Options for a Better Education for Your Child

Many parents call the MAGE helpline in an act of desperation: what can they do to improve their child's education. 

Here are some common approaches:

• Network with other parents.  Joining MAGE may give you a tool to create a local network.  From this network, learn what has been happened before and formulate reasonable expectations about what is possible. 
• Learn about gifted & talented education.  Be informed, and then be vocal.
• Work with your school: speak with your child's teacher, guidance counselor, and principal.  If they are not informed about the needs of gifted & talented children, come prepared and able to educate in a non-confrontational style.
• Work with your school district: speak to school administration staff, curriculum coordinators, and your superintendent.
• Talk with your community: talk to members of your school committee, selectmen, aldermen, or others who influence town or city priorities.  Gifted & talented programs may make your community a more attractive place to live, increase housing values, and otherwise benefit a wide range of constituents.
• Talk with your legislative representatives.  Problems are not fixed by politicians if they are not voiced.  It is up to you to contact your state and federal representatives to voice your concerns.  Tell them about the importance of identifying and serving gifted children.  Share your specific and concrete anecdotes so they can realize how real your problems are.
• Contact the Department of Education.  David P. Driscoll is the Mass. Commissioner of Education.  Susan Whetlte is the Director of Academic Standards.  You pay their salaries, now tell them what you want!
• Contact the Board of Education.  James Peyser is the Chairman of the Board.  All board members need to hear your concerns about the need to provide an adequate education for gifted & talented students.

If talk does not succeed, other approaches may be followed.  (Please keep us apprised if you follow any of these routes.)

• Petition your school district.  Massachusetts has a little known law which requires schools to offer any curricular instruction requested by 30 parents and approved by the school committee.  http://www.state.ma.us/legis/laws/mgl/71-13.htm.  This provision was used by the Brookline community to reinstitute European History AP against the will of the school administration.  This episode is summarized in the book by Richard Bernstein, Dictatorship of Virtue.  Interestingly, anecodal evidence is that the Brookline petition was opposed by both school committee and administration, so we are presently researching whether this statute changed since that episode (please send me a note if you know).  One important item for gifted education: the school administration's contention that European History was substantially similar to European History AP was dismissed by the DOE legal office.  This opinion suggests that the difference between a gifted program and a normal program should also be adequate to pass the muster for a petition.   If you are interested in this issue, review the statute and contact the DOE legal office.
• Evaluate legal action.  Neither you nor your school district probably want a legal action, but both sides should be aware of relevant precedent in gifted education.  One item related to Individual Education Plans (citing extensive precedent in Burlington, MA) is http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/caselaw/case_3Cir_G_CumValley_990825.html.  If you have other precedent to suggest, please send a note to president@massgifted.org.
  • Other legal requirements for school districts:
    • Professional development shall train teachers to handle diverse learning styles (http://www.state.ma.us/legis/laws/mgl/71%2D38q.htm)
    • Curriculum accomodation plans to ensure that all children's needs are met in regular education (http://www.state.ma.us/legis/laws/mgl/71-38Q.5.htm)

In some cases, you may abandon your local school district and still receive a publicly funded education:

• Charter schools.  Some charter schools may serve gifted & talented children better than your local district.  Moreover, they draw funds away from your local district at a rate equal to the average in the sending district, and this loss of funds will generally not be lost upon your school administration.
• School choice.  Some city and town schools accept pupils from other towns.  Unfortunately, this seems increasingly rare.
• State schooling.  For 11th and 12th graders, Massachusetts has a state school which may prove friendly for gifted and talented students: Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at Worcester. 

Alternatives to public schooling: