<font color='black' size='2' face='arial'>Corr<font size="2">ected state board emails: <br>
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<div> <a href="http://www.oagc.com/files/State%20Board%20email%20addresses.9.27.13.pdf">http://www.oagc.com/files/State%20Board%20email%20addresses.9.27.13.pdf</a><br>
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<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: anngift <anngift@aol.com><br>
To: Ohiogift <Ohiogift@lists.service.ohio-state.edu><br>
Sent: Fri, Sep 27, 2013 11:42 am<br>
Subject: [Ohiogift] State Board members need to still hear from gifted advocates.<br>
<br>
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<font color="black" face="arial" size="2"><font size="2">FYI: see the email below from the education management associations: While I can't verify this, the word on the street is that the state superintendent has told district superintendents to start emailing state board members. </font><font size="2">Please keep emailing state board members. W</font><font size="2">e need to step up our game. Please add State Superintendent Dick Ross to your list of contacts to email. His email address is <a href="mailto:superintendent@education.ohio.gov">superintendent@education.ohio.gov </a></font><br>
<br>
<font size="2">I will post a new advocacy alert later today. Remember, be polite, be short and to the point, but email all board members and copy in the state superintendent. <br>
<br>
Talking points: <br>
<br>
1. Eliminating all inputs such as time requirements, staff ratios, and staff qualifications lowers the bar for service to gifted children. The operating standards should first and foremost be about supporting and protecting children, not lowering the bar so that adults can game the system to make their service numbers look good even while children are not receiving proper support. <br>
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2. There are currently very few output measures in the system that are usable for gifted students and contrary to what the education managements groups are saying, there are no accountability measures or consequences in place for districts if they fail to provide adequate services to gifted children. Unless these are in place, gifted children across the state will be hurt by the September 5 draft gifted operating standards. <br>
<br>
3. The General Assembly allocated over $85 million to gifted students in the budget and added language saying the funds were intended to be spent on gifted students. Despite the governor's veto on the level of gifted staff to be hired under the gifted formula, the funding formula still indicates that gifted funds should be used for gifted identification, gifted coordination, and gifted intervention specialists. As taxpayers, we want to know that the funding is used appropriately. <br>
<br>
Add your own personal message. Keep it short. Keep it polite. But please keep sending emails. If you sent it once, send it again. Have your spouses send something. Have your children email. You get the drift. Here is a link to state board member addresses: <br>
<br>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.oagc.com/files/State%20Board%20email%20addresses.pdf">http://www.oagc.com/files/State%20Board%20email%20addresses.pdf</a><br>
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Thanks, <br>
<br>
Ann <br>
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<span></span><br>
<span>To: School board members, superintendents, treasurers and other school business officials</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>From: Damon Asbury, OSBA โ€” (614) 540-4000</span><br>
<span> Tom Ash, BASA โ€” (614) 846-4080</span><br>
<span> Barbara Shaner, OASBO โ€” (614) 325-9562</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>Date: Sept. 27, 2013</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>Re: Contacts Needed on Possible Gifted Mandates</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>We
sent a โ€�Call to Actionโ€� last week concerning the Gifted Education
Operating Standards scheduled to be approved at the State Board of
Educationโ€�s October meeting. It has come to our attention that members
of the State Board are hearing from parents of gifted children and
other advocates, and they are requesting more stringent mandates on
school districts for managing gifted education programs and the state
funds that accompany them.</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>We have been
told State Board members are not hearing from school districts on the
issue. We are concerned that a lack of communication from school
districts will lead the State Board to believe that school districts are
comfortable with increased mandates for gifted education. We believe we
have heard our members say that required expenditures represent more
mandates.</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>As you know, Gov. John Kasich
vetoed language that would have increased mandates on school districts
for gifted education. Based on his action, the Ohio Department of
Education (ODE) revised the proposed operating standards to be less
stringent. These two actions have sparked recent efforts by parents of
gifted students and other advocates.</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>We
believe all students should be given the opportunities they need to be
successful. However, we feel school district administrators should be
given the flexibility to allocate their resources at the local level to
maximize these opportunities. We also believe subgroup accountability
will ensure gifted students are properly educated, or districts will
suffer the consequences of public reaction and/or the possibility of
sanctions by ODE.</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>Please contact State
Board President Debe Terhar and other State Board members, then copy
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Richard Ross on the
message at <a href="mailto:superintendent@education.ohio.gov">superintendent@education.ohio.gov</a>.</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>Click here for a list of State Board members and their contact information: State Board Members ( <a target="_blank" href="http://ealerts.osba-ohio.org/files/file/StateBoardContacts%281%29.doc">http://ealerts.osba-ohio.org/files/file/StateBoardContacts(1).doc</a> )</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>Ohio School Boards Association</span><br>
<span>8050 N. High Street, Suite 100</span><br>
<span>Columbus, OH 43235</span><br>
<span>(614) 540-4000|<a target="_blank" href="http://www.ohioschoolboards.org">www.ohioschoolboards.org</a> ( <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ohioschoolboards.org/">http://www.ohioschoolboards.org/</a> ) </span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>contact us ( <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ohioschoolboards.org/contact-us">http://www.ohioschoolboards.org/contact-us</a> ) |privacy policy ( <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ohioschoolboards.org/privacypolicy">http://www.ohioschoolboards.org/privacypolicy</a> )|send feedback ( <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ohioschoolboards.org/feedback">http://www.ohioschoolboards.org/feedback</a> )</span><br>
<span></span><br>
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