I am a mother of a gifted 6 year old. He is showing signs of being profoundly gifted, which will be determined when he is 7. Thus far, it has been extremely hard to get any help with his educational needs. Why not have a more open environment and accept more bright children into a more challenging curriculm?  If they can attempt it, perhaps they can even arise to the challenge. Too many doors have been closed in my face when I proposed that my kindergartener was gifted. It was as if I was asking to have someone unveil the curtain in the Wizard of OZ. "We can accept referrels in February. Nothing can be done until then." Well, by then the school year is almost over and my son wondered, "why go to school?"

I actually like some of the proposal, especially the 60 day return of notification. Will that mean that students won't have to wait for an appointed time to become an "annointed" one? Wait. That is the game gifted kids have to play. That is not acceptable. I do agree that there does need to be more structure then allowing each school to define their curriculm. They may find it hard to believe a 5 year old can actually read and understand the New Testament unless they have some indepth understanding of a gifted child's acumen.

I also think that a heterogeneous environment would suite higher gifted students. The structure should be tiered this way: omit gifted in class differentiation. Instead have a school geared for gifted children of all grades in classes by homogeneous grouping, this can include children that are willing to work really hard for good grades (some one coined them want to be's). Then for the children who are more diversley and highly gifted, put them in an open class room grouped hetergeneously.

As far as funding goes. Chesterfield county needs more input in this area. They need more people who are trained well and more people in charge of the gifted curriculum. It shouldn't be a free for all or "let's just wing it." As educators, you should be more professionally adept in this area. It would also be great to put in your brag book, "I taught Einstein in math," rather than the indefinable rue that plagues gifted children in school situations, "I thought Thomas Edison was thick in the head, and failed him." By the way, Thomas Edison used over 1,000 filiments to make the light bulb. He said it took 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration. So perhaps you may want another look at those "wanna be's."