Election season is well under way and I am realizing that as a professional MT, and a music educator, it is vital to pay attention not to just the big elections, but also the smaller things. I.E. What's going on in the House and Senate in the state where I live?
However, I realized things are not so rosy in my home state of Kansas.
Really not good.
You can read all the details in the link below, and I encourage it. The Cliff Note's version is that KS is considering cutting funding for gifted programs. This is heartbreaking. This is bad news.
Why?
Because gifted students need those extra educational supports for a variety of reasons, whether it's to challenge, motivate, or provide creative outlet. I'm not saying this isn't already provided in the classroom, but gifted programs provide said students with MORE. My older siblings were in gifted programs and thrived because of it.
Did you know that some gifted students have disabilities and qualify for special education? Yes, it's possible to be gifted and have a disability! (No shame in that my friend). Removing funding from gifted programs hurts students who need the more tailored education that compliments their current daily curriculum.
If you live in Kansas, please consider voting to KEEP Gifted programs as well as Sped programs alive!