Awake the Sleeping Giant, part 3

Part 3 of 3

This is the conclusion to our 2017 November-December legislative effort.

By following these templates and sending your emails to your legislators, you have begun to build a credible relationship with your senator and representatives.  Your actions are crucial to our group effort to draw attention to the new bills that will be introduced in January to reinstate gifted education funding.

Stay tuned for additional templates that will be posted here once the legislative session starts in January.  TOGETHER we can make a difference.  We hope 2018 is the year when gifted education in Arizona will receive state funding.

OUR GOAL

Contact your legislatitors at least three times before the December holidays and encourage them to restore funding for Gifted Education.  Below you will find template #3.  Click here to find the contact information for your representative.  Send this email by Friday, December 15th. 

If you missed any part of this series, click below for templates and send your email(s) ASAP, before the end of December.

• Part 1 of 3
• Part 2 of 3

Parent Preparation & Learning

The National Association for Gifted Children has a brief collection of myths which include rebuttals based on simple facts.  What myths have you encountered?  Click here to peruse the common myths that surround gifted education.  

Template 3 of 3  

Subject line:  Let your email subject line contain "support" 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:  After you have familiarized yourself with the common myths that surround gifted education, choose one that you identify with.  In your first paragraph share the myth and your brief personal encounter with it.  Example ...

I am the parent of a gifted child. A few years ago I had a principal get offended when I tried to explain giftedness to her.  "Every child is gifted," the principal said and would not allow us to discuss it further.  I was not angry, only deeply frustrated and disappointed.  Her response is actually typical for those who don't understand giftedness.  Yet, how will principals know how to hire qualified teachers for their gifted students if they themselves don't understand giftedness?  Since that conversation I have learned more about explaining giftedness and wish I could go back in time and visit with this principal again. 

Second paragraph:  Let this include the rebuttal of the myth you chose.  State that by funding gifted education, schools and districts can educate their communities about the truths of gifted education and gifted children can receive the services that address their learning differences.  

I would explain my deep belief that ALL children have gifts and talents whether or not they receive gifted education services just like ALL children are special, whether or not they receive special education services.  Here in Arizona the term "gifted" is to "gifted education" as "special" is to "special education."  It is a legislative and diagnostic term to describe learning differences caused by neuro-diversity.  Both special education (A.R.S. 15-764) and gifted education (A.R.S. 15-799) are mandated by state law; however, gifted education has been unfunded in Arizona since 2009.  If gifted education were funded, more principals and teachers could be trained in supports for the learning differences and growth of gifted students. 

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

I'm writing to ask for your support to reinstate gifted education funding.  Gifted children learn differently and by supporting their learning differences you are investing in Arizona's intellectual capital.  Thank you for your time and efforts on behalf of our community.

Sincerely,

Your name

Active Voter in Legislative District # ___

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 # ___

Awake the Sleeping Giant

Part 1 of 3

by Stephanie Newitt, Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted

It is November and during this time of reflection and Thanksgiving I am thankful for the Arizona Association for Gifted & Talented (AAGT).  They have tirelessly worked to bring the need of gifted education funding to the attention of members of the Arizona legislature.  In the 2017 effort, our bill made it all the way through the Arizona House!  However, it was stalled in the Arizona Senate, not progressing beyond the Appropriations Committee.

AAGT is gearing up for the 2018 legislative session which begins in January.  We have learned that once the session starts, members of the legislature are inundated with 200+ emails daily!  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.

OUR GOAL

Contact your legislative representatives at least three times before the December holidays and encourage them to restore funding for Gifted Education.  We will provide templates for you.  Click here to find the contact information for your representative.  The first template is below.  Send this email prior to Thanksgiving.

Template 1 of 3

Subject line:  Let your email subject line contain "constituent" 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 statement that gifted education is needed and a brief personal experience.  Example ...

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.  My 12 year old son is not in sync with his 12 year old peers as he is able to work two years ahead in math.  

Second paragraph:  Let this include your reason why gifted education needs funding. 

Giftedness affects the social and emotional development of gifted children as well.  Just because my son can do the math of a 9th grader doesn't mean he is socially and emotionally capable to socialize with them regularly.  I'm writing to ask for your support to reinstate gifted education funding.  This would allow districts to hire and train more teachers with gifted education certification, including training them to provide social/emotional supports for gifted students.  

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

By supporting the learning differences of gifted children you are investing in the state’s intellectual capital.  I thank you for your support of this issue and for your service to our community.

Sincerely,

Your name

Active Voter in Legislative District # ___

Click here to go to our State Advocacy page on the GSG website where you will find more information to support you in your efforts.

Final legislative update: Gifted Education Funding in Arizona

To Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted,

A huge thank you for the time you spent writing your own emails and making phone calls and visits to the state capital! And thank you for the time and effort you spent getting other folks to do the same!

From all accounts, what we did in a relative short period of time (and we started out late in the process) was pretty AMAZING! We actually had a bill and then an amendment and support from some of the biggest players in the Legislature!!!! And look at the number of people whom we educated about gifted education!

It is disappointing that neither the House or Senate felt the time was right to offer the amendment to fund gifted education in this budget, but it is understandable since in the final days of the budget process Legislators are looking for consensus.

We sure have learned a lot this year and although this stings, that sting will go away and we will push on. In fact, there is already good news in the legislature toward moving forward on this issue which will help us lots with momentum for next year.

The summer will be taken up with creating our Community Action Network, making sure we have at least one person in each Legislative District to rally the troops, and provide a network to communicate legislative updates and calls to action.

We will also visit with members of the Legislature to continue to educate them on the learning differences of gifted students and the need to respond to those differences with funding.

So our work is not done, there is a lot more fun to come!

AAGT appreciates your commitment to the gifted children of our state and we look forward to continuing our work together!

Sincerely,

Donna Campbell

President, AAGT

Will the new state budget include funding for Gifted Education??

Please forgive us for posting once again about gifted funding, but we are literally in the last days before the budget drops. Your legislators need to hear from you that these programs are worth funding. This year's current funding for gifted classrooms is .... drum roll please ... $0. Prop 123 will not restore this funding. The only way to get these programs reinstated is to get them into the budget. If you value these programs, please let your elected officials know. The letter below is the most recent AAGT email. Please feel free change or use, but make sure your subject line uses the words "gifted" somewhere. Thank you!

Dear [Senator or Representative],

Please make reinstating gifted funding a budget priority this year. Gifted classrooms in Arizona have not been funded since FY2009. This legislative session, parents, educators, and legislators have requested a one-time $500,000 grant to fund the gifted programs already in statute. Can we count on your support?

Some have said that gifted students will be fine on their own, but we know this is not always the case. In fact, gifted students disproportionately drop out of high school. For those who stay in school, they are more likely to underachieve, particularly when gifted students are not identified or supported in the classroom.

Arizona needs robust gifted programs to keep our gifted students and families in the state and avoid the "bright flight" of our gifted families to states where their needs can be met. This funding would train teachers to identify gifted students and support those students in the classroom.

Representative Heather Carter and Senator Jeff Dial have made gifted funding a budget priority.

The following Republican Legislators have also voiced their support for the reinstatement of gifted funding in this year's budget:

Sen. Sylvia Allen
Sen. Don Shooter
Sen. Steve Pierce
Sen. Carlyle Begay
Sen. Steve Smith
Sen. Bob Worsley (LD25)
Rep. Russell "Rusty" Bowers (LD25)
Rep. Jill Norgaard
Rep. Kate Brophy McGee
Rep. Doug Coleman (LD16)

Are you willing to make gifted funding a priority? Would you support this measure if included in this year's budget?

[YOUR NAME]

Click here for help to find your legislator.

Legislators' email: first initial of first name + last name + @azleg.gov

Also, feel free to send the above legislators a THANK YOU email. Let them know they DO represent families in Arizona. This will help them keep up the fight!

Another letter sample is found at this google doc link.