"Cuts in gifted education hurt kids' potential": CTD in the News

"Cuts in gifted education hurt kids' potential" from  The St. Louis Post-Dispatch "St. Louis Today" blog, July 5, 2011 CTD's Director, Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, is quoted in this article by Aisha Sultan in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch blog, St. Louis Today, about the state of public funding for gifted programming in schools. "It's seen as something they [school districts] can afford in good times but is not essential," Paula said. The piece describes the lack of programs and funding for gifted children as a form of discrimination, citing that the "law requires no safety net" for children identified as profoundly gifted. If left unchallenged in school, these children may lose motivation to continue learning and their talent will be left untapped.    Sultan also questions how the United States can raise the bar for student achievement and create a system which allows all children—including academically gifted children—to shine. "The best outcomes and gains come from programs that specifically address the needs of the students they admit", Paula commented. This is the reason why, at CTD, we strive for this outcome in all of our programming.  This interactive map from Davidson Gifted shows state-by-state funding policies for public gifted education. Click on your state to see what laws are currently in place. Were you surprised by what you found?