I am a K-2 Gifted Education teacher who serves underrepresented populations through a program called Pathfinders. If funding is cut, you will be saying no to hundreds of struggling gifted learners.  Here are some of the faces that represent gifted education:

I serve a lot of ESL learners who have come from all over the world!  These kids demonstrate excellent thinking skills and acquire the English language in a short period of time.  Most of them enter Kindergarten without speaking any English and by mid-way through first grade, they are speaking, reading and writing above grade level.  Most of the time, there is little to no English spoken at home so these kids are achieving this without English language support at home.  Some of them even have poor role models such as older brothers who are in gangs which in turn inspires them to achieve gang status.  Most of these kids do not do well on traditional screening activties such as CogAT testing or assessment lessons and yet show promising potential in the classroom.  It is my job to work with these students to build background information, help them apply critical thinking to academic subjects and get them formally identified as GT.  Channeling these kids into academic programs at an early age gives them alternative to gang activtiy and a way to become a productive citizen. 

I serve students who are socio-economically challenged.  Some of these students have single parents who are working day and night to financially support their familes.  Some of these students have parents who themselves, failed in school and therefore, pass this attitude onto their children.  Some of these students come from heartbreaking situations which include family members with terminal illnesses, or who are incarcerated or abusive.  These kids need someone to spend time with them in a small group or individually to help them achieve academic success which in turn builds self-confidence.  School then becomes a positive experience that nurtures them academically and provides a path out of poverty.

I serve students who are twice-exceptional.  These students are battling ADD, ADHD, Autism, Speech difficulties and numerous other learning challenges.  Many of these kids are bright underachievers who need help and strategies to learn.  The parents are thrilled that we recognize more than just thier learning challenges and often poor behavior.  Once these students realize that someone is looking beyond the obvious, they too expect more from themselves.  They love the opportunity to practice something that they are good such as analytical thinking instead of struggling to read text.  They too join the path to academic success through GT programming. 

The Pathfinders program provides a path to success that these students would not have normally been able to take.  Most of them would have become underachievers and troublemakers in the regular classroom because they have gifted intelligence to figure out how to take the path of least resistance or the path of negative attention .  Now they are on their way to becoming productive citizens and role models.  It is easier to get a younger child on the path to succeed and once they discover how fulfilling a gifted class can be, they want to go.  In fact, they constantly ask me, "Can I go with you today?"  I want to be able to tell all of them yes instead of , "No, the funding was cut."

Please support these students now in Gifted Education instead of later in rehabilitation programs!!!