"BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL" beach boys
"New Painesville City School Policy"
April 6,2015
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Because of changes from the Ohio Department of Education, the gifted programming for the Painesville City Schools is changing. This letter will describe the changes and how they will affect your student(s)
To meet state expectations, gifted identification and services will begin in kindergarten and go through grade 12. Historically, our programming has only impacted students in grades 3-5. To accomplish this with our current staff, gifted service will be provided through consultation by our Gifted Intervention Specialist (Mrs. Foecking) with all core-subject teachers who work with your children. Instead of having an intense three years of pull-out gifted services in grades 3-5 we will now provide training to teachers to be able to meet the needs of students throughout their academic careers.
What will this look like?
For students in grades 6-12, the school day will look very similar. The difference will occur via behind-the-scenes training with teachers. Over time, teachers will learn improved methods to meet the needs of gifted students. We are using a state-provided curriculum for training. This should improve the instruction for all students.
For students in grades 3-5 nothing will change for the current school year. But beginning next year gifted instruction will be provided at each elementary building, using the consultation model described above. Students currently receiving services at Maple Elementary School, along with their siblings, will have the option of either staying at Maple for the remainder of their elementary years or returning to their home schools. Either way the instruction will be the same.
Right now there are no services for students currently in grades K-2 who are identified as gifted. Next year, students K-2 will be provided services though the model described above.
These changes will bring challenges to our district. We will strive to make the changes yield results in academic growth for your children.
If you have questions about any of the changes or programming please contact David Bull, Director of Curriculum & Instruction, or Holly Foecking Gifted Intervention using the information listed below.
Regards,
David Bull Holly Foecking
Director of Curriculum & Instruction Gifted Intervention Specialist
PCLS PCLS
440-392-5083 440-392-5472
david bull@pcls.net holly foecking@pcls.net
So what does this letter tell us?
Is Painesville City Schools embarking on mediocrity? Do you really expect these teachers to be able to satisfy the instruction your child needs? Does the system expect ALL student to be at the same level going into Jr. High. Is it time to find a new home for your gifted child, it appears PCLS is not equipped to service their needs? What changes from the Ohio Department of Education? I guess we can have programs so no one is let behind but a lousy program for those that can exceed? Time to evaluate your child's future. Should the resident's of Painesville been informed of this change?
posted by terminator1 @ 6:13 PM
26 Comments
26 Comments:
The most important commodity a community can have is an excellent school system to attract young families with children. You have to wonder what agenda our city schools have, and who will it attract?
I'm confused. Having a gifted program for just students in grades 3-5 seems ridiculous to me. Having it for all grades seems great. Am I missing something?
State law currently states districts have to identify gifted students but not service them. Looks like the Red Raiders are going the same route as the Beavers in choosing not to service them. The Cardinals choose to service them.
Compare!
What is the school system formally known as 'Painesville Township Schools" doing with the Ohio Department of Education gifted program changes?
On another note, I wonder when Painesville Township will change their name to "Riverside Township?
7:27 You find out who the gifted students are in K-2 you promote their education on an accelerated level in 3-5 and by the 6th grade these students are taking advance classes. Remember how when you went to high school and took algebra and some students were taking calculus? Putting a child entering 3rd grader reading at a 6th grade level by the time they enter 3rd grade makes no sense. Some the children will average out or will become bored and lose interest with school. You are asking a lot from 3-5 grade teachers to having such a sliding scale of student.
2:01 I've heard of state minimum standards but not maximum standards? So you identify them then what? I can't believe Mentor would ignore such a state law, what's the penalty ?
5:14 you can believe the name was changed to not to be confused with well, you know who? They probably like to become Riverside Twp.
6:40 Look if you have a gifted student you presently have to consider what is the best for them. PCLS doesn't seem to be the answer.
Schools and education seem to be so important in attracting quality people to your community in this regard PCLS gets an F. New building's doesn't make for a quality education.
It's been a long time since I was in school, about the same age as you, TERM. Are the current gifted kids in one school? As you may remember they were all shipped to Lathrop, where this program took place. And no, I was not one of them. I had a friend at Huntington who went there starting in the middle of 3rd grade. But what's curious is that some of those kids were really not that academically superior; and some who did NOT make it into the gifted program ended up excelling later in Walnut and Harvey. So you can't necessarily tell early on.
Did other parents receive letters, or have to find out through the grapevine as I? What a shock to read it here.
On another note...Kudos to Mom of the year in Baltimore. She caught her son rioting and slapped him into tomorrow with cameras rolling and made the news. Don't get me wrong I Do Not advocate child abuse. I hope she doesn't get into trouble for what she did and I wish there were more concerned parents out there.
Term, you are missing the point. In mentor they choose to identify AND serve them in their home buildings which means many gifted teachers. In painesville they are now doing the same as riverside in identifying but not serve them. Look deeper, this is strictly a financial decision. The students will no longer be bused to maple but rather stay in their home school. Cost savings with the busing as well as staff who service them.
10:26 There again are no absolutes that said I think the results would prove me it works. Yes there are late bloomers even may successful people without a degree. Yes you are correct.
12:30 They had a meeting at Harvey last month and this letter was sent to all parents with children in the gifted program.
Can't believe your shocked? The system recently sent out a newsletter and a website and I don't believe it was mentioned in neither. It should have been.
5:22 So you claim this is a cost saving measure? In the letter it stated that the students may stay at Maple along with siblings? Seems no saving there for at least what maybe four years. In my eyes Mentor is doing it correctly and will reap the rewards. How can we spend funds to help the ones with the most needs and just identify those that can progress. What if we cut services to kids that were behind? Identify them but not serve them?
12:39 Yes that was an eye opener and maybe some could learn from it. I remember when my daughter was small and ran out into the street, grandma made sure that her buttocks remembered grandma's hand. She never ran into the road again. This woman could be Mother of the year for not only here actions yesterday but watching her son's face there was no anger hostility if anything just disappointment in himself for making a bad choice his mother corrected.
Thank you this letter just changed my vote on the May levy to a NO how irresponsible this leadership is.
What really makes it bad in this particular school district is that we have so many illegals that are holding everyone back, so the gifted students are at a double jeopardy...even worse than the general population of "regular" kids, whose education is being thwarted by this problem. Did they ever even stop the 50% policy here, or is that still going on?
The problem is with the law. There is no law that protects gifted children as there is laws that protect special ed students. Parents of gifted students need to be as vocal as special ed parents.
Also there is much controversary nation wide as how best to identify and serve gifted students. Since you can't get accurate IQ scores until third grade it is stupid to even attempt to identify prior to that....but yet that's what ohio wants to do.
So cut to gifted program should equal a cut at the administration level? Look back the past 20+ years. There is the illusion of cuts at the BOE but it's a shell game of moving people and or re-naming the positions. Once there was one special education director now there is one plus an assistant. This is how they too fly under the radar.
6:51 That was not the purpose of this post only that gifted children be treated fairly.
12:51 The State of Ohio provides dollars so the Hispanic children can be apart of our educational system.
It does seem that has become priority #1 for the district.
2:06 Can't agree more seems the smart parents move or find a solution to their child's education. Identify the gifted but not serve them? This is a solution, or an outrages statement? Agree about I.Q. but most educators can spot the enriched students as early as the first grade. Which child acts as a sponge to education.
11:51 I understand your frustration but this is a sad ending to a district who started the enrichment program in the early 50's and was a program that was watched and copied by many.
I thin the bottom line is there is no $$$$ involved for gifted kids like there is for special education(how many are really given that label just to pad the special ed funding?)There is money for the Mexicans - ELL, TSOL. Where do you think the money for the ELL director, her own secretary, teachers, aides, translators that work every conference, stay later than any other regular employee does to call parents. They are raking in the bucks and pushing English out. Remember by 2043 white Americans will be the minority. Then we will be able to get those juicy benefits. Not in my lifetime. Remember most people wanted the other for superintendent but this one won out, because of his Espanol?
Term 1:50, this is 12:51. Yes, I have no problem with supplying extra help in the way of English learning for legal children from whatever country for whatever language. At this point, there is probably even internet tutoring for children of every language to learn English, which would maybe be a wise, cheaper thing to incorporate, or a good addition. Then again, I am not a teacher, so I don't know. But spending our dollars on any child that is illegally in this country and taking it away from gifted American students is a crime, in my opinion. I know we have to educate all that are in this country, but this is just one huge additional problem that having people in the country illegally brings on the rest of the country. It's dumbing down our whole country, and this is one prime example. Our "regular" students are being held up also, because of this huge problem, and money that should also be spent on them is being siphoned off. It may be coming from the state, but it's all ours one way or the other. Keep asking for more levies also to accommodate the illegals, while the actual learning for Americans gets less and less.
2:30/5:58 I can understand your frustration. My only purpose of this post is that the gifted program gets a fair shake. If the ELL, TSOL or any other alphabet soup programs were identified but not served, the advocates for that group would be out in force demanding service. Who looks out for the gifted program? The administration should have to "identify" the saving. Seems no one is out a job only everyone taking the easy way out. I have never been a big believer in vouchers but this latest revelation seems to be changing my mind. If the primary source can't do the job right, parents should have options. I fear a number of these parents are trapped here. The ones that aren't will make the changes they need to make. For a community that has supported the school system I view this as a slap in the face.
There still will be honors classes next year at the middle school...let's not jump to conclusions, folks....
3:17 Conclusions? Yes there will be, I'm thinking about 5 years down the line. There was a statement at a former board meeting that they would like all three elementary schools to be at the same level entering Heritage. This last blunder will make that pretty easy. Slow some down. No one can tell me this solution will work they can blow all the smoke they want it won't work. The teacher's can't be to happy about this can you really think they can individualize teaching for all student? Some student's need help to keep up why would you help them yet deny help for those that can excel? Oh, I forgot you do have special teachers for those students, right? I looked back at the Principals breakfast honors ...most students came from this program. Along with the most disappointing fact that besides a few parents no one knew about this change. Sorry Mr. Shepard shades of Hanlon here, why? Wonder what the moral is like but who cares?
6:40 please visit the bus stops at Kensington and Brentwood to look around and see who is attracted to the schools. Then take a hard look at all of their test scores. The visual says it all.
8:16 It didn't take you long to make a u-turn on Mr. Shepherd. No comparison between him and the Hanlon/Beeler Co.
8:08 No one is out a job! Not changing gifted program but check the latest job opportunity there. Summer classified secretary and Ell paraprofessional MUST BE BILINGUAL. Not only did our jobs go to Mexico, what jobs we had here are going to the Mexicans too. the only to fix this is to make English the official language of this country. If I correct, it is the official language of Ohio, now lets do something about this.
5:03: If English is the official language of Ohio, it's still not doing us any good. We're still losing our state and our country to the illegals. And look at our schools, as the discussion is going here -- must speak Spanish to work in an Ohio school. And this isn't like when I was a kid, and Spanish was being taught as a second language to English-speaking Americans. This is our entire schools being taken over by illegals, and us losing our country and the language of our country. And, yes, as one of the posters said, go look at the bus stops; it's all Spanish kids, and almost no others. We've got jobs now all across America where you must speak Spanish to be hired. If you want to know how bad this is going to get, meaning it's going to be a Spanish country very soon, just go check out those bus stops. And if you wonder where all your money goes, you have no idea how much all these illegals affects your individual income in almost every way possible, and not just the school dollars that you pay.
to all voters there's a school levy on tuesday tell your fellow voters, let your feelings be heard
School levy is for a consortium. If every eligible resident in Painesville voted no, the other towns and districts will pass. Kind of like the library and metroparks. This town is outnumbered.
I live in the township....they vote every school levy down....
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