Welcome back for another year. This one promises to be full of twists and turns as the state struggles with budget shortfalls and gears up for implementation of education reform beginning September 2011.

Several groups are working on various aspects of ed reform. The one of primary interest to gifted advocates is the Highly Capable Program Technical Work Group. You can read about it at their web site http://www.k12.wa.us/HighlyCapable/Workgroup/default.aspx.

A number of individuals who are active in the Coalition are serving on the TWG. Members are listed on http://www.k12.wa.us/HighlyCapable/Workgroup/Members.aspx.

In addition, the Coalition is keeping a close eye on the work of the group. Their next meeting is September 16 at the Renton SD headquarters and Coalition representatives will be there both as participants and observers.  We will keep you informed.

The next session of the state legislature is going to be a difficult one – if you thought the last two sessions were difficult, this one will be even more so! It will take all our combined efforts to maintain the progress we have made in getting highly capable programs as a mandated part of basic education and to see to it that they are properly and fully funded in a time of budget distress. We are going to need the services of our gifted lobbyist, Donna Christensen, more then ever, to guide us through swamps and along twisting trails. In order to retain her services, we need at least $11,000 in contributions from organizations and individual members of the Coalition.

If you want to see where your money goes, take a look at the financial report for the fiscal year which ended on August 31, 2010.

Attached to this message are two membership forms. One is for the Coalition. The other provides for memberships in all three state-wide gifted groups – Northwest Gifted Child Association, Washington Association of Educators of the Talented and Gifted, and the Washington Coalition For Gifted Education. We strongly urge you to join the Coalition or all three groups and support our work on behalf of Washington’s gifted students.

In addition to lobbying the state legislature, the Coalition works with OSPI and other state education agencies and task forces. Keeping track of all these groups takes a lot of effort and we truly need more active volunteers to do this important work. If you want to personally share in the work, please contact us at wagifted@earthlink.net and we will find a task that fits your time, interests and talents. We really need you, more than ever.

Although 2261 established general rights to a gifted education, it did not reduce the need for advocacy. More than ever, it will be needed at the local level so even if you cannot help at the Coalition, do consider participating in your local parents of gifted group – and if you don’t have one, consider organizing one. Contact Northwest Gifted Child Association at northwestgca@gmail.com for assistance if you need it.

Gifted Education Day is scheduled for February 11, 2011. With the budget problems and the need to ensure that highly capable as part of basic education is actually implemented in September 2011, this is going to be a very important day. Please mark your calendar NOW and plan to attend.

If you want to bring a student group and have them take a capitol tour, September is not too early to make a reservation as the dates fill up fast. Two essential web sites are http://www.ga.wa.gov/visitor/index.html to make tour reservations and http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/pages/visitingthelegislature.aspx for general information.

Here’s looking forward to a successful and productive 2020-2011 school year.