A member of the Texas Association of Gifted and Talented for decades, Johnna Rosson was recently elected to its board for the first time giving her a chance to be an advocate for West Texas.
Rosson was elected to the board and this position by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) membership following a selection process by the Association’s Leadership Development Committee. She will be installed into office during giftED24, the Association’s annual conference Dec. 4-6 at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter on the River Walk.
She is the kindergarten through 12th grade representative on TAGT. Rosson said it is a blessing to be chosen and she’s thrilled with the opportunity.
“It was an honor and a privilege,” Rosson said of being named to the board. “This board sets the standards for staff development in the state of Texas. They set the standard for advocating for gifted instruction, gifted teachers. They help with parents and I like being in leadership positions.”
Now in her 40th year with Ector County ISD, Rosson has taught at both secondary and elementary levels. Currently, she serves Blanton, Gonzales, and LBJ elementary schools. she has also conducted staff development for more than 30 years for the Region 18 Education Service Center and the state.
“I feel like I can bring a perspective to this board. But the thing I’m most proud of is the board for the last 20 years has not had a West Texas perspective and they need that. It was heavily San Antonio, Houston and Dallas. While that’s fine, we have a unique set of issues in our area that maybe they don’t have. We’re dealing with an oil and gas economy, boom and bust, lots of kids moving in and moving out, so they need our perspective,” Rosson said. “I feel like I can bring that voice to the board.”
TAGT meets about four times a year. One of the main responsibilities is planning the state conference, which can draw anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 educators. Members serve on different committees that determine scholarships to summer programs, awards for GT advocacy, parent involvement. Rosson added that many organizations are just for educators, but there is a huge component to TAGT that involves parents.
“We have so many resources that can help them and help their child succeed,” she said.
TAGT also offers training for teachers and updates each year both virtually and in person.
Ector County ISD has had a gifted and talented program for at least 30 years.
“I work with identified gifted children in grades three through five and then we also write curriculum for the gifted program,” Rosson said.
They update the curriculum ever year to keep current.
The gifted and talented program in the district is mainly a pull-out program, but with first and second grade , it’s a push-in, meaning they have someone that goes in and works with the teacher and the students.
“But in my situation, it’s a pull out. We’ve taught everything from Middle Ages to ancient China, the ancient world, the Mesopotamia world. Now we’re more into blended learning and doing project-based learning with more of a current events type topic. It might be food insecurity; we did that last year. It might be micro plastics in the oceans and what can we do to help that? It seems like when it’s more real world, the kids respond a little bit better,” Rosson said.
Previously, she would work with one day a week with one grade level and the next with another and so on.
“…A lot of the kids were missing fundamentals in reading and in math in first and second, and they needed to be in there, but with third through fifth … we pull them 120 minutes a week. We get them one day a week for two hours. We are working bell to bell, and a lot of people think it’s just fluff. … We usually work with them about a grade level above. They are learning to analyze quotes. We’re playing chess. We are doing all kinds of critical and creative thinking. We’re working on PBL (project-based learning). We’re doing logic problems. … I think they think we’re in there coloring,” Rosson said.
Despite what some think, the kids are working.
“They’re creating PowerPoint presentations. We watch TED talks on how to be effective speakers. They are learning 21st century skills that in a regular classroom there’s not always time for …,” she added.
TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design.
With the gifted students on their own, they can move at a quicker pace.
“Most of them are reading 2, 3, 4, grade levels ahead, so we can really move it, because when they come to us, they’ll talk with their head down, no eye contact. We are trying to teach them presentation skills, interview skills,” things that will help them when they get older, Rosson said.
They also want to challenge the students so they’ll get a taste of what it will be like when they get to college.
”A lot of kids just sail through high school and never have to study, but when they get to university, that’s the first time they’ve met any academic struggle. Then a lot of them will drop out … so we teach them in our classes and through TAGT that we want that grit and that perseverance to develop at an early age so they can carry it through,” Rosson said.
Kristen Vesely, executive director of Advanced Academics, said she is incredibly proud of Rosson’s election to the board of directors for TAGT.
“Her dedication to advocating for gifted and talented students has been unwavering, and I am grateful for her commitment to ensuring these students have the opportunities and support they need to reach their full potential. As a representative for West Texas, Ms. Rosson will bring a valuable perspective to the board, and I am excited to see the positive impact she will have on gifted education statewide. Her willingness to serve in this role speaks to her passion for providing a strong voice for gifted learners across Texas,” Vesely said.
