An Interview with Maurice Fisher: Gifted Education Press and Gifted Education Press Quarterly

1. First of all, what initially got you interested in gifted education?

My original academic training was in the experimental psychology of learning at Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison . After completing my Masters degree at Wisconsin , I taught at a small college in Virginia . Here I became interested in how gifted students learn by observing the students there.

After two years of college teaching, I decided to obtain my doctorate in educational psychology and statistics at the University of Virginia . I studied with one of the pioneers in the field of gifted education, Professor Virgil S. Ward, who was the originator of the term, “Differential Education for the Gifted.” I obtained my Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 1971. My academic training continued for three more years at Stanford University in Palo Alto , California as a post-doctoral fellow and research associate. While at Stanford, I conducted research on using computers to teach mathematics to elementary school students in the barrio of San José .

For the last thirty years, I have been working with the staff of one of strongest programs for gifted students in the nation, the Fairfax County, Virginia Public Schools Program for the Gifted and Talented. My responsibilities have involved conducting statistical research and program evaluations. Of course, during this time, I have been the publisher of Gifted Education Press Quarterly and the Gifted Education Press of Manassas, Virginia. Since I established Gifted Education Press in 1981, I have published over 50 books for teachers and parents on how to educate gifted students in mathematics, the sciences and the humanities. These books were written by forty-three different authors. In addition, I also publish a bimonthly newsletter called Gifted Education News-Page which contains book reviews and essays.

2. In your mind, how good a job are we doing here in the U.S. in terms of educating our gifted students?

In 1981 I authored a book entitled, Identifying and Teaching the Gifted: American Education's Stepchildren . This tile is still relevant today. Nationally, we are hardly doing any job at all relative to many other education programs.

Given that we are the strongest democracy in the world and have a large population of approximately 300 million people, the education of gifted students appears to be at the bottom of the list of education priorities at the national, state and local levels. This is very unfortunate for the future of our nation as related to nurturing a dynamic society, and maintaining technological and scientific sectors that are second to none. The reasons for this problem involve many educational, political and societal factors that would involve a long and highly detailed response on my part.

There are many “bright stars” of gifted education at the local school level and in the universities of our nation, but they are indeed very few compared to what we do in the areas of compensatory and special education. I know through contacts with educators and parents that there are many highly dedicated people who are knocking themselves out for the cause of educating gifted children. Unfortunately, they receive little monetary or professional recognition for their efforts. This is sad, sad, sad.

Some positive developments are in the areas of home schooling the gifted, public school programs for gifted minority students, specialty schools in the sciences and mathematics, summer school and after-school enrichment programs, and online learning opportunities for gifted students in grades K-12.

3. In your mind, how good are we doing world wide? Are there any nations that stand out in your mind as particularly good exemplars of gifted education?

I know that even after the 1991 democratic revolution in Russia , this nation still maintains strong programs for the mathematically gifted and for children who are talented in the performing arts. China also has selective programs in these areas. Even smaller countries such as Israel place a strong emphasis on educating the gifted.

4. This is probably a chicken or the egg question, but which in your mind is preferable- acceleration or enrichment?

Both the chicken and the egg are integral parts of an effective program for the gifted. I have been involved in the gifted education field for about thirty-five years. During this time and for many previous decades, academics have been arguing over this issue to no avail, except to maintain their own academic turfs. This argument is wasteful of precious time and resources.

I don't believe that the front line troops of gifted education (teachers, educational administrators and parents) should be involved in this perennial academic debate. The front line troops have a more important job to do, i.e., to provide the best possible education to our nation's greatest natural resource, the gifted children of America . Many of these teachers, principals and parents are good people who are very concerned with their gifted students. Let them decide what is best for these children by working together and using acceleration, enrichment or a combination of both.

5. Recently, there have been two books that have made a great impact on the field. I am referring to Genius Denied (2004) by Jan and Bob Davidson and A Nation Deceived (2004) by Nicholas Colangelo and his colleagues. Have you read these two books and what is your response?

Yes, I have read both of these books. The authors are very dedicated to the advancement of gifted education in the United States . Everyone interested in the gifted student should carefully read these books. The Davidsons provide detailed documentation of the sorry state of gifted education in the public schools. The upside of their book is that they also discuss many outstanding programs in different states. Colangelo's book is an excellent resource that should be in every teacher's library. He and his associates have also carefully documented the sad state of gifted education and provided educators with many effective educational options for gifted students. I applaud the careful research and writing of the Davidsons and of Colangelo and his associates. We need much more work like this in the gifted education field by individuals from all areas of academia and, most importantly, from the public schools.

6. What is the specific focus of your journal and how and when did you begin doing it?

Gifted Education Press Quarterly of Manassas, Virginia emphasizes the open discussion of all issues and problems concerned with identifying and educating gifted students. It does not adhere to any particular educational doctrine or theory, and welcomes clearly written and imaginative articles from all areas of the educational world.

I am particularly interested in publishing articles written by the heroes of the trenches of American education, the teachers and school administrators.

The Gifted Education Press Quarterly board of advisors includes such scholars and practitioners as Howard Gardner, Ellen Winner, James Delisle, Joan Smutny, Susan Winebrenner, Margaret Gosfield and Dorothy Knopper.

I started publishing Gifted Education Press Quarterly in the spring of 1987 in my hometown of Manassas, Virginia located about thirty miles west of Washington, D.C. Up until about four years ago, this quarterly was only available in hard copy. Now almost all subscribers receive it via the Internet. It's hard to believe, but GEPQ is fast approaching its twentieth anniversary. Every issue, back to the first one of April 1987, is available to subscribers through the Gifted Education Press Web Site.

7. What kinds of articles are you looking for?

Currently, I would like to receive more articles on educating gifted minority children, science and mathematics education for the gifted, and special programs that teachers have developed for their gifted students.

I also have a strong interest in publishing articles concerned with humanities education for the gifted, particularly on teaching history, philosophy, literature, foreign languages, music, and the arts. Humanities programs are being ignored in our public schools to the detriment of all students.

8. Is there a web page where readers can get more information?

Yes, readers can find out more about Gifted Education Press Quarterly and Gifted Education Press by contacting the following link: www.GiftedEdPress.com

9. How can readers subscribe to Gifted Education Press Quarterly?

I will be happy to give any of your readers a complimentary subscription to Gifted Education Press Quarterly. They should email me at [email protected] with their request.

Currently, there are about 10,000 online subscribers from every state in the nation, Canada , Australia , New Zealand , Great Britain , and other countries. I am pleasantly surprised by the steady increase in the number of subscribers to GEPQ online during the last 2½ years, which is far beyond my original expectations concerning the number of teachers, administrators and parents who are interested in the gifted education field.

Thank you for this interview and best of success in your work.