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At the end of the day, the system has to change.  What is in place now obviously isn’t working for us.  However sacrificing a solid K-12 education to any group of students within the whole is unacceptable.   Once the current economic crisis is past, there will be some other obstacle to prevent the full funding of educational programs such as TAG unless the requirement to provide an education to meet EACH student’s needs is maintained.   Once a debt is forgiven, how many people opt to go back and pay against that debt down the road?  This is no different.  By giving local districts the discretion to not fund particular compliance programs, even for a limited time, the state is forgiving their educational debt so to speak.  Once the obligation to fund this program can be ignored on a local basis, it will likely be permanently removed from consideration of future available funds.   Many smaller districts are already functioning out of compliance with State educational ordinances for a wide range of required curriculum, why give them the official blessing through Senate bill 441 that mediocrity is acceptable.  After all, isn’t that the message that is being sent that TAG students will “find their own way” and a partial education is good enough for these kids, as well as any of the other programs that local districts will conveniently be able to ignore under this proposed bill?  That’s like building a new high rise building to 50% or even 80% of the state building code requirements, would you want to rent office space in that building knowing that everyone thought 50% was good enough when it was being constructed?  Where does that place our kids if they are only being educated to 50% of their needs/abilities, high or low, before they are sent out into the world to supposedly become a productive member of society?  Exactly where along the way does the other 50% get made up?

posted 4 years ago
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