The Michigan legislature is currently considering and leaning toward moving the date for kindergarten entry from December 1 to September 1st.  House Bill 4513 would amend the Revised School Code (MCL 380.113) to move up the minimum age requirement for a child enrolling in kindergarten to require the child to be five years of age by September 1, rather than December 1.

The bill includes a waiver provision that parents and guardians may invoke if a child is five by September 1 rather than December 1 but this could be time consuming for families and the waiver request may be rejected.

The obvious implication for a gifted child is putting off entry into school for another year.

The Community Conversation sponsored by The Center for Michigan, Rochester SAGE, Gifted In Michigan, and The Michigan Association for Gifted Children has been postponed as not enough participants were available at this busy time of the year.  We will reschedule for late September or early October.  We hope everyone who planned to attend tomorrow’s event will participate with us in the fall as we work to advocate for Michigan’s gifted children.

We will send out information on a new date and place shortly.  We hope the new date will allow more people to participate.

Joshua Raymond – Rochester SAGE
Melissa Jenkins – Gifted in Michigan

What would you like to tell our legislators about gifted education and other educational topics?

Would you like to participate in a discussion with other parents passionate about education?

Please join us for a Community Conversation about the future of education in our state, co-sponsored by The Center for Michigan, Rochester SAGE, Gifted In Michigan, The Michigan Association for Gifted Children, and the Farmington Community Library.

Community meetings just like this are happening all over Michigan. Make sure your voice is heard. RSVP to the library at 248-553-0300, ext. 220 or online via this link.

Topics to be discussed can be found in the Education Issue Guide and the Community Conversation Issue Points, which offers several suggested talking points about gifted education..  Please preview this guide before the meeting and  come prepared to share your views so that our legislators will loudly hear how important education issues are to our communities!

Visit thecenterformichigan.net for more information

WHERE:   Farmington Branch Library (map)
                       23500 Liberty Street
                       Farmington, MI 48335

WHEN:     Wednesday, May 23 – 7:00 to 8:30pm

Register today!  We need a minimum of 40 RSVP’s to avoid event cancellation.  Right now we only have 18 RSVP’s.  Please consider participating!  This is your big chance to make an impact on public policy on gifted education!!

Questions about the event?  Please leave a comment on Rochester SAGE or email us at RochesterSAGE@live.com.

Community Conversations are presented by The Center for Michigan, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, non-partisan organization working throughout the state to amplify the voices of ordinary citizens and find common ground solutions for a more prosperous future. Please visit www.thecenterformichigan.net for more information.

The most extraordinary thing about a really good teacher is that he or she transcends accepted educational methods. Such methods are designed to help average teachers approximate the performance of good teachers. – Margaret Mead

Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week.  I know I often write a bit harshly about our educational system and sometimes this may be viewed as criticism of teachers themselves.  Part of my driving force is having had some excellent teachers and personally seen how a great teacher can impact a life.  I desire nothing less than greatness in education for your child and mine, so I speak loudly when I see areas that need improvement.  But today’s post is about three of my teachers that went above and beyond and is a post in praise of the excellent teachers that are often unsung.

Dan Jones, Huron Valley School in Ypsilanti

I didn’t like this teacher.  I wasn’t sure why he got into teaching if it wasn’t to be able to make many lives miserable at once.  He was strict and wasn’t one of the most approachable teachers at my school.  And I was stuck with him for two years!

Of course, all views are subjective and colored by our experiences.  The reality was that I had breezed through school through fifth grade and finally met a teacher who wasn’t happy with my minimal effort.  He actually required homework to be done!  I saw homework as pointless.  The tests proved I knew the material, so why should I waste my time with a nightly review?  Can’t a teacher cut a kid a break?

I’m sure it would have been easier for him to do just that.  Instead, he challenged me to do better work and not just skate by.  He was the first teacher that gave me an inkling that more than intelligence mattered in the work world.  This was a hard lesson to learn and it colored my view of him for many years until I finally understood what he had done for me and other gifted learners in the classroom.

Mr. Jones also took a personal interest in many of his students.  In today’s world that often is met with suspicion, but I believe he realized that some of us gifted learners just didn’t fit in easily and worked to be a mentor to us in personal and character growth too.

I don’t think he had a teaching certificate.  Huron Valley started my fourth grade year and most of the teachers came from the private sector.  However, they were extremely dedicated and believed they could make a difference.  They did.  Mr. Jones did.  And I thank him for that.

Howard Weinberg, Detroit Catholic Central

There were few teachers that commanded the respect that Mr. Weinberg did.  He won respect by giving respect.  Everyday he was dressed in a suit.  He addressed all the students by Mr. (Last Name).  He didn’t dumb down the curriculum for us, but demanded excellence from his students.

Mr. Weinberg made economics interesting and understandable, which is tough for any teacher to do.  He knew the material thoroughly, covered multiple schools of economic thought with ease, and could explain it deftly.  After taking one of his classes, I just knew I had to take another and was able to convince my parents to let me drop Spanish to take microeconomics.  The courses were so solid that I was able to ace the AP tests and skip Economics 201 and 202 at the University of Michigan.  He instilled a love of economics that continues to this day.

Mr. Weinberg was also the moderator for the Quiz Bowl team at Catholic Central.  I didn’t have the time or motivation to compete on the Quiz Bowl team, but I enjoyed hanging out in his room after school during Quiz Bowl practices.  One never knew what brilliant discussions would occur in that room and it was always a safe haven for very intelligent kids to be themselves.

Mr. Weinberg taught a class about business and was a model of professionalism in business.  For opening my mind to a new subject and for his understanding of gifted students, I thank him.

Lori Terkeurst, Detroit Catholic Central

In my time at Catholic Central, I quickly developed a reputation as a student that did very little work.  If I studied for a test, it was in the class beforehand.  Any homework I actually did was done at school.  I breezed through the honors and AP classes with an occasional B, usually in English because I hadn’t read the books we were being tested on.  Even at Catholic Central, most teachers were content to let me do this.  It’s hard to tell an ace student that he needs to work harder.  But Mrs. Terkeurst wasn’t afraid to.

The example stands out most in my mind was when in honors physics, we took a physics exam given at a number of schools.  The organization that ran the exam provided five certificates and one pin to each school for the top scorers.  My good friend Sam Rauch and I scored the highest in the school.  When Mrs. Terkeurst was handing out awards, she said “I only have one pin.  Joshua and Sam tied for first, but Sam earned it.”  That little statement sat with me.  I may have been able to equal Sam in intellectual pursuits, but Sam was willing to put the work in to succeed.  Sam’s motivation took him to two masters degrees.  Mrs. Terkeurst’s statement was one of her ways of telling me that I needed more than just intelligence to succeed, a life lesson I dearly needed.

Mrs. Terkeurst made physics and chemistry fun.  I enjoyed those classes and learned a lot in there that still sticks with me even though I don’t use the information regularly.  However, the logic and reasoning skills that she incorporated into her classes have served me well daily.  For being a great teacher and her work to motivate me, I thank her.

And So Many More…

I had so many other wonderful teachers that taught me life lessons along with the curriculum that it would be hard to thank them all individually.  Mr. Jeff Bean (CC) helped our honors English class learn about the freedoms our founding fathers wrote about.  Fr. Ned Donoher (CC) inspired a school and created innovative ways to learn Catholic faith.  Mr. Neal Alpiner (CC) helped get me on the IT path and cut me some slack when I attempted to hack the school’s computer systems.  Mr. Robert Talbot (CC) ran his AP Calculus class as a university course and exposed us to the college style of learning.  A few teachers at Huron Valley helped accelerate some of us in math and English so that we were at the right academic level.  Mrs. Lewis of Bach Elementary in Ann Arbor took time to visit her students at their houses.  David and Kristina Moutrie, retired teachers and great nextdoor neighbors, mentored my wife and I in many ways as we began our family and placed our children in the educational system.  But there are so many more and that is just a small sample.

I know my children will have some excellent teachers who will make a difference in their lives, who will push them to excel and not just coast, who will collaborate with my wife and I to meet our children’s educational needs.  And for that, I thank them.

Thank you for reading Rochester SAGE.  Together we can make a difference for gifted learners!

What would you like to tell our legislators about gifted education and other educational topics?

Would you like to participate in a discussion with others passionate about education?

Please join us for a Community Conversation about the future of education in our state, co-sponsored by The Center for Michigan, Rochester SAGE, Gifted In Michigan, The Michigan Association for Gifted Children, and the Farmington Community Library.

Community meetings just like this are happening all over Michigan. Make sure your voice is heard. RSVP to the library at 248-553-0300, ext. 220 or online via this link.

Topics to be discussed can be found in the Education Issue Guide.  Please preview this guide before the meeting and consider how gifted education factors into each and every topic.  Please come prepared to share your views so that our legislators will loudly hear how important gifted education is to our communities!

Visit thecenterformichigan.net for more information

WHERE:   Farmington Branch Library (map)
                       23500 Liberty Street
                       Farmington, MI 48335

WHEN:     Wednesday, May 23 – 7:00 to 8:30pm

Register today!  Spots are limited and this event will be announced to the general public on May 11!

Questions about the event?  Please post a comment!

Community Conversations are presented by The Center for Michigan, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, non-partisan organization working throughout the state to amplify the voices of ordinary citizens and find common ground solutions for a more prosperous future. Please visit www.thecenterformichigan.net for more information.

Many of us have a teacher that impacted our lives or lives of our children.  For gifted learners, it is no different.  These are teachers who looked beyond the bored or disturbed student to see a child eager to learn more, unfettered chains to let them soar, and truly changed some lives!  This week, we especially honor and thank these teachers and all the teachers who have helped gifted learners succeed!

Do you have special teachers who made a difference in the life of a gifted child?  Please add a comment honoring them!

Kiyo Morse, Steppingstone School, Oakland County, MI
Kiyo took in one troubled five year old who failed out of public kindergarten in high style and quickly assessed his issues and abilities in a way that no one had previously done.  Within weeks at her school, he informed us, ‘my muscles aren’t as big as they used to be because i am not mad any more.’ That was soon followed by the statement that ‘people are my school are not horrible’ which eventually led to statements about school being ‘ok.’  This may sound minor but this five year old had given up on school, adults and himself.  It was only with her keen observation, her gentle guidance and firm hand that he became a smiling, productive little boy again.  We say that he was ‘saved’ on February 6th — the day that he joined the Steppingstone community.  We are only now feeling that he has a positive future filled with wonderful discoveries instead of the path filled with self loathing and hatred for the rest of mankind which he had previously seen as his destiny. - Alison Kenyon

Nancy O’Dell, Sam Houston Elementary School, Dallas Independent School District, Texas
My life’s path changed forever in 1980 as a second grader at Sam Houston Elementary School in Dallas, Texas. Coming from a low socio-economic class as a black, female student I was used to being overlooked and ignored by teachers or seen as an anomaly by my fellow black peers, whether in all-black schools or in racially diverse schools. Ironically, it was a Caucasian teacher from a very wealthy background who identified me (and a couple of my close Hispanic friends)for the elementary school’s gifted program. This proved to be my ticket to a better life than I would have had otherwise and a clear future full of hope and promise. I went on to later attend a gifted academy in middle school, graduated from a gifted magnet high school in the top 5% in a class of over 800 seniors, not to mention became the first person in my family to attend college–I went on to attend and graduate from one of the best universities in my state and arguably one of the top universities in the country (The University of Texas at Austin). In case you are wondering, all of these were public schools. This broke the cycle of poverty in my family history, and as a result of being identified as gifted early in my school career, now my children have a viable, promising future as well. Now, the challenge is finding free, public gifted education for my own children. Nancy O’Dell in Texas made all of this a possibility for me, my most sincere hope is that Michigan will make this a possibility for my children as well. Thanks Ms. O’Dell! - La Toya Tung

Kristina Moutrie, Meadow Brook Elementary, Rochester Community Schools, MI
Mrs. Moutrie is a retired teacher from the Troy, MI school district who has blessed the community by volunteering in elementary schools.  She also has had a longtime interest in gifted students, writing her master’s thesis on creating a program for gifted students in Troy.  Even before I started Rochester SAGE, she was someone I could discuss education and gifted learners with and helped my understanding of the school system.

When my eldest daughter was in first grade, she volunteered in the first grade classrooms at her elementary school, working with the students who are advanced in reading.  This gave these students a few hours each week at their academic level and helped the teachers in educating every student.  I always valued our chats about gifted education and the way she helped my daughters learn. - Joshua Raymond

Mrs. Keller, Plumbrook Elementary, Sterling Heights, MI
As a gifted child, I was in a pull-out program at my Elementary school which started in Kindergarten. The program itself was great and allowed me to dive deeper into subjects that were interesting to me. However, the sessions removed me from regular Math Class.

When I reached 2nd grade, I began to struggle with Math. While I could easily produce the correct answer, I had no idea how to show my work and rejected it as a necessary step.

The teachers in the gifted program would make comments like, “You’re smart, why can’t you figure it out.” I was discouraged to say the least. My homeroom teacher, Mrs. Keller was the only one who took the time to sit down with me during lunch and after school to show me how to “show my work”. She was so patient and never told me that I just had to do what was being asked of me. Instead she told me why it was important to show my work. She explained the complexities of higher level math and showed that by showing my work, it would help keep things organized on paper when calculating multiple step problems. She even used real world examples to help me apply the importance to life. She made a major difference in my life and I will forever be grateful for her kindness. - Amy Simko

Mrs. Jan Alderton, QUEST, Bridgeport, MI
I joined Bridgeport Community Schools’ gifted and talented program, QUEST, when I was in 3rd grade and had the good fortune of having Mrs. Alderton for my teacher in a mixed 3rd and 4th grade class. She was young, with such a spark about her and infectious laughter. The program was designed to allow the students to truly work at their own pace, and in math it was common practice to give a pre-test at the beginning of each chapter to determine if the student already knew the material. At one point I passed several in a row and ended up well beyond the rest of my 3rd grade classmates. I worked on my own until I reached long division, and I just didn’t get it. I remember the special one-on-one lesson she gave me cleared it all up for me and on I went. By the end of the year I had worked my way through half of the 4th grade math book, and because of the split class, was doing much of the same work. On the last day she went around to all of the students and wrote “promoted” on their report cards. On mine she wrote “Double Promoted.” Fifth grade was a struggle at times, but the confidence and love of learning that she helped instill in me helped me to persevere. I still look back very fondly on her and the year that profoundly impacted my life. -Janet Raymond

Mrs. Bortnick and Mrs. Kroboth, Lionville Middle School, Downingtown Area School District, PA
Mrs. Bortnick and Mrs. Kroboth were life-savers for my twice-exceptional daughter during her years at the middle school, a time when her self-esteem was beaten elsewhere in school.  But in the gifted room, her strengths were honored and her weaknesses supported by these two amazing teachers.

Study of the brain, logic problems, Shakespeare competitions, debate competitions, and Renaissance Faire trips are only a few fondly remembered activities in gifted class. Most important was the caring and support given to my daughter and all the students in their classes, year in and year out.

Even now, many years later, a visit to the middle school to spend time with Mrs. Bortnick and Mrs. Kroboth brings days of smiles to my daughter’s face.  Thank you Mrs. Bortnick and Mrs. Kroboth! – Carolyn Kottmeyer

Annie John, Twin Lakes Elementary School, Federal Way, WA
In a time when paperwork and standardized testing hinders even the most dedicated teachers in the classroom, Annie John commits herself far beyond expectations in serving her 2/3 GATE class at Twin Lakes. She truly knows every single student in her class: their strengths, their challenges, their joys, their frustrations. Her class is a true community thanks to the environment she has carefully created — not only through lesson plans and activities, but through an alternative setting. Sofas, lamps, plants, natural light may be common in gifted classrooms, but Annie takes the idea of family a step further. All the kids brought in 2-3 framed pictures of themselves with their siblings and/or parents. These pictures are scattered throughout the classroom — on the walls, on tables, on the few desks, etc. When a person walks in and sits down, you feel as though it’s like another home. As part of the GATE curriculum, the children move faster and deeper than the other classes at Twin Lakes. Annie never pushes but encourages. She shows the students the bar and makes them believe they can reach it. She understands about Dabrowski’s overexcitabilities and how they can manifest in a diverse, gifted class. She understands asynchronous development and does all she can to bring the students’ capabilities into better congruence. And she does all this as a single mom on a measly public school salary.

Only one issue disappoints me: that my daughter will move on from Annie’s class next year into a higher grade. But at least I know that she’s prepared for that new challenge, in large part due to the remarkable talents and commitment of Annie John. - Andrea McDowell

Elizabeth Rushing, Thoreau Elementary, Lake Washington School District, WA
Ms. Rushing was my son’s 2nd grade GT (“Quest”) teacher. She recognized that he had learning needs that went beyond her classroom, and allowed him a lot of latitude on assignments. One in particular gave him a spark. It started out as a simple math worksheet, and DS was – as was his typical response – resisting doing something so simple. He asked if he could do it, “my way.” Ms. Rushing said yes. DS translated each problem into atomic abbreviations from the periodic table, solved the problems, then turned the page upside-down to write out the answers in real numbers so Ms. Rushing could correct his math.

For her whole class, Ms. Rushing was (still is, I’m sure!) a priceless treasure. At the beginning of each unit, she gave the end-of-unit test to see how the class was doing on that particular subject. If she found they already knew it – they skipped that unit. She wasn’t bound by a formal structure of lesson plans – she figured out what they needed to learn and taught them. She used creative ways to teach all sorts of topics.

Ms. Rushing really made a difference for MY child, and she continues to do so for her kids. - Mona Chicks

Sue Bedenbaugh Gibbons, Cherokee County Project GOAL (Elementary gifted program), Cherokee County School District, South Carolina
A prevalent maxim asserts the belief that teachers are born, not made; people generally express this theory should they consider teaching to be a higher calling, a service to humanity. After living a life of total exposure to teachers and the teaching profession, I agree with the philosophy that a teacher should strive to inspire, provoke, stimulate each child placed within her care; the ultimate goal being the development of the complete individual, unbound by limitations of mediocrity and sustained with self-direction, confidence and personal honor.

Throughout my life, I have taught with, and been taught by, many outstanding teachers; dedicated educators who bare their souls to their students each day. My dear friend, Sue Bedenbaugh Gibbons, personified the sum and substance of excellent teaching. I met her when she taught my younger son in the Cherokee County Elementary Gifted and Talented Program for four years. She taught him how to think, not what to think; she inspired the creativity from within and provided the accouterments for analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Throughout their relationship as teacher and student, “Mrs. G” taught him joyfully and well, displaying an enthusiasm and zest for teaching and learning that is rare, even among excellent educators.

I had the distinct privilege of teaching with my friend for over ten years. I witnessed her caring relationship with her students, fueled by her infinite patience, tolerance and respect. Sue had an innate ability to connect with her students and, in turn, used that bond to inspire them to learn. She believed that to arouse their curiosity was half the battle won. To a third grade boy with problems in reading, to a young girl who was mathematically insecure, Sue introduced confidence in oneself through mastery of what was once an impossible chore. Furthermore, she had high expectations for her students; she felt that to expect less than the best was to doom them to mediocrity. Through the use of innovative, inspiring lesson plans, she soared beyond the restraints of standardized testing to challenge her students to speak grammatically, think logically and critically and respect the rights of others to express different views.

Sue Bedenbaugh Gibbons was a generous, magnanimous and trustworthy friend, colleague and teacher. Her students and colleagues, past and present, witnessed her devotion to her friends, family and students; we applauded her devotion to higher level thinking and witnessed the superior teaching that heralded the beginning of a child’s intellectual journey. We will miss her tremendously, but we are all much the better for having known her. - Diane Broome Masters

Charyl Stockwell Academy, Charter School in Howell, Michigan
When my daughter was old enough for Kindergarten last fall, I knew that we would have to think carefully about her education. It didn’t seem like 1/2 day Kindergarten (all that was available at our local school) in public school was going to be the right fit for a kid who was reading at a 4th grade level and doing fractions in her head. Charyl Stockwell Academy, a charter school, knew exactly what to do with her. She was placed in a 1st/2nd grade mixed class that is team taught and has a gifted cluster in the room. The school has a gifted coordinator on staff and test any child for giftedness for free if the parents request the testing.

Part of the school’s philosophy is to differentiate for each child. My little one was placed in reading, writing and math groups with other children that are academically at her level. The teachers challenge her without overwhelming her, and she has also learned that it is ok to make mistakes and practice what she has learned. Before she started, she had a problem with perfectionism.

The teachers understand my child. The administration knows that gifted kids have different intensities and emotional reactions to things. The school nurtures her enthusiasm for learning.

We are very happy with CSA, and our daughter loves school and loves going there every day. She told us that she was going to cry when it was time for summer break. We couldn’t ask for more. - Gretchen Hertz

Thank you for reading Rochester SAGE.  Together we can make a difference for gifted learners!

Reblogged from The Deep End:

I highly recommend following this blog! Stephanie Tolan has been on the front lines of advocacy for gifted children for many years and is sharing her wisdom earned during this time. And she's a really great writer...

Please add your story!  It can be about how a teacher or program made a difference for you or your kids.

Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up in May and I wanted to give readers a chance to honor individuals or programs that made a difference for gifted children.  Many honorees will be teachers, but I wanted to leave it open to submit other individuals as mentors, parent volunteers, administrators, home-schooling parents, and many others make a huge difference too!  Please fill out the form on Rochester SAGE to honor someone who made a difference in recognizing and supporting the giftedness of a child – whether it was you, your children, or someone else.

I will compile the responses and share them during Teacher Appreciation Week.  Readers or honorees local to the Rochester, MI area may also be posted on my Rochester Patch blog.

Let’s show our gratitude for those who made a difference!

To honor more than one person, please fill out the form multiple times.

Thank you for reading Rochester SAGE.  Together we can make a difference for gifted children!

Get to Know Mensa a Little Better… Register for the Southeast Michigan Mensa Regional Gathering May 4^th-6^th!

Here are some of the highlights of the great speakers/events that will be featured at the Southeast Michigan Mensa Regional Gathering, May 4^th-6^th.  The bulk of speakers/events of interest to families with children will be featured on Saturday, so a Saturday-only ticket would be a great value!

***Bonus: Every family with kids registered will be automatically entered in a drawing to win two free passes to The Henry Ford/Greenfield Village.  You need not be present to win.***

The Saturday lineup will include…

Backyard Brains from 10:30-11:30 AM will be performing live neuroscience experiments with their famed SpikerBoxes and the lowly cockroach leg, explaining graduate-level neuroscience techniques in kid-friendly terms in the process!

Build ‘N Break will be running our children’s play area from 10 AM all the way till 6 PM!  This means, Legos, Legos, Legos; Snap Circuits; Keva Planks; big foam blocks for the little ones; and Toobers for designing DNA helices and protein molecules.

Has your child ever wanted to be in the circus?  Cirque Amongus from 9-10 AM will be introducing kids to the fundamentals of circus arts such as juggling, movement and balancing.  This is your kids’ chance to try something new they never thought they could do!  They get to learn through trial and error and lots of practice!

Have you been considering the Roeper School?  Here’s your chance to get up close and personal with a Roeper rep and find out all you ever wanted to know about the Roeper philosophy, the intriguing history of the Roeper School, the world renowned Roeper Review, etc.  Roeper will be speaking from 12 – 1 PM.

Have you ever met a dog who can ride a skateboard?!?  At The Evolution of Charlie Darwin you’ll meet Charlie and his friendly dog pals, Reggie, Lacey and Kaddi from 6-7 PM!  Charlie’s trainer Beth explains how she changed a destructive, unruly escape artist into a poster dog for good behavior.  She will reveal the secrets of her techniques!

Frank Dolinar of NanoSteps LLC will be presenting his latest talk on nanotechnology from 4:30-5:30 PM!

John Blinke, editor of the Supplementally column in the American Mensa Bulletin will recount fun, scary adventures on the topics of  “Just Fooling Around” and “Science Horror Stories” from 7:30-8:30 PM.  The audience will share stories too and there may be an outdoors demo!

Hear the fascinating tale of the saving of the Kirtland Warbler, “the story of how a physician, a dentist, a business executive, an anatomy instructor, a penguin biologist and a notorious murderer all played important roles in preventing the warbler from going extinct” from 1:30-2:30 PM.

Also, get ready for the paper airplane contest, 24-hour game room, Songburst Karaoke competition, ice cream social, pool party!

Best of all, you can meet other families with gifted kids at the Regional Gathering!  Families from all over the Detroit Metro area will be coming for the attractions.  We will gather in the Build ‘N Break room for socialization and networking throughout the weekend.  Feel free to bring food in from Hospitality!  We’ll provide puzzles for the older kids and adults there too.

Here’s a full time grid of attractions.  And here are 42 reasons why you should bring your kids to the RG!

To register, fill out this form and mail in.  Make your hotel reservations separately, if needed.  Don’t forget the hotel room discount!  If you are a non-Mensa member please come as a guest!  Note on your registration form that you are a guest of Melissa Jenkins.  Please email gifted_in_mi@sbcglobal.net also, so that she may compile a list of guests and provide to Mensa.  Thank you!!

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. What I can do, I should do. And what I should do, by the grace of God, I will do. – Edward Everett Hale

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. – Mahatma Gandhi

I didn’t plan on advocating for gifted kids.  I wanted to be the kind of parent who lets the schools run as they deem best and volunteers to help with after-school activities and field trips.   I would support the teachers by backing them on their decisions and helping my kids with homework.  Heck, I didn’t even plan on having gifted kids.

It wasn’t my intention to have to go to my children’s teachers and ask why they were being taught what they already knew.  I figured a teacher would test all the children and then divide them into groups based on what they needed to learn.  Isn’t this the age of individualized instruction and differentiation?  Yet, there we have been at every parent-teacher conference wondering why our daughters are being taught what they knew a year ago.

I didn’t want to get the principal and learning consultant involved.  I had hoped that talking with the teacher would have resolved things.  But teachers have 25 kids to work with and a strong incentive, professionally and personally, to pay attention to the average and struggling learners.  There is a huge emphasis on each student reaching a threshold and the school’s reputation is formed largely by how students perform on these threshold standardized tests.  For teachers it also can be very obvious when a struggling student finally “gets it”, but not as much when they help an advanced learner.  In a profession where many enter to make a difference in children’s lives, it can be harder to see the results with gifted students.

I really didn’t want to take it to the district administration and Board of Education.  It feels like being sent to the principal and public speaking always puts a knot in my stomach.  But when we could make no headway with the principal and the response to our suggestions was always “We tried that once and it didn’t work, so we won’t do it”, we had to escalate the issue.  What kind of parent would I be if I ignored my children’s needs because of adversity from authority?  And so when the principal and learning consultant weren’t willing to make adequate changes, some of us went to the district decision makers.  Frankly, I thought it would be fairly easy.  I had asked my city council for a pathway in my subdivision and they put me on a committee to make it happen.  Now families can walk a safe distance from the road.

It wasn’t a goal to form an advocacy group for my district, but it quickly became apparent that numbers are important and that other families were struggling the same way we were.  We don’t have the funds to send our children to private gifted schools and we believe that public education should meet the needs of all students.  We know it can be done, as many school districts across the nation have programs that educate children where they are at academically, not just chronologically.  We live in one of the best districts in our state, so shouldn’t it also be one of the best for advanced learners?

I didn’t plan to have to defend my advocacy or feel weird when talking about my children’s accomplishments.  I’m still not sure why it is OK to be thrilled when your child is an athletic or artistic genius winning the big game or blue ribbons but speaking about how great your child is doing in school needs to be done in hushed voices with like-minded parents.  I wasn’t prepared when someone dismissed my issue with “That’s a good problem to have!” and didn’t realize that a child who spends the day on stuff she already knows and doesn’t learn to work hard isn’t a good problem to have, but just a different problem.  I was taken aback by parents who believed I thought my child was better than theirs.  I most certainly don’t, but I revel in the accomplishments of each child, whether it is in academics, athletics, the arts, leadership, or just doing something they hadn’t been able to do before.

I didn’t want to start blogging about gifted children.  I’m a very private person.  My Facebook page – another thing I hadn’t planned on – has no information about my family and little information about me.  I don’t have a desire to go into politics.  It wasn’t my plan to read books on gifted education, spend hours writing, or attend every school board meeting.  However, when I saw how little understood gifted children were, I felt the need to write about them so that perhaps I could make a bit of difference.

“If you see something, say something.”  This little phrase is a public awareness campaign by the Department of Homeland Security.  But while our country may suffer wounds from terrorist bombs and hijackings, it will be brought to its economic knees by failing to educate our children.  While China spends billions on turning gifted learners into top scientists, engineers, and innovators, our federal government has typically spent less than $10 million per year on its only program for gifted students and now has defunded it.

If you see that we shouldn’t cede America’s position as the land of entrepreneurs and innovators, say something.

If you see that all kids deserve to be educated at their academic level and not just pigeonholed by age, say something.

If you see that your child’s academic skills should be just as valued as other children’s athletic and artistic skills, say something.

If you see that the good of our nation and our children depends on not waiting for someone else to raise the issue, say something.

Blog it.  Whisper it.  Yell it.  Write it in a letter.  Make a sign.  Wear a button.  Say something.

Say it to a friend.  Say it to an educator.  Say it to a legislator.  Say it to a group.  Say it to an individual.  Say something.

Say it until you are heard.
Say it until you are understood.
Say it until it changes.
Say something.

Thank you for reading Rochester SAGE.  Together we can make a difference for gifted children!