On Monday, the school district's Gifted Education Advisory Committee will consider switching from the current single program coordinator to a group of principals and counselors who would share responsibility for monitoring accelerated learners.
According to a proposal by MCPS Assistant Superintendent Cheryl Wilson, the new plan would be supervised by two building principals, who would each dedicate one-tenth of their work time to gifted education needs. The counselors in each elementary school would also be involved in working with the students and their families, while a dedicated gifted education teacher (or perhaps two part-time teachers) would travel throughout the district's 12 elementary and middle-school buildings working directly with the kids.
On a bell curve chart of ability, each group lands on the outside edge. And accelerated learners often need as much help adapting to their abilities as children with disabilities need to learn to cope with their shortfalls. Both often require extra attention from a specially trained teacher to keep them from disrupting the rest of the class.
In a letter to the committee, Schuck raised several objections to Wilson's proposal. She wrote that the change would break up a library of materials that MCPS had been building for years - and that parents had come to depend on for activities. She also questioned whether having several people dedicate part of their workday to gifted education was as effective as keeping one person on the task full time.
Monday's meeting will review the new proposal and look at how the school district is meeting its current goals for gifted education. The meeting begins at 4 p.m. in Jefferson School, Room 202.
Reporter Rob Chaney can be reached at 523-5382 or at rchaney@missoulian.com
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