Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy gifted teacher has no gifted training

Super interesting stuff! On one hand, I guess we are lucky to be in TX, where G&T is mandated and funded (at least partially) by the state. The downside is there is sadly, ZERO oversight of any part of it. It's left 100% up to the individual ISD's... so if your ISD doesn't take G&T seriously you are SOL... if your ISD decides to define G&T in some weird or super restricted way, you are SOL...

Should I just reapply next year or appeal this year? It's kind of nuts actually. The vice principal just approved a grade skip and a double subject acceleration for next year, but my kid can't be in the gifted program. If my child didn't care, I would forget about it. But my son tells me, "they are doing fun stuff in there and I am stuck in my class doing boring stuff."

That is sort of how I looked at it for our state - it isn't great, but looks like it could be a lot worse!

The nice thing about TX is that Charter schools get the funding for G&T, same as the regular public schools... which allows my son's school to have a proper G&T program... now if only he could get accepted into it! hah!

What type of requirements does your state have? If I were you, I'd take the acceleration + subject acceleration, but also file an appeal over this years decision. I understand they don't take IQ, but I would think that a well-thought-out written appeal that contains the IQ results you have (I think you have?), along with achievement scores and evidence of classroom achievement would at the very least be difficult for the district to argue.

Is it worth appealing (as in, it's a limited pull-out program that might just be fun and games not academically enriching)? For my kid, it didn't matter that that pull-out wasn't more than a once-a-week pullout, he enjoyed that time immensely, so yes, I'd fight for it. If you fight for it, get your son into it, then he finds it boring or a distraction to leave his regular class for it, take him out of it. But it might really be something he'd enjoy. PLUS - if you fight for it, even if you lose, your ds will see you stood up for him. That will be in and of itself worth doing.

Best wishes,

polarbear

Okay, well, I'd fight this-- and have. After the second acceleration we were told that what our local school had agreed to with us (that is +1 and GT placement) regarding our DD's placement the following year...

well, the national arm of things balked and made noises about how "acceleration is differentiation. You "can't" be in GT if you're accelerated."

Which was nonsense, and we knew it.

Sweetly ask what district "policy" says on this subject. Then insist on seeing this "policy" manual in writing.

I'm betting that this is an administrator's bias somewhere, and that the same thinking ("look, you've already made your 'selection' from the GT menu, now shove off") is at work. Push a bit, maybe offering "let's try it and see." Most "policies" like this are NOT intended for PG kids, and the fact is that you often need every means of differentiation available-- all at once-- to meet their needs, or to even come close to meeting them.

Has your DS been in the GT programming before? (Meaning was he IDed for the program prior to the skip?)

Besides, it's utterly stupid. The sheer ridiculousness of it is the kind of thing that gets my dander up, but besides that, your DS wants to be in the GT program.

Oh, and the best of our GT teachers over the years have not been:

a) GT certified teachers without direct GT experience themselves,

b) Parents to GT children-- even HG children,

c) those with a special endorsement/interest in GT.

Nope. The best of them? HG themselves.

Just as DH and I are "close enough to identify" with DD as a learner, those teachers also have a special window into her needs in a way that NO classroom or theory can provide. It really makes a difference. It has made such a profound difference that I've often wondered privately if teachers training for GT specialties really ought to have to meet HG status themselves.

Those people don't seem to regard DD as a 'specimen' (the way the people with the "interest/endorsement" often eagerly do), but as a charming and interesting PERSON and wonderful, rewarding student-- the kind that is a sort of existential reward FOR being a teacher, if you catch my drift. They don't look forward to "observing" or "studying" my child... but to interacting with her and enjoying the ride.

Those teachers are rare. But they are gems.

It is a tiny one school district. Newly established. They just started to GT program last year. I don't even know if there re written policies or procedures beyond the application. I really don't want to be THAT parent, but it looks like I need to make some noise.

The bottom line is that we would pull DS out of this school. It doesn't make sense to pull him if they really put their foot down and refuse the GT program. (right?)

I am new to all of this. I am just coming to understand that having a PG child requires so much advocacy and effort. I mean, all children require effort and advocacy. But I was in the dark about how MUCH was required for a PG kid. I feel overwhelmed and isolated at times. There really isn't anyone else to talk to and this forum is great - but public.

There seem to be two main kinds of GT programmes in schools;

1/ Reward for high achievers - mostly well behaved bright to MG girls.
2/ Holding cell for clever kids no one can be bothered with. Mostly boys.

In neither case is the HG+ child actually served unless he/she meets the other criteria.

It seems to me IQ should be the only admittance criterion for entry to gifted programming.

The program at DS's school appears to serve group 1...high achievers. Basically, the criteria for getting into this program is: high state testing scores and a high score on a behavioral checklist. There is absolutely no space for IQ scores or anything else really. I don't even see how this can be called a "gifted" program.