[Ohiogift] advocating for children

[Margaret DeLacy]

Jane commented (on my post) that her daughter's teacher

"later indicated to me that she had never had a child like my daughter and was thankful for the insight I had provided into differentiation in the classroom."

and Colleen pointed out that "
Most teachers don't know what to do with these kids. 
One thing I think is important for parents to remember is that, unless they 
have a degree in gifted education, most educators - teachers and 
administrators included - have had little to no coursework or training in 
the nature and needs of gifted learners. "

This is why parent advocacy must go beyond the classroom.  It is very important to have one-on-one conversations with individual teachers, but we need much deeper change than that.  We need funding and support for pre-service training for all school staff, including principals (who set school schedules and evaluate staff) and counselors (who help students plan their path through school).  Individual teachers usually can't create classes or assign students to different classrooms or hire specialists.  They don't decide what classes will be required for licensure or what will be in those classes.  And, as Ann has shown, it is also important to change the way the state evaluates districts, schools and teachers.  None of these happens at a classroom level.  It requires sustained advocacy at the state level.  

Margaret