From alert at floridagiftednet.org  Sat May  3 05:54:43 2008
From: alert at floridagiftednet.org (alert at floridagiftednet.org)
Date: Sat, 3 May 2008 07:54:43 -0400
Subject: [FGN Alert] ALERT - Good News, Bad News - Quick Action Needed
In-Reply-To: <13287556.1208375704139.JavaMail.root@elwamui-wigeon.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
References: <13287556.1208375704139.JavaMail.root@elwamui-wigeon.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
Message-ID: <524a540a0805030454o19cc8324q43532137dfe66822@mail.gmail.com>

Hello,

I head a gifted student advocacy group of about 100 families and liaison
with other local groups. We are able to circulate your alerts to roughly 400
families in southeastern  Miami-Dade county.

I'm wondering if you can confirm what the district is telling parents about
mandated changes to program delivery models. Miami-Dade is closing down all
resource programs (two day pull-out) and saying that the state is no longer
supporting that model. They are mandating full-time gifted programs and are
rumored to be focusing on having all students return to their home-school.
The parental participation component of the Regal Plan has obviously been
abandoned and budget cuts are being cited for all actions. Funding
structures for gifted students in elementary school have not been changed,
have they?

Well, if you can shed any light on this it would certainly be appreciated.

Regards,

Beth Kibler
Discovery Parents
786-877-6489

On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 3:55 PM, <alert at floridagiftednet.org> wrote:

>  ****************************************************************
> *
>
> *Florida** Gifted Alert*
>
> *April 16, 2008*
>
> **
>
> * ***************************************************************
>
> * Good News, Bad News, Please Act Now.*
>
> * ****************************************************************
>
> *
> *
>
> *The good news:*   *We have made tremendous headway with the House on Rep.
> John Legg's "gifted bill" (HB 297),* which should be passed later today by
> the full House.  I will follow-up with an Update for you on the very
> positive changes made to this bill since it was first introduced in
> November.
> * *
>
> *The bad news:*  *The Senate Budget reduces the funding for Advanced
> Placement, International Baccalaureate, and AICE Programs* by 1/3.  Because
> many of our high school gifted students are involved in one or more of these
> rigorous programs, their education could be adversely affected by these
> funding cuts.
>
> In addition, as you are aware, the budget situation is dire. This puts
> lots of things at risk and *we have to work now to keep our key gifted
> "foundation" from getting lost* in the shuffle as the House and Senate
> begin to "conference" their respective budgets this week.
>
>
>
> *Please. even if your child is in elementary or middle school, contact
> your two legislators as soon as possible:*
>
> *            Contact your own senator with this message:*
>
>             *Please* restore the full funding for AP, IB, AICE.
>             Keep gifted under the ESE umbrella with funding for grades
> K-12.
>
> *            Contact your House member with this message:*
>
>             *Please* hold firm during conference and fully fund the AP,
> IB, and AICE programs.
>             Keep gifted under the ESE umbrella with funding for grades
> K-12.
>
>
>
> *Remember:
>
> *
>
>    - If possible ? please make a phone call and speak with the
>    legislator's assistant. If you don't know the contact info for your Senate
>    and House Members, you may find it HERE<http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/default.aspx>-
>    bottom left side of the page, using Zip +4.
>    - As always, start by stating your name and that you are a
>    constituent.
>    - Be sure to be polite and thank them!.
>
>
> *Time is of the essence.*  This is all going to move quite quickly because
> the Legislative Session ends in 2.5 weeks
>
> *
> *
>
> *Additional information:*
>
>    - Senate Bill 1746<http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_s1746e1.DOC&DocumentType=Bill&BillNumber=1746&Session=2008>reduces funding for full-time equivalent (FTE) student membership for the
>    College Board Advanced Placement Examinations (AP), International
>    Baccalaureate Examinations (IB), and Advanced International Certificate of
>    Education Examinations (AICE).
>
>
>    - These cuts are disproportional to the other education funding cuts
>    and will potentially adversely affect virtually all of Florida's gifted and
>    academically talented public high school students.
>
>
>    - The AP/IB funding model is an excellent example of Performance
>    Based Budgeting. They represent one of only two parts of the FEFP that
>    allocates taxpayer dollars based on student achievement ----   teachers
>    and schools are reward for their successes.
>
>
>    - Additionally, these programs are producing results and assisting
>    in Florida gaining national recognition:
>
>             Four of the top 10 high schools in the US News & World
> Report's *America's Best High      Schools* were Florida public high
> schools:  Polk County's International Baccalaureate Program, Sarasota
> County's Pine View School for the Gifted, Miami-Dade County's   Design &
> Architectural Senior High, and Duval County's Stanton College Preparatory. These
> rankings were based upon a measure of College Readiness<http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2007/11/29/the-ranking-formula.html>determined primarily by
> participation in and successful completion of AP exams.
>
> **********************************
> Terry WIlson
> Florida Gifted Network
> Excellence in Education
> twilson    @    floridagiftednet.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> Alert mailing list
> Alert at floridagiftednet.org
> http://floridagiftednet.org/mailman/listinfo/alert_floridagiftednet.org
>
>
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From alert at floridagiftednet.org  Sat May  3 12:15:34 2008
From: alert at floridagiftednet.org (alert at floridagiftednet.org)
Date: Sat, 03 May 2008 14:15:34 -0400
Subject: [FGN Alert] ALERT - Good News, Bad News - Quick Action Needed
In-Reply-To: <524a540a0805030454o19cc8324q43532137dfe66822@mail.gmail.com>
References: <13287556.1208375704139.JavaMail.root@elwamui-wigeon.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
	<524a540a0805030454o19cc8324q43532137dfe66822@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <481CABC6.8040401@earthlink.net>

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From alert at floridagiftednet.org  Sat May  3 12:15:50 2008
From: alert at floridagiftednet.org (alert at floridagiftednet.org)
Date: Sat, 03 May 2008 14:15:50 -0400
Subject: [FGN Alert] ALERT - Good News, Bad News - Quick Action Needed
Message-ID: <fc.0119ec07183495ae3b9aca004b20812e.183495af@browardschools.com>

I will be out for the remainder of the 2007-08 school year for maternity
leave.  Please contact the Department of Advanced Academics at (754)
322-2870. Have a great school year!

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From alert at floridagiftednet.org  Sat May  3 12:16:25 2008
From: alert at floridagiftednet.org (alert at floridagiftednet.org)
Date: Sat, 03 May 2008 14:16:25 -0400
Subject: [FGN Alert] ALERT - Good News,
	Bad News - Quick Action	Needed (Out of Office)
Message-ID: <s81c73c7.093@ybor-nlm1-novell-srv.tec.net>

I will be out of the office until Monday, May 5.  If you need
assistance, please contact Michelle Szekeres (mvszekeres at tecoenergy.com)
at (813) 288-1429.

>>> alert 05/03/08 14:15 >>>