[Ohiogift] Advocacy Alert 11.11.16 – Movement to Postpone Gifted Operating Standards Must Be Stopped!

[Ann Sheldon]

The State Board of Education Achievement Committee has been discussing gifted operating standards now for over three years. The latest draft can be found at http://www.oagc.com/files/November%20Achievement%20Committee%20Board%20Book_111516.pdf. Amendments cited in the comments section are those that were largely agreed to by the committee in October. The proposed amendments at the end of the document will be discussed at the November meeting. It was hoped that the standards would be finally voted out and put on the December full board agenda for an intent to adopt. However, at the 11th hour, there is a movement to delay the standards indefinitely. The education management groups have written a letter to all board members asking the board to delay the process in order to do a fiscal analysis of the changes. This is an unwarranted request on several levels. First, districts are not mandated to serve gifted students so there is really no need to do a fiscal analysis. Second, districts receive gifted funding which ODE has decided does not need to be spent on gifted students. And, third, this rule backs off many of the ratios and standards that are currently in place and provides an abundance of flexibility for districts to experiment with new ways to serve gifted students. OAGC’s full response to the letter can be accessed here.


Please reach out to achievement committee members to urge their support for the draft of the operating standards with (at least) the October amendments them and to vote the standards out of the achievement committee this month. Your message should be short and sweet:

This standards process has gone on for almost four years now. It is time to move forward.
The current draft with suggested amendments has been discussed thoroughly with ample time for input. It is a set of standards that has been built upon by consensus of the committee with no objections from any member up to this point.  These standards will provide direction to districts for the upcoming years while the gifted advisory council works to ensure that any remaining issues are resolved in that stakeholder process.
Superintendents, administrators gave months of testimony to the full board. They have called first and foremost for clear direction from the board. They also called for flexibility which is provided in great measure in this draft. Gifted students, gifted staff, and district staff cannot continue to work in a state of limbo. These standards need to be passed now so that districts can prepare for next year

Please add any additional thoughts you might have.


Address your emails to “Chair Vazquez-Skillings and members of the achievement committee.” The nine committee member board addresses are: rebecca.vazquez-skillings at education.ohio.gov, melanie.bolender at education.ohio.gov, Pat.Bruns at education.ohio.gov,Stephanie.Dodd at education.ohio.gov,  Joe.Farmer at education.ohio.gov,Nancy.Hollister at education.ohio.gov,ann.jacobs at education.ohio.gov, jones.todd at education.ohio.gov,ron.rudduck at education.ohio.gov


CC the rest of the board members:
Tom.gunlock at education.ohio.gov,michael.Collins at education.ohio.gov,AJ.Wagner at education.ohio.gov, kathleen.mcgervey at education.ohio.gov,maryrose.oakar at education.ohio.gov, Roslyn.Painter-Goffi at education.ohio.gov,Frank.Pettigrew at education.ohio.gov,ElshoffTess at education.ohio.gov, cathye.flory at education.ohio.gov,sarah.fowler at education.ohio.gov
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