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The meeting opened with a voice
approval for election of officers for GAP
2005-2006.
Pres. Jeff Jeffress
Vp. Charles Adams
Sec. Sue Matthews
Treas. Jeff Pafford
Publ. Jonas Abrams
Discussion began with suggestions for increasing GAP membership in the next
school year, with the district making more parents aware of the program, and
broadening the base by focusing on academic excellence for all students, not
just gifted.
GAP would seek to increase support for the Oct 58 million bond issue, and
work to get details put over the summer. We would work to get out the vote,
along with the early vote in Sept. If the issues are in alignment with our
goals.
The next topic was the new school opening in Sept 2006, and the possibility
that it could be a magnet school, and preferably have the IB program. There
are initial costs involved with training, and eventually a committed IB
coordinator, but these costs are not enough to impede the program. Rather
than redistrict, the school would draw from all of Pearland.
Again, GAP would work to educate the community to the benefits of the IB
curriculum and to see that the monies are committed.
Members who were able to attend the IB workshop with Ann Wink spoke
enthusiastically of the benefit of starting the new elementary school fresh
with IB rather than changing the program at an existing school.
There is a lot of support from school board members, and they may be waiting
for an implementation plan..."this is the process we'll go through..."
At the 6/14 school board meeting, GAP will present their suggestions and
concerns for naming an IB principal. Ideally, the candidate would be an
inquiry based thinker, who is open to change and new ideas. The principal
would be an effective communicator, who would listen to parents, take
ownership of the program, and have a high level of accountability as well as
a passion for taking the students forward.
The teachers would need to be highly creative individuals looking to be
"unleashed"...teachers who use inquiry based teaching methods, with no
limits, willing to go outside the box.
The students would be not just gifted, but also the kids willing to take on
the rigors of the program.
There is also a need to build IB from both sides, and develop a high school
"school within a school".
Building a consensus in the community of things like IB can increase the
political will to spend the money and raise the bar.
At the board meeting, GAP also needs to offer input on the search for the
academic specialist, who presently would have a specific commitment to
gifted, and eventually there would be a separate coordinator for IB.
Regardless of IB, we still have a gifted program that needs to be nurtured
and improved. There was discussion among GAP members regarding the platform
of raising the bar of academic excellence for ALL students, vs focusing on
the needs of the gifted. While more support could be generated by opening
GAP as supporting raising the bar for all, we still need to address a
somewhat poorly defined and implemented gifted program currently in place.
Presently, the principal of each campus chooses how to conduct the gifted
program at their campus. GAP is waiting for the results of Dr Martin's
report to provide an outline of how best to proceed, and will request the
audit report as soon as it is available.
It was also suggested that GAP put together a history to acquaint new
members with areas explored in prior years. This would allow us to
devote more time to moving our platform forward.
There was a consensus on all other areas of the platform, and a suggestion
that we have sub committees for IB and GT, and that we focus on actionable
things with strategic iniatives.
-WHAT is Pearland's GT program?
-ability grouping
-parent groups that can work on the areas of identification, with
administration, steering committees, the GT audit.
-there would be a single campus contact at each school.
-we would start with an action plan out of Dr Martin's
Audit results, and possibly have GAP or officer meetings over the summer.
We agreed to meet next at 6PM June 14, prior to attending the school board
meeting.
We adjourned at 8:50PM.
Sue Matthews
Sec
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