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<div class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4"><b><font color="darkslateblue"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">A post from Judy Chaffins</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">:</span></span></i></font></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Gifted Obituary</span></u></b></font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4">Today I am mourning the loss of a dear friend, Gifted Education in Ohio. I’ve known her for more than 20 years. We’ve had m<a name="_GoBack"></a>any meaningful walks together. She was a trusted and stimulating companion who always sought the truth and tried to make a difference in the lives of many. <br>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4">She will not only be greatly missed, but will leave behind a large number of orphans who, without her protection, loving care, and guidance will wander throughout Ohio’s education system alone, without purpose or direction. Another consequence of this great loss will be our state’s inability to foster critical thinking and develop problem-solving health in the future, which are essential to economic and social progress. There will be many other outcomes, few of them positive.</font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4">She died at the hands of “Local Control,” aided by self-styled leaders throughout the state and nation who could not or would not establish a vision for education that embraced the needs of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">all</i> children. Her death was complicated by those same leaders who prioritized spending billions of dollars on the war on drugs, vs. spending adequate money on education to make the United States a world-class leader in that area. These leaders placed blame on public education and laid everything at its feet as a problem to solve, without giving it the needed infrastructure to succeed.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Policies were repeatedly put in place to undermine its health, and more and more control was given to the uninformed, the misguided, the naïve. They were mere managers, as opposed to true education leaders. They were the entrepreneurial, disguised as “visionary,” and their efforts suggest they were unable to think critically and determine long-term, positive outcomes.</font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4">Others contributed to the death of Gifted Education in Ohio. Parents too often lacked the ability to understand the impact of her health and well-being. Many were totally unaware of their need for her, and usually they were those most vulnerable — the poor, minorities, and rural. The wealthy and powerful will be able to keep her presence alive in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">their</i> schools, at least for a while. But without broad infrastructure for Gifted Education, they eventually will have to resort to private schools for their children to meet their needs.</font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4">Self-interest groups aided and abetted the death of Gifted Education in Ohio. School leaders and educators openly and behind closed doors fought her on all levels because they could not or would not see her immense strengths. When they did, they feared her, rather than valuing what she had to offer and empowering her to do great things in their districts, not just for gifted students, but for families and society alike</font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4">The federal government also refused to help and only gave her a few token measures of aid. These were mostly in the form of grants that would keep her on life support, but not give her the total defense she needed to fight for her robust health.</font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4">Legislators repeatedly benefitted from data and testimony from those most knowledgeable of her precarious condition, yet these same officials impeded her survival. Their interference in educational policies and financial support — along with a lack of vision and leadership — fostered an unhealthy environment to thwart her health and progress. (Please note that public education in general is exhibiting the same symptoms and is in danger of following in her path.)</font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">The recipe for the death of Gifted Education in Ohio is outlined in the draft of the Revised Ohio Operating Standards for Identifying and Serving Gifted Students, Ohio Administrative Code 3301-51-15, to be released Friday for public comment. If you want to witness history, read those standards with a critical eye for their effectiveness — or lack thereof — to empower good things to happen for the gifted orphans left behind.</b></font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4">Memorial contributions can be made to the Ohio Association for Gifted Children, the only entity in the state of Ohio that has consistently fought for her survival. Visitation hours can be obtained on that website: <a href="http://www.oagc.org/">www.oagc.org</a>.</font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><font color="indigo" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">—Judy Chaffins</i></b></font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><font color="indigo" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">judy.chaffins@staff.allencountyesc.org</i></b></font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><font color="indigo" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Director of Gifted Education</i></b></font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><font color="indigo" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Allen</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> County Educational Service Center</i></b></font></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><font color="indigo" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">1920 Slabtown Rd.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">, Lima, OH 45801</i></b></font></div>
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