Please call or fax today before 5:00 EDT members of Congress to tell them how important it is to include funding for the Javits Gifted and Talented Student Education Program in the 2010 budget. This twenty-year-old program is the only federal legislation for gifted education. Members of the House Appropriations Committee will meet tomorrow so it is important to get a message to them today. The message is to please restore the funding for the Javits in the 2010 budget.
If you live in Kentucky, Congressman Ben Chandler (202.225.4706 or fax 202.225.2122) and Congressman Hal Rogers (202.225.4601 or fax 202.225.0940) are on the Appropriations Committee so they are the members of Congress to contact.
A complete membership list for the Appropriations Committee is available online for our friends who are not from Kentucky.
The Center for Gifted Studies was funded for a five-year Javits grant last October. The focus is on developing high interest and increasing achievement in mathematics and science among elementary children, especially those from backgrounds that have been underrepresented in careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The research study includes six schools in Warren County. Four of the school will have professional development on problem-based science and math, and two of those schools will send 15 students each for an all-day magnet program in problem-based math and science. Two of the schools serve as the control group. This research can provide data on best practices for teaching students who are gifted and talented, especially those children from low-income families and children with special needs.
Please make your voice heard today. You can send an email to the office of your Representative at the following link.
You can follow updates regarding funding for gifted education on Twitter.
For more information, contact The Center for Gifted Studies at WKU at (270) 745-6323 or gifted@wku.edu.
