Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Education
 
Board
State Board of Education
 
chapter
Regulations Governing Educational Services for Gifted Students [8 VAC 20 ‑ 40]
Action Revision of regulations school divisions must meet in their gifted education programs, K - 12
Stage NOIRA
Comment Period Ended on 2/23/2007
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2/17/07  12:00 am
Commenter: Dr. Andreas Tolk

Education of Teachers needed
 

I welcome this effort as I see the need to address the gifted education in an appropriate manner. However, all regulations will not lead to anything if they are not accompanied by the proper education of the educators, and this education must be mandatory for teachers in charge. Teachers of gifted children must be well aware of their needs. In particular in heterogeneous classrooms, differentiation must be practised in an educated way.

Many of our teachers try to do their papers - personally I think that all of them do - but you cannot drive a race car when you only learned to drive in a street car in the city. (Yes, you cannot drive a truck or a utility vehicle as well.) Differentiated education for the kids means differentiated knowledge for the educator.

This will not be easy and may be challenging for the one or the other teacher at first, but if we want to apply the "Leave no kid behind!" act  in school, the diversity of kids requires the diversity of education, which requires an increased and improved education of the educators.

CommentID: 407