on accelerated classes that provide a challenge to the students. These high schools offer an option of taking Advanced Placement and Honors classes and/or Dual Enrollment College Classes. Dual Enrollment College Classes allow students to attend college-level classes for full college credit—and the classes are free.
Schools should also offer clubs and activities that everybody is able to join no matter what their grades are. Schools could also offer art and technology classes or clubs that teach students how to create video games. Programs like these could encourage students to explore possible career choices. Schools should also provide sports for interested students.
The schools you choose should be a place where students feel safe, receive good instruction, and have opportunities to explore things they are interested in. A good school should focus on learning and personal growth, not just grades. Most importantly, parents and students should work together when choosing a school. The best school is the school where the student can learn, feel supported, discover their talents, and prepare for the future.
Junior Editor — AJ Kimathi
This month the Junior Reporters shared what they think makes a good school. Remember: CCAGTC is accepting applications for Junior Reporters—apply now.
Every high school is different, but a good high school should have high standards, have supportive teachers, and help students achieve their goals.
High schools should test students first to see what you already know and what you may need help with to receive a great education. When teachers see a student struggling, they should always offer help and support. Teachers should also be supportive and effective educators who care about their students.
A good high school should also have a safe and welcoming environment for students. Every student should feel welcome and comfortable coming to school every day without having problems with their peers. A good high school should offer different programs to support students' mental health and other needs. There should also be fun activities and sports programs to keep students active and involved in school.
The school I attend is a great high school. I chose this school because it has good teachers, kind students, a variety of academic opportunities, and many school activities. The school has many events, sports, and game clubs that students can join.
The teachers are organized and work to understand their students. They take the time to engage students in group classwork and provide tutoring after school. They also explain what we are going to learn and what is expected of us. The students are interesting and considerate of one another, which helps create a positive school environment.
The school also offers many Advanced Placement (AP) and dual-enrollment classes. Through dual enrollment, students can take college classes while they are still in high school and may even earn an associate degree (AA) by the time they graduate from high school. Students also have opportunities to choose a major and explore different career paths.
These opportunities are some of the reasons I chose my high school and why I believe it is a great school.
If you ask me what I think is important to have at a good school, I think schools should have nice teachers. Some teachers are strict or mean, or they bring their bad days to work. That can put students under pressure. When students feel rushed, they may perform worse. If teachers were nicer and more patient, kids might perform better and get their work done faster.
I would also say that all schools should be a bit more fun. If they added more fun games mixed with learning, kids might be more cooperative and willing to do their schoolwork. They might also do better if they had a little more time for breaks. If we could also play a game between classes, kids might not get tired as quickly.
I think that if both teachers' and students' needs were considered, schools in general could have a better reputation and become better places for students to learn.
Apply to join as a Junior Reporter or advisory board member. Contact info@ccagtc.org.
Central Cities Association for Gifted and Talented Children 112 S. Market Street, Suite 398, Inglewood, CA 90301
Call: 323-750-6559 · Email: info@ccagtc.org
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