Author: John Schmidt
Published: April 24
SAGE, the organization that supports ASPIRE students in GCISD, hosted a candidate forum several weeks ago. The event drew strong interest from families connected to gifted and advanced academic programs. It was recorded, with plans to post the full video online so the broader public could hear directly from each candidate.
That has not happened. According to SAGE, audio issues affected parts of the recording. As of now, only segments featuring Mary Humphrey and Darrell Brown are available. Responses from Matthew White, AJ Pontillo, Dianna Sager, and Lindsey Sheguit have not yet been released.
That delay has raised questions. In past cycles, some in the community have viewed SAGE as more supportive of certain candidates than others, though no formal endorsements have been announced in this race. Even so, the absence of a complete video has led to speculation about whether technical issues are the only reason for the delay.
One exchange in particular has drawn attention from those who attended. When asked about weaknesses in the ASPIRE program, Matthew White argued that students should not be “siloed.” He said ASPIRE students should spend more time integrated with on-level students. His reasoning focused on preparing students for real-world environments, where people of varying abilities work together.
White then said, in essence, that “C students will run the companies, and your kids will be working for them.” The remark drew nervous laughter. Some will see it as blunt and honest. Others, especially ASPIRE families, are likely to see it as offensive. For parents of ASPIRE students, the idea that their children will be working for “C students” is not just controversial. It cuts directly against the purpose of the program.
Another exchange may have raised eyebrows as well. Lindsey Sheguit opened by drawing an awkward and uncomfortable connection between her work prosecuting Crimes Against Children and serving as a trustee. The comparison felt forced to some attendees. She then argued that GT students lead their teachers and should have more dedicated class separation, particularly at the high school level, for differentiation. This will almost certainly not be received well by parents of on-level students.
For now, without the full video, voters are left piecing together key moments from those who attended. Until all candidate responses are released, questions will remain about why the full record is still not available.
