Janesville School Board could expand gifted student program
On the agenda
The Janesville School Board meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Educational Services Center, 527 S. Franklin St. Agenda items include:
-- An hour-long presentation and discussion at the beginning of the meeting about possible changes in early-retirement benefits.
-- Further discussion and possible action on early-retirement benefits later in the meeting.
-- Possible discussion of paid time off, which would replace sick days, personal days and other categories of days off.
-- Possible approval of a 2013-14 school year calendar.
-- A closed-door session whose agenda includes deliberation of or negotiation to purchase services.
JANESVILLE — A program for gifted elementary students that was expanded this year could be expanded again.
The Janesville School Board could vote Tuesday on a recommendation to expand the Challenge Program at Madison Elementary School to the third grade and to fund the new fourth-grade program at Madison next fall.
The proposal faced opposition from board member Kevin Murray but no one else at a board committee meeting Wednesday.
Murray said he didn’t like attracting students from outside the district with what he sees as more services than the average student gets.
It’s a want, not a need, Murray said.
Committee Chairwoman Kristin Hesselbacher strongly disagreed.
The Challenge Program is analogous to special education, which provides services those students need, Hesselbacher said.
“I don’t think it’s an extra program. I don’t think it’s a special program,” Hesselbacher said. “I think it’s just one more program that students need.”
Board President Bill Sodemann agreed that students’ needs on both ends should be addressed, and he said providing the program closer to west-side homes is important.
Sodemann said it would be a shame not to develop the students’ talents, given what they could potentially produce for society.
The Challenge Program for years had been in the fourth and fifth grades at one elementary school.
Roosevelt has hosted the program most recently.
The school board decided last year to expand the program to fourth grade at Madison Elementary School and to establish a third-grade Challenge Program at Roosevelt.
This year’s fourth-graders at Madison will move on to the fifth-grade Challenge Program next fall, so the board will be asked to approve the hiring of another teacher to continue the fourth-grade program, for a total of two new teachers—one for third grade and one for fourth.
The maximum cost for the third- and fourth-grade Challenge Program at Madison next year would be $184,320, according to a memo prepared for the board.
Officials said students entering the program from outside the district would increase district revenue, offsetting the cost.
Murray said he didn’t believe there would be a cost benefit, and he would like to see the overall budget picture before committing to the expansion.
“I don’t know where this fits (in budget priorities). It’s not on the top of my list,” Murray said.
One argument for the expansion is that 64 students qualified for the third-grade Challenge Program for next year.
Twenty-five of those will attend the program at Roosevelt School. The rest must await the board’s decision.
Also, 52 students qualified for the fourth-grade program, and 25 of those will go to Roosevelt. The remaining 27 also are on a waiting list.
The administration’s memo argues that students who qualify for the program but who are turned away are “disenfranchised” because they don’t receive the services most appropriate for their needs.
The administration reports an increase in district revenue of $243,180 because of students who have entered the Challenge Program from other districts or parochial schools and from the siblings of those students who also transferred to Janesville public schools, a total of 35 students.
The memo notes that the school board has set a goal of increasing enrollment.
If the expansion was approved, that would lead to an expansion of the middle school Challenge Program, as well.
Challenge students now attend Edison Middle School in grades 6-8. Franklin Middle School, which is next door to Madison Elementary, would begin offering the Challenge Program when the current Madison students reach sixth grade.
The committee forwarded the issue to the board without a recommendation.
Feb 26, 2013 at 10:49 p.m.
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"New ObamaScare Healthcare Law Will Expand Gifts"
Feb 26, 2013 at 3:08 p.m.
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Special Ed programs are required to be in schools for those kids who need the extra help. It is about time that administrators understand TAG programs are just as important.
Feb 26, 2013 at 1:37 p.m.
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I guess I don't understand why each school has to have a "gifted" or "special ed" programs? Why not just have a separate school, where all the special ed kids go, and a separate school where all the gifted kids go from the area? Or, why not just end all the special programs and everyone gets to learn at the same speed, if you are special then I guess the parents need to help them with homework, like it used to be. We have gone to far with "special" programs IMO.
Feb 26, 2013 at 11:39 a.m.
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To me-csense made thed most sense on this thread- what about the average kid? Our district needs to expand ALL programs that help kids succeed including TAG. If we are to become a top notch school district that serves everyone- we need to do this.
Feb 26, 2013 at 11:39 a.m.
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On average we spend roughly 10 times the amount of money for kids who perform 1 standard deviation below the norm as we do for kids who perform one standard deviation above the norm. It is every bit of a tragedy to have a child not reach his/her potential as it is for a child to barely reach basic proficiency. Many years ago the amounts were roughly 8 billion vs 800 million in funding for the 2 categories. In past years due to budget constraints gifted programs have had cuts LD/ED have not faced the same scrutiny or uncertainty.
Feb 26, 2013 at 11:27 a.m.
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UrbanAchiever, thank you for that information.
Feb 26, 2013 at 11:19 a.m.
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NO ONE ever said that they were NOT WORTH IT!!!
Feb 26, 2013 at 11:02 a.m.
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The amount of money spent on special education dwarfs that of talented and gifted. There are entire departments dedicated to special education at schools, whereas there are 2-3 teachers at a school that are talented and gifted advocates--it's an add-on responsibility. The amount of time and teacher hours put into developing IEPs, pre- and re-teaching content, and in general making sure special education students are not falling through the cracks is vast. (Yes, I know some students still fail despite teacher and parent efforts.) Go ask any teacher who the special education students are in their class, and they should be able to list them off. Ask the same about talented and gifted, and you may get some blank stares.
My point is, talented and gifted services in Janesville pale in comparison to special education. The amount of training for talented and gifted is relatively small, and their needs are not always met. Imagine sitting in a math class being able to do algebra while your peers can't consistently add and subtract. TAG students need things like the challenge program to make them successful in school and beyond.
Finally, think of the cost. Adding two teachers at a cost of $184,000 is nothing in comparison to a special education program. In my school, we have 10 special education teachers, 12-15 aides, and a few classrooms dedicated to special education. For the gifted students? Teachers serving as TAG advocates, at a cost of about $5000 a year. Still think those kids aren't worth it?
Feb 26, 2013 at 10:44 a.m.
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Killngrill...I commend you for your dedication to your children. We ( I too am a parent of a learning disabled) are most times their only advocate, certainly the strongest. I for one will never stop fighting for betterment of the disabled. Keep up the fight.
Feb 26, 2013 at 10:26 a.m.
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proartist;
Thank you for your comments, and I understand and agree with you. But many of us parents that have children with learning disabilities, believe that we keep expanding and expanding the gifted programs without expanding the other programs. As it states in the article; "A program for gifted elementary students that was expanded this year could be expanded again." Again is the issue. Have they or will they expand programs for the children with learning disabilities?
Feb 26, 2013 at 9:48 a.m.
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@killngrill: Calm down. NO ONE said forget those with disabilities impairing their learning. But, on the other hand, many all too often jump to conclusions that gifted and talented children don't need help; can manage on their own (regardless of other life circumstances) and that's simply not always the case. We need to find the funding to educate ALL our students according their ability/needs with academically proficient public schools so we can turn the current funding equation around given we, as a state and nation, currently spend far more per person on prisons than on education.
Feb 26, 2013 at 9:35 a.m.
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OMG; proartist
And just forget the children with learning disabilities????? Leave them behind and just forget about them? Did they bring their learning disabilities upon themselves?
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If they are bored, let them clean the bathrooms and mop the floors. That would save money and we would not have to spend more on them!!
Feb 26, 2013 at 9:27 a.m.
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Why? Because "gifted" students are often bored when they're not academically challenged and then they become "at-risk" students. Here's why: "According to a 1991 study, between 18 and 25% of gifted and talented students drop out of school." http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=538 Why NOT do the best we can for those students who will be our leaders, innovators, and our best hope for the future?
Feb 26, 2013 at 8:56 a.m.
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Why do we need to spend more, and more, and more on the “gifted” students, when it’s the children with learning disabilities that need more guidance, assistance, and opportunities!! And why do we use the word “gifted” when all children are gifted!
Feb 25, 2013 at 10:29 p.m.
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How about a program to help those regular-ed students who needs just a little bit extra assistance? There's plenty out there for special-ed and for TAG students, but those who don't qualify in either direction fall through the cracks of a system that thinks all kids are preparing to go to Harvard.
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