Education Segregationist

She said it and I second it.

Until there is accountability for where the money goes, it will never matter how much money goes to any school District for a specific designation.

Districts have methodical processes to delay expenditure of money they have received for gifted kids and special education kids.

Until professional education is a priority, which means the focus of money starts in the classroom outward, the money will be spent as it is now, to the top-heavy administrations and then down. The classroom and direct classroom support is the last place that gets it.

In other words, Administrators, Supervisors and Directors limit how much is spent directly to their students because the Districts need the money to pay the Administrators, Supervisors and Directors. The Districts have well designed schemes that have a facade of sophistication, all to thwart a professional education. Speaking of well designed schemes, just check out Hillsborough's latest final exam curve.

They complain about the lack of money, but ask them to open up their books. They complain about the lack of money, but watch how they react when expenditures are questioned. They become indignant at the least and proceed to attack and disarm even those of their own who challenge the status-quo.

As the above suggests, just ask them to show you where the gifted money went. Any one ever heard of the shell game? Tom Sawyer's spoon-in-and-out-of the-drawer-trick with Aunt Polly doesn't hold a candle to what these professional protectors-of-their-existence do.

This means there is no money for trained evaluators, trained teachers, trained behavioral specialists, and trained you-name-it. The operative word being "trained". Simply giving someone a designation does not provide a professional function.

Segregation by education may follow a business model to consolidate resources and limit expense, but is this model conducive to effective education? The intent of gifted education and special education funding laws clearly state that the student is to first be placed in their least restrictive environmnent (regular class room) with individualized supports and related services that meets their educational needs provided there. Somehow, it has become common practice that if one gets a label, out the door and away from their peers they go.

They can bus all of the gifted kids to one school, and no one sees that as segregation.