Just 7 Minutes to Gifted Education!

What if those years of struggling with the school system to get gifted programs, explaining to the teachers what gifted learners need, and having to supplement at home could be over … in 7 minutes?

We need your 7 minutes.  Right now.  Before you do anything else, because you might forget later.  Take 5 minutes to write a letter to your Michigan legislators.  Take 2 minutes to pass this along to your friends and relatives, letting them know this important to you and asking them to take 7 minutes too.  Each person over 18 in a household should send a separate letter.

The Education and Appropriations Committees meet jointly on March 6, 2013 to discuss allocations in the School Aid Act that funds education in Michigan.  We need our voices heard now.

Here is my letter.  You can just cut and paste it into an email or form on your legislator’s site or write your own.  If your legislator isn’t on the list below, please send to Lisa Posthumus Lyons, Education Committee Chair, and Joe Haveman, Appropriations Committee Chair.

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Michigan is one of the few states that does not identify or provide services for gifted students.  Many other states have budgets for gifted education, but most gifted learners in Michigan are underserved.

I am requesting that 1% of the Michigan education budget be allocated to providing services for gifted students.

The money would ensure:

• Teacher training in gifted education for public school teachers
• The development, implementation, and assessment of gifted and talented programs that take place during the school day for gifted and talented students
• High quality gifted and talented materials, resources, programs and services for gifted students in grades K-12.

As one of your constituents, this is a vital issue for me and my children.  I eagerly await your response and your vote supporting the gifted learners who make up 5-10% of Michigan’s school children.

Thank you.

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Don’t know your district?  Find it at www.house.mi.gov/mhrpublic/

House Education Committee Members:

Lisa Posthumus Lyons (R) Committee Chair, 86th District
Ray Franz (R) Majority Vice-Chair, 101st District
Hugh D. Crawford (R) 38th District
Kevin Daley (R) 82nd District
Bob Genetski (R) 80th District
Pete Lund (R) 36th District
Tom McMillin (R) 45th District
Tom Hooker (R) 77th District
Bradford Jacobsen (R) 46th District
Amanda Price (R) 89th District
Ken Yonker (R) 72nd District
Ellen Lipton (D) Minority Vice-Chair, 27th District
David Knezek (D) 11st District
Winnie Brinks (D) 76th District
Thomas Stallworth (D) 7th District
Collene Lamonte (D) 91st District
Theresa Abed (D) 71st District
Ben Cook, Committee Clerk, 517.373-2002

House Appropriations Committee Members:

Joe Haveman (R) Committee Chair, 90th District
Al Pscholka (R) Majority Vice-Chair, 79th District
Eileen Kowall (R) 44th District
Matt Lori (R) 59th District
Bill Rogers (R) 42nd District
John Walsh (R) 19th District
Jon Bumstead (R) 100th District
Anthony Forlini (R) 24th District
Peter MacGregor (R) 73rd District
Greg MacMaster (R) 105th District
Nancy Jenkins (R) 57th District
Paul Muxlow (R) 83rd District
Earl Poleski (R) 64th District
Phil Potvin (R) 102nd District
Michael McCready (R) 40th District
Martin Howrylak (R) 41st District
Rob VerHeulen (R) 74th District
Rashida Tlaib (D) Minority Vice-Chair, 6th District
Terry Brown (D) 84th District
Fred Durhal (D) 5th District
Sean McCann (D) 60th District
Brandon Dillon (D) 75th District
Sarah Roberts (D) 18th District
Andrew Kandrevas (D) 13rd District
Pam Faris (D) 48th District
Adam Zemke (D) 55th District
Sam Singh (D) 69th District
Ben Williams, Jr., Committee Clerk, 517-373-1988

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