Please read the letter below and respond immediately to the request to contact the Governor's office. We want to keep the momentum going with our work to restore funding for gifted education!
It is easy to do your part!
Thank you so much,
Donna J. Campbell, President,
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What did I do on my summer vacation? I made a difference in the lives of gifted children.
Through the heat of summer, it may be hard to imagine that fall will ever be here. Yet as you read these words, decision makers at the capitol are making funding plans for the 2017-2018 school year. We need your help to make sure that gifted education is part of these discussions.
As you know, Arizona schools are mandated to provide gifted education, yet the state has not funded this mandate since 2009. Our schools need this money to identify gifted students, train teachers, and provide the education our students need. With your help last legislative session, AAGT gained serious ground in the fight for funding. We need your help again to keep the heat on our leaders to fund these important programs.
Would you please spend two minutes of your summer vacation improving the lives of gifted children? Governor Ducey's office needs to hear from you TODAY that gifted education should be a priority. The process is easy. Simply go to his office webpage, and you can cut and paste our message or feel free to write your own.
We don't want to see the support for gifted education melt away! Let's keep the heat on our leaders to fund these essential programs!
***
Governor Ducey,
I am a (Parent of a gifted child; gifted educator; gifted student) and a member of Arizona Association for Gifted & Talented. Gifted Education is a state mandate, yet it has not been funded in Arizona since FY2009.
There is a common myth that gifted students will do fine on their own. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many gifted students are so far ahead of their same-age peers that they know more than half of the grade-level curriculum before the school year begins. Their resulting boredom and frustration can lead to low achievement, despondency, or unhealthy work habits. The role of the teacher is crucial for spotting and nurturing talents in school. It is often difficult for parents of gifted children to find academic programs and teachers who understand the strengths and struggles of gifted kids. For this reason, funding gifted education is essential not only to gifted students, parents, and educators, but also to the future Arizona economy that will need this bright young minds in the coming years.
As you plan for the 2017-2018 school year, funding for gifted education should be part of the discussion. These essential programs have gone unfunded for too long. Please, as you plan for the future school years, include funding for gifted education.
Our students are counting on you.
Thanks,
(Your name here)
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