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| Spring 2007 | Page 1 | Volume 11, Number 1 |
| AAGC President's Message By Lori Corrigan Greetings to everyone! This is my first message to you in this new role as AAGC President. I am thrilled about the opportunity to lead this organization for the next two years. Thank you to Kim Worley for her hard work and leading AAGC for the past two years and helping to make the transition smooth with the Enrichment Teachers in the Hoover City Schools. I will strive to provide the same level of professionalism and leadership that you have looked to in times past. I am anxious to expand our efforts to reach out to members throughout our regional networks. At the state level... the most pressing issue we should take note of to date is the concern for funding for Gifted Programs. Thanks to Dr. Morton, the State Board of Education, and the Legislature for knowing the importance of proposing targeted gifted funding in our state. This is the first time in 30 years that this has been proposed! The State Board of Education has sent the proposed budget which includes a little more than three million dollars to the legislature where it remains to date. BUT, we are hearing that legislators are vacillating about this gifted funding. I encourage you as a parent or teacher of a child in the gifted/enrichment program to call or write your legislator about this targeted funding. At this time, most gifted/enrichment units are paid for out of local funds since the state does not provided targeted gifted services. Due to this fact, only a handful of systems can provide direct services past the elementary grades. Many school systems can afford to fund only one gifted/enrichment unit, which means, that one teacher is covering eight to ten schools in some systems. Please express the value of our programs and the need for additional funding. The dollar figure, being asked for when split amongst the many statewide districts, won't be enough for most systems to even fund a teacher unit. But, it is a start! (If you do not know who your legislators are or need their email, click this link. | You should know that the neighboring states of Georgia and Mississippi; allocate 155 million dollars and 33 million dollars respectively. Imagine what could be done with that type of funding across our state of Alabama. So, I am asking you to take the time, make the call or to please write a letter to your local representatives to support funding for the Gifted and Talented in our state. At the national level... NAGC is already in the planning stages for the next Convention. Mark your calendars-NAGC travels to Minneapolis this year, November 7-11th 2007. Igniting Ideas and Innovations in Gifted is the theme this year. Registration is now open! Go to www.NAGC.org for further details. Finally, bringing things back home to "Sweet Home Alabama" is our own conference that we should all save our time up for. This one is going to be great! Our very own AAGC State Conference will be held September 27th and 28th at The McWane Science Center in Birmingham with our featured keynote, Dr. Bertie Kingore. Make plans now to attend! She will be spending one full day with us on the 27th and will offer breakout sessions on the 28th. Dr. Kingore is a national consultant who has worked with students, teachers, and parents for over 20 years. She continues to work in classrooms to model differentiation of instruction for all learners. Recognized for her humorous and practical presentations, her energetic sessions leave teachers revitalized and eager to implement her ideas and experiences in their own classrooms. She has graciously allowed us to share her work in our newsletter. See her article and attachments below. | In closing, I need to extend my thanks to my fellow colleagues here in Hoover as well as key figures from across the state, for taking part in this venture as well. Working with me to ensure that great care is placed on the goals and objectives of our organization are the following Officers and Executive Board members for the next two years: President- Lori Corrigan, Rocky Ridge Elementary School, Hoover City Schools Members-at-Large |
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