Awake the Sleeping Giant, part 2

Part 2 of 3

This is part two of our 2017 November-December legislative effort.

If we want our emails to stand out during the legislative session, then we need to contact our legislators now, in the "off-season" so they will be familiar and recognize us and our efforts once the legislative session begins in January.

OUR GOAL

Contact your legislative representatives at least three times before the December holidays and encourage them to restore funding for Gifted Education.  Below you will find template #2.  Click here to find the contact information for your representative.  Send this email by Thursday, December 7th. 

If you missed the first in this series, click here for the blog link and send your email ASAP.

Template 2 of 3  

Subject line:  Let your email subject line contain "funding" and "gifted education" in a manner of your choosing.

Greeting:  Dear Senator/Representative ________________  (Send three separate emails, one to your senator and one each to your two representatives.)

First paragraph:  Let this contain a brief personal experience regarding the strengths and struggles of your gifted child.  You may wish to incorporate material from our Strengths and Challenges worksheet.  Example ...

I am the parent of a gifted child, age 10.  My daughter is able to work a year ahead in math and is an avid reader, reading four grade levels ahead.  She acquires and retains information easily with little repetition.  A challenge she has is patience while waiting for classmates to learn the same material.  She detests multiple repetitions of material she already knows.  In such a classroom climate her desire for learning actually wanes.  She needs teachers who understand her need to accelerate so that she can experience growth while in the classroom and develop into a lifelong learner.

Second paragraph:  Let this include your reason why gifted education needs funding, namely so that districts can train teachers in gifted education. 

I am grateful that the state of Arizona mandates gifted education (A.R.S. 15-799), even though gifted education has not been funded in Arizona since 2009.  If gifted education were funded, more teachers could be trained in multiple accelerations strategies to support the learning differences and growth of gifted students. I'm writing to ask for your support to reinstate gifted education funding.  This would allow districts to offer continual instructional support to teachers of the gifted.

Conclusion:  State that supporting gifted education is an investment and thank them for their support and service.

Gifted children learn differently and by supporting their learning differences you are investing in Arizona's intellectual capital.  I hope I can count on your support to reinstate gifted education funding.  Thank you for your service to our community.

Sincerely,

Your name

Active Voter in Legislative District # ___