Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Gifted students in poor educational environments

I think you are greatly over estimating the "resources" and the "support system" the "gifted community" (what exactly would that be?) have at their disposal, and greatly underestimating the actual limiting forces that exist.
Whenever I have, gently, tried to encourage a parent (of all types of SES) who appeared to be unaware of the possibility or the implications of even considering the idea that their child might be gifted, I have received massive pushback, usually of the "I don't *want* my child to be gifted!" kind (subtext: even if those other, pushy, parents do, shame on them). One mother, whose kids elementary school teacher had brought up the possibility and who I gently encouraged to consider (free) testing for the (free) public gifted program, admittedly on the other side of town, exclaimed "but that might mean I would have to drive him places! I want him in the local school and play sports in the local club!". For people to merely contemplate that kids might be different from them, different from other kids, wanting or needing different things, is simply too much. Again, that goes for all types of SES and cuts both ways.
I shudder at the thought what most people in the semi rural community in which I live would have to say at the thought that odd, dorky me might want to "mentor" them because I might have better understanding than them of what their child wanted or needed.