Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments School wanting to cancel Gifted program

So we just found out today that our school did not hire a new teacher for Gifted after the last one left. The parents are getting together next Tuesday to discuss this problem and how we should approach the problem. The main office at the school said it was up to the individual schools on how they are going to work this situation. We normally have a gifted pullout program but now are trying to come up with any kind of compromise that might work with the individual schools. We feel if we are coming at it with ALL our parents rather than letting them separate us it will get the point across better that we are not going to give this up. Any input on ideas from anyone here would be amazing!!!! Thanks.

Conventional wisdom is to first check state laws and district policies. You may have already done so, to arrive at the knowledge that it is up to individual schools. Nonetheless, here is a stepwise approach:

Click on How gifted-friendly is your state? in the left margin of the forums, to access the Davidson resource on State information.

Click on your State and view the information. By following the links, you may find current facts you wish to print, such as:

-- Your state gifted association: About Us: Districts: District Info page (contact info). Possibly a district contact from your state gifted association might attend a parent meeting which you organize?

-- Does gifted education legislation exist? Yes Department of Education - Programs for Gifted Children: Program Procedures Manual (15-page pdf). Families may wish to print and read the 15-page pdf prior to meeting.

Is it possible to seek flexible cluster grouping, based on readiness and ability, regardless of age or grade, so that students have appropriate curriculum placement and pacing in each subject, and are taught in the company of their closest intellectual peers? This also simplifies any "differentiation" a teacher might attempt in the classroom as the range of readiness and ability would be narrower.

Flexible cluster grouping is not costly, and is supported by research:
http://www.casenex.com/casenet/pages/virtualLibrary/gridlock/groupmyths.html
http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/nrcgt/reports/rbdm9204/rbdm9204.pdf

Here is a blog post from the website of NWEA, known for MAP assessments. As the article mentions zone of proximal development (ZPD), and "skill-based activity groups" and grouping by RIT score bands are mentioned elsewhere on the NWEA website, when the article supports flexible grouping I take this to mean flexible cluster grouping based on readiness and ability:
4 Reasons Why Flexible Grouping is a Powerful Force for Learning, by Virginia Williams, July 9, 2015.

We live in Missouri so no state funding of Gifted. Although schools that don't have gifted get penalized for it and get less funding. So the school has to fund it but can't find a teacher. When I said that it was up to the individual schools I meant the individual buildings in the school district. Sorry to be confusing. This school does not allow grade skipping and they nor do they like to do differentiation for gifted students. And lets not even get started with twice exceptional students. I am very frustrated with this school already but maybe with a team we can get things done.

Yes, I see the "Loc: Missouri" underneath your userid on your posts. I utilized that information when researching "How gifted-friendly is your state?"

Did you notice this? A meeting Oct 25, 2015. Possibly something to prepare for... by organizing your team, having them all apprised of current policies (15-page pdf), and preparing impact statements for the Gifted Advisory Council. Contact information, list of Gifted Advisory Council members, and Council Annual Reports are provided. There is a 62-page report dated 2015 which contains information which could help you make your case.

Access to these materials and the 15-page pdf offer the opportunity to learn how the process works, so that interested parties may provide input and influence that process.

We live in a state that has to provide gifted programming, but the schools are able to provide it any way they see fit. A local school here just pretty much cut the gifted program. They lost their gifted teacher and decided not to hire a new one, instead offering gifted students a "power hour" to pursue gifted pursuits in the library.

This is a quote from a letter sent to parents of gifted students in the district.

“Librarians will serve as the single point person for AE and augment AE services through project-based learning activities. The librarians will plan special enrichment activities that are expected to include seminars, and give gifted students ample time to work together in groups throughout the school year."

Parents of gifted kids in the district are upset that there is basically no real gifted programming at this point.

When they complained, the local paper ran this opinion from a parent (clearly of the non-gifted):

"You are fortunate to have a gifted child; it is a "gift"! It is the parents responsibility to nurture this gift, not a cost to be passed on to taxpayers.

Perhaps instead of complaining these parents should educate their children to give back to the less fortunate. These so-called gifted children should be trained and called upon to tutor and assist the average and needy students through an organized support program; thus they will get the best enhanced education possible, one that will build character, community, and sense of responsibility.

Time to give others a hand up and abolish this sense of entitlement."

I follow this stuff because we are currently working on choosing a good district in the area and because it's interesting to see how different schools can interpret providing gifted programming.

I also can't believe the ignorant opinions people have about gifted programming or that anyone would choose to run a statement like that in their paper. Ew.

Unfortunately, the current educational focus on closing any achievement gap and/or excellence gap, combined with the fact that gifted children are a tiny percentage of the population therefore vastly outnumbered... puts these types of statements in vogue.

As a counter-point, and to provide the local public with accurate information, is it possible to write a letter-to-the-editor for publication in the local paper, which cites expert testimony about the needs of gifted learners?

The OP has a great idea to gather parents together; There is strength in numbers. The links shared upthread can provide a focused starting point and common knowledge base around which to rally.