The gifted students of Washington need your help!
According to press reports, the upcoming budget to be presented by Governor Gregoire will not include any state funding for Highly Capable programs.
For each $1 of state funding, districts in the state spend approximately $4 of their own local funds. But without the core support from the state, most of this local funding will disappear. With the proposed deep cuts to basic education funding, districts will be looking at every program that is locally funded to find ways to direct more money into basic education.
If the state doesn't think Highly Capable programs are important, neither will the districts.
We need to remind the Governor and Legislators that education is not an expense. It is an investment, the most important we can make in our future. And gifted programs are an investment in our best and brightest minds.
Handwritten messages sent directly to the Governor are very powerful, especially if you use it to tell your own story. Even more powerful are phone calls direct to her office - you probably won't get to talk to her personally but someone will take your message, so prepare and polish it before calling so it says exactly what you want it to say.
Mail address and phone number can be found on the contact portion of the Governor's web site - http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/default.asp. If you wish, you can use this site to send an email rather than a handwritten letter.
You can also contact the Governor through the Hot Line 1-800-562-6000. Operators will take down your message and transmit it electronically to the Governor. Again, prepare and polish your message in advance.
In the Legislature the houses take turns preparing their own version of the budget. This year it is the turn of the Senate to prepare and sponsor the Legislative version of the budget. Although membership of 2009 committees is not known as I write, committees don't change much and Ways & Means members from last session are listed at http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/WM/members.htm If one of them represents you, please contact him/her now.
As with the Governor, handwritten message and direct phone calls to Legislators are powerful. Addresses, phone numbers and email message forms can be found at http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature
You can use the Hot Line to contact your Legislators and send a message about the absolute necessity of sustaining funding for Highly Capable Programs. [Newly elected legislators, of whom there are 17, with three races too close to call, cannot be contacted through the hot line or legislative email until they are sworn in in January.] The Hot Line is open Monday through Friday, 8 to 12 am and 1-4:30 pm while the legislature is not in session. Your messages left with the Hot Line are transmitted to your Legislators. Again, prepare and polish your mesage.
There are large cuts proposed for basic education. With the grim revenue projections it is unlikely to be otherwise. It is only fair that Highly Capable takes the same percentage cut as other education programs, not be wiped out entirely.
The important thing is to get Highly Capable funding into the budget before it is presented. The task becomes much more difficult if we have to campaign to get it restored while the budget debate rages. So make your contacts now and do your part to retain funding for gifted programs.
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Additionally, we have information about the representatives for the Lake Washington School District area.
District 5
Reps. Jay Rodne and Glenn Anderson
Senator Cheryl Pflug
District 32
Reps. Maralyn Chase and Ruth Kagi
Senator Darlene Fairley
District 45
Reps. Roger Goodman and Larry Springer
Senator Eric Oemig
District 48
Reps. Ross Hunter and Deborah Eddy
Senator Rodney Tom
Glenn Anderson, Ross Hunter and Rodney Tom are members of the Basic Education Finance Task Force.
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx
Using that tool, you can find your legislature and get their contact information including email.
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Also, coming in February is Gifted Education Day. The 2009 date is Friday, February 6th. It would be great to have groups scheduled to present on the needs of gifted students and what being in a gifted program has meant for a student academically and personally. These stories are key to gaining legislator support for adequate funding for gifted programs. The Coalition provides a Gifted Ed Day handbook to help groups organizing their trip (making appointments, talking with legislators, and parking in Olympia.) It is due out in early January, but Barbara Poyneer is able to provide a draft copy in advance.