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.
Arizona
law on gifted education:
- Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) 15-779 - Definitions
- ARS 15-779.01 – Powers and Duties of the School District Governing Board as pertaining to gifted education
- ARS 15-779.02 – Gifted Pupils; Scope & Sequence; Finance Report
- ARS 15-779.03 – Additional Assistance for Gifted Programs (FUNDING)
- ARS 15-779.04 – Powers and Duties of Superintendent of Public Instruction
What can you
do?
On
Twitter, tweet directly to your state senator that gifted education funding
needs to be restored.
Send an
email to your Senator weekly for the next month by following these easy steps
below. Send one today!
Get your
teachers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends to do the same. Though gifted children are a small percentage
of the total student population, it is a moral issue that these children receive an
education that is commensurate with their abilities. It is the squeaky wheel that gets the
grease. We need to become the squeaky
wheel. Our momentum is just starting and
we need to carry it through until the end of this legislative session and into
the next year as it is needed.
STEP
2: On the Senate roster click on “send email” for your legislator.
STEP
3: Complete the fields provided with your contact information.
STEP
4: Complete the subject line with “Constituent of LD#(INSERT YOUR
NUMBER). Restoration of Funding for Gifted Education” ... 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 Senator
(INSERT NAME OF YOUR SENATOR),
My name
is (INSERT YOUR NAME), and I am a constituent of LD#(INSERT #). I wish to
encourage you to vote for a restoration of funding to gifted education. 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 (ARS 15-779), 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 independently 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. Funding gifted education will help fund teacher training
regarding the identification of gifted pupils in underserved populations and training
regarding gifted child development and gifted teaching strategies.
My story
– (i.e. my fourth grade gifted child needs a teacher who understands her
complex learning needs since she can read at a high school level but is still
emotionally a fourth grader / my high school sophomore needs a teacher
who understands gifted learning strategies so that he can be mentored in
doing accelerated projects beyond the classroom in order to maintain engagement in his learning / etc.)
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 the restoration of funding to gifted
education.
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
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