During the 2008 – 2009 school year, ABC worked with the Washington Coalition for Gifted Education (WCGE) to help ensure that gifted education was included in all the discussions that were going on about education reform. We succeeded in having gifted education included in the State’s definition of basic education, an important recognition of the needs of highly capable children. That was an important first step toward turning our gifted and talented students into the gifted and thriving students we know they can be.
The reform bill that was passed, ESHB 2261, created a Quality Education Council (QEC) to turn the promises of 2261 into a plan for implementation. WCGE will monitor the progress of the QEC, and will continue to act as a voice for highly capable students in Washington State. ABC will work with the Coalition, and with the members of the QEC, to help our gifted and talented students.
We are fortunate to have former Puyallup School Board Member and current 25th District Representative Bruce Dammeier on the QEC, along with a number of other legislators who were important voices in support of highly capable students during the debate over 2261 last session. We were glad to have been able to work with these legislators last session, and look forward to continuing our relationships this year and beyond.
If you’re interested, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction is maintaining a website with notes on the progress of the QEC. The WCGE and ABC will work to ensure any key news from the QEC gets passed along to you through the ABC website. The WCGE has also provided an excellent summary of their purpose and goals for the implementation of 2261 that you can view here.
