Friday, February 12, 2016

ACTION NEEDED! Support HB 2356 by February 17th!


Your chance to help make a difference

Per our by-laws, we are informing you, members/subscribers of Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted, of pending Arizona legislation that can positively impact gifted education in our state.

HB 2356 has been approved by the House Education Committee and it now moves to the Appropriations Committee.

What is HB 2356?   

A House Bill proposed by Rep. Heather Carter to move gifted funding from Group A to Group B.  This will allow the funds to be targeted to support gifted students.  In Group A they are not.  Click here for more information on HB 2356

What can you do?  

Send an email to your Representative by February 17th by following these easy steps:


STEP 2:  On the House roster (the 2nd roster listed), click on “send email” for your representative.

STEP 3:  Complete the fields provided with your contact information.

STEP 4:  Complete the subject line with “Constituent of LD#(INSERT YOUR NUMBER).  HB 2356: Gifted Education Group B Weight” ... Legislators receive hundreds of emails, yet they are more likely to prioritize those from their own constituents.

STEP 5:  Cut and paste the letter below, adding your personal information and story as indicated …

Dear Rep. (INSERT NAME OF YOUR REP),

My name is (INSERT YOUR NAME), and I am a constituent of LD#(INSERT #).  I wish to encourage you to vote yes on HB 2356: Gifted Education Group B Weight.  I am a parent of a gifted child and a member of (INSERT ORGANIZATION, i.e.: the Gilbert Gifted Education Parent Council, Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted, Arizona Association for Gifted & Talented, ETC.)  Gifted Education is a state mandate, yet it has not been funded in Arizona since FY2009, even though gifted pupils have different and unique learning challenges.

There is a common myth that gifted children will do fine on their own and that they don’t need support.  However, ALL students have strengths and struggles in which they need support, and gifted children are no less.  It is often difficult for parents of gifted children to find academic programs and teachers who understand the strengths and struggles of gifted kids.  

How will supporting gifted students help Arizona?  Investing in Arizona’s gifted children is an investment in our Intellectual Capital and our state’s economy.  It will foster a home-grown workforce to fuel growing local businesses.  HB 2356 will help fund the training of teachers in identifying gifted pupils in underserved populations as well as training teachers in gifted child development and gifted teaching strategies. 

My story – (INSERT YOUR STORY OF STRUGGLE)

Gifted children who do not have teachers who understand them often do not experience a year’s worth of growth as typical children do in the regular classroom.  Having teachers who are trained in understanding gifted children is critical to gifted children’s success and the development of the skill set needed to contribute back to society. 

The philosophy of gifted education is to identify and support a student’s strengths as well as in their areas of struggle.  When gifted education is supported this philosophy can permeate the schools and make a difference in the education of ALL students.  Please support HB 2356.

Sincerely,
(INSERT YOUR NAME)
PS. I'm including this quick link so you can see a map of how Arizona compares with other states in gifted education support - http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/StatePolicy.aspx

* * REMEMBER TO EMAIL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE BY FEBRUARY 17TH * *

Be sure to share this information with other parents and family members.  Ask the educators in your life to subscribe to our blog (www.gilbertgifted.blogspot.com) with their home email address so that they can receive this information.

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