Now at Yale, she credits Governor’s Honors Program with expanding her mind and world. It’s about to go away.

What a beautifully written letter- Governor’s Honors is a stellar program that legislators should not terminate. If we destroy GHP, our top students will lack the motivation to grow and learn inside and outside the classroom environment. Most of my Advanced Placement students strive to earn a GHP nomination– and even after they earn the nomination, the students go through a rigorous, three-tiered application/interview process. It is an honor for students to achieve and one of the top programs our state offers for secondary education.

Way to go, “Sonny Don’t.” This state continually disappoints me– merit pay in the last days of the legislative session + GHP elimination makes for one unhappy high school teacher.

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Looks like we need to march on the Capitol steps to save this program. How can Sonny and Co. be so short-sighted and stupid?

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As sad as it is to say, I’m glad that these cuts to education are finally being felt by students and their parents. Up until now, all the cut have been felt by teachers alone. Students and parents do not suffer when teachers’ pay is frozen or cut, when they take furlough days, when they have to pay for supplies out of their own money, when the county is no longer paying into the dental plan or when they can’t make copies or even have a coffee pot. It’s only when these kinds of programs are cut- GHP or the music program in Fulton County that all the parents get up in arms and do something about it. I’ve said it before, we are cutting to the bare bone and beyond and yet sports programs are still not being touched.

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I can honestly say my summer in GHP in 2001 was one of the best and most enriching experiences of my life. The many friends I made that summer have gone on to be some of my most valuable connections to this very day. It will be sad to see such a fantastic and well run program eliminated. I really feel sorry for the next generation of Georgia’s brightest and most motivated students who will not have the opportunity that I was given to build long lasting foundations to help them succeed in whatever endeavours they wish to pursue.

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LSH – Well, everyone ’round these parts knows that football games are more important than challenging our best and brightest students. Remember… this is GEORGIA!!!! – not a civilized state.

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I have been a student (1996), RA (2001), instructor (2009). Even though I will be staying home with family this summer, GHP means a lot to me. I’m not ready to give up on it, and I hope you aren’t either. It seems like a small number of Georgians, but it has touched so many more. It can still be saved, but from now on you MUST let your elected officials know how great it is EVERY YEAR. The Appropriations Committee in both the Georgia House and Senate would like to hear from you directly in support of this program. All of their emails are on the General Assembly’s website.

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Forthunately, the best and brightest generally have strong support from parents, teachers and others and find a way to develop and utilize their abilities. Nevertheless I was deeply saddened when funding for my daughter’s gifted prgram in middle school was redirected to Spec Ed and ESOP classes. The tragic reality is that few people can recognize this as a gross misapplication of scarce resources. As a child I was excited and stimulated while our nation aimed for and attained the moon. Today we aim only for universal mediocrity, a goal we are rapidly attaining.

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The best part of all this is that the Georgia government is allowing millions upon millions of dollars in cuts towards our education system, but they’re going to allowing our govenor to spend millions upon millions on a horse barn in his hometown. Does that make any sense at all?

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Oh cry me a river!

as LSH stated

“As sad as it is to say, I’m glad that these cuts to education are finally being felt by students and their parents. Up until now, all the cut have been felt by teachers alone.”

Time to share the pain!

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@ C.T.F. (controversial type feller)

“Wondering why the program was cut? That picture sez it all!”

Why pray tell?

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At the end of the analysis, where we cut identifies what we value.

For all of the talk about bringing comapnies with good jobs to the state, it is the actions of the state that tell others what we believe is important. This cut sends a bad message to the high performing students and the companies that consider relocating to Georgia.

For those that say this is a part of sharing the pain, keep in mind that the politicians, did not vote to shrink the program. They voted to eliminate it. Last I checked, many of us have been asked to do with less or take on more responsibility. The GHP is set to go away.

I think it is a bad idea and a stunning statement of how little it is valued.

I would go further to guess that many students selected for GHP would give up their HOPE scholarship in exchange for the GHP experience. Somehow, I think they will get scholarship money from other sources if they are our best and brightest.

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Where can I go to find out how my state senator voted on this issue?

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Goose–
So should parents of special ed students be required to pay their own way as well? To “carry their own weight” rather than requiring he state to pay? One could make a purely, coldly, economic argument that GHP is a better long-term investment than special ed.

Before I get flamed, no I am NOT actually suggesting special ed be cut, but GHP kids are, as some have stated, no less important than special ed (or for that matter ’student athletes’, horse barns or fishing holes)

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@ BIG NICK

Why would you say something like that? All the people in the state causing trouble are black or Latino? Really, this forum should be to discuss solutions or to display your discontent or approval of the content at hand, i.e. Annie’s letter. And also think about your statement. The majority of students at GHP were not of the “dominant” race in this country. GHP is about a blending of ideas and intellectual capabilities regardless of races. Thoughts like the one you present are probably key to the reason why this state can’t and possibly never will move forward. Oh yeah, and it’s spelled “intact” not “intacted”.

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I was denied access to this program in high school. I was interviewed by a three person panel in the “SOC STUD” area and was not given any insight as to what I was being “judged” on. I was probably undone by the fact that I did not agree with one of the interviewers that the Battle of Tours was the single most important military victory in history. Anyway, I came away feeling that it was probably a good program but that getting into it was “all politics.” I am kinda happy to see it “die by its own sword” so to speak. And as for complaining about the politicians cutting a program for hardworking kids – better to cut something reserved for the privileged that take away what is needed by the rest of us. BTW – I turned out just fine without GHP.

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I would much rather have the state spend that money on teaching illegal immigrants basic english skills so that their graffiti in Gwinnett county is spelled correctly when they join up with their gangs.

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Thank you for sharing this with us–I hadn’t heard about it yet.

I didn’t go to a high-achieving high school. I never attended summer camps designed to give me an edge in my studies. When I went to college, MannyT, I had the HOPE scholarship and one small, privately-funded award from my high school to take with me.

I am the product of Gifted Education in Georgia public schools, dedicated and caring teachers, a loving family–and my time at GHP.

It was at GHP where I found people who thought like me, got excited about learning, and who saw intelligence as a gift and a challenge, rather than something to hide from one’s peers.

It was at GHP where I made bonds that lasted through our senior year, into college, and remain strong even as adults.

It was the confidence in myself that I discovered there that gave me the courage to dream big dreams, take chances, and pursue a life less ordinary.

I’m not in Georgia anymore, but my roots run deep there. . . and it breaks my heart to think that we would allow them to remove what has been so tremendous a springboard to success for so many.

I don’t know if we can help save it, but I owe it to my fellow Georgians to try.

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I agree that cutting education is going to have many repercussions, especially when we cut off opportunities for the best and brightest in our state. Although personally I have no issue with making GHP privately funded with scholarship assistance for the most needy, anything of this nature is mainly going to mean that students from more affluent backgrounds will have greater opportunities, regardless of merit.

And MiltonMan, I am wondering if you send your child to the public schools in North Fulton? If so, isn’t it a bit hypocritical to attack others for participating in a public education program? I would be willing to bet that most students in GHP come from families that pay a rather substantial amount in taxes every year.

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LSH ~ Personally, I think teachers should work 12 months a year! You get plenty of vacation/breaks. Come to the business world and work and don’t give me any crap that we make more. That’s not always true. I do have a suggestion, get rid of some of the administration at each school. Seriously, why do you need 6 assistant principals at one school, who are the top of the pay scale? That would certainly save some expenses and jobs!

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Very great letter. I remember when I went to GHP for chemistry. One of the best decisions I have ever made. It truly opens your mind and challenges you to excel. Now I am an aerospace engineering major at GT and I alternate work with a fortune 500 defense contractor with classes and research in a lab on campus. And this is only my second year in college. This program was a major contributor to my success and I am sad to see it go.

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Dear DeeDee,

Please teach for a year or two before you make such comments. I have worked in the “regular world” and, wow, it is a much different place. You’re right. I worked half as hard and made as much. WOOHOO. But that’s not what I was meant to do.

Thank you for your advice, though.

D

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But the question is, if you save GHP, what will you cut instead? The education budget crisis isn’t just about GHP, it’s about every education program we’ve got.

I personally wouldn’t object to a tax increase, but that’s completely out of the question. The state legislature and probably the voters are adamantly opposed.

Under the circumstances, considering what else is being cut, I regretfully think we can do without GHP, at least for a few years.

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Incredulous, you’re absolutely right — the cancellation of GHP saddens me greatly, and I hope it can come back in a year or two, but right now it is not as essential as keeping the schools and colleges open for the regular programs. My point was simply that any educational cut has hidden costs in the long run.

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“Families have to learn to prioritize — and I don’t want to hear whining about how so many cannot put food on the table because at least in my district that is BS. People just don’t want to pay their own way”

And you would end up paying more when these children end up on assistance or in jail. Call it what it is – you don’t give a rat’s backside about anybody but yourself.

Perfect republican Christian!

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Reflecting on my own experience of early GHP (in the early 1970s) vs. what I’ve heard from students later, I wonder if GHP still does as much good as it originally did. Way back then, GHP was full of students who were profoundly grateful for it and were very serious about their studies. Some time in the 80s a “party school” culture began to form — GHP began to have people who didn’t seem so serious — and “resume building” became important in high school, so people went to GHP to have it on their resume rather than because they really wanted it. Is that other people’s impression? I know GHP was great, but were the early years (pre-1980) especially golden?

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Mr. Rearden, please cut out the religious epithets.

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GA citizenry – please wake up!!! Don’t let GHP – one of the absolute best programs for BRIGHT, DEDICATED, and DESERVED YOUNG LEADERS fall prey to the budget cuts. Why does GA.’s education system have to go down the tubes while Fish for Georgia gets funded? We needs more brains in the state, not good ‘ol boys!

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MiltonMan, I’m glad your son is going to spend his summer staring down people’s pieholes and telling them to floss more. I mean, that’s fantastic, really. We need dentists.

However, many of us who live outside your narrow little universe believe that the state should, in fact, support its best and brightests students. To ensure America’s continued success (and to prevent its further DECLINE), we should invest MORE in education, not less.

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Dana Kling ~ It was YOUR choice to leave the business world and teach. When you are hired for any job, you know the pay, vacations, etc., upfront! Teaching (and other government jobs) used to be immuned to economy declines, but not any more. Welcome to the REAL WORLD!

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Ms. Wang is to be congratulated, certainly for this excellent letter, and moreover, for the first “voice from the wilderness” which will surely resound within that body which we have come to know as the Georgia Legislature.

Many years ago, though not an enrolled student, I was blessed to have both research privileges within the Yale Law Library, and complete cooperation from an already-taxed faculty, so I am completely aware of the work ethic to which Ms. Downey refers; I am extremely proud that this atmosphere of achievement continues some 20-odd years later.

The sad part of this picture is the “hayseed mentality” those academicians to the North must view as commonplace within that esteemed body of lawmakers in Georgia.

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Incidentially, Ms. Wang…good luck and Godspeed in your studies. I know you will be a resounding success.

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“to provide gifted high school students a summer program of challenging and enriching educational opportunities not usually available during the regular school year.”

I thought challenging and enriching opportunities are what the so-called “gifted program” provides during the school year. Are you saying that your high school failed in this area?

“It allowed us to veer from the curriculum or rather, design our own.”
By your statements, I concluded that this was a group project.

“By the end of the six weeks, we produced 3 tri-boards, a giant timeline, a brief video, and an architectural model of a mosque and a synagogue, mosque-o-gogue for short. (I’ve attached two pictures of our final report.)”

Your statements are a breathtaking admission of the failure of the government schools! In-depth research on a narrowed topic followed by an audiovisual presentation is standard fare for elementary and middle HOME SCHOOLERS. My nine and twelve year olds each gave a tri-board presentation on the Acropolis and the Hagia Sophia respectively. Both took their own detailed photos of the architecture (we visited these places on a field trip) and constructed models. One child even did a 3D model of a Doric column in Maya and created an original surrealistic neoclassical landscape. By the way, if you mentioned “mosque-o-gogue” around a devout Muslim or Jew while visiting the Middle East, you might want to RUN AND HIDE FOR YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY! You would have highly insulted both groups.

“GHP was the first time I had ever gathered primary sources for any kind of history paper. It was the first time I ever read an academic paper on history. It was the first time I had pursued even the rudiments of independent research.”

Another amazing admission! No primary source documents? Did you previously rely on U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORTS? Have you not heard of the Internet? What is History without primary source documents? My 14 year old does ten-page research papers using primary source documents. While you were trying to solve the “Middle East ” conflict, did you bother to read the Koran or the Bible as primary resources? Of course, with just a quick flip through these books, you’ll have the “problem” solved in a mere two weeks. Oh, but I forgot about SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE. I guess you had to cross those resources off your list. My kids have studied the Bible since pre-K. They can quote passages from the King James version. This makes Shakespeare a breeze for them to understand. They’ve also learned a little Latin and Greek. I am glad, however, that you were finally able to do what you should have been taught earlier.

“But if I hadn’t attended GHP, if I hadn’t done the research, if I hadn’t met all these great kids, if I hadn’t been given the opportunity to pursue my wildest interests — I wouldn’t be able to change the world.”

Hmmm. Quite a grandiose statement. Are you saying it only took six weeks at Governor’s Honors to enable you to currently change the world? Does President Obama have your cell #? He needs to know that he might have some competition. And by the way, just what would that “change” be? Currently this nation has a National Debt of $13 TRILLION DOLLARS. We have no change left. In fact, THIS IS WHY THEY DON’T HAVE THE MONEY TO FUND YOUR PRECIOUS PROGRAM! Do our country a favor and research (primary source, of course) the history of the Federal Reserve, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Rockefeller Foundation, and the campaign platform of Andrew Jackson. Then perhaps you will be better informed as to what needs changing.

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My daughter will be attending GHP this summer in Physics. The thought that this program could be cut breaks my heart. She has been working extra with her teachers after school for two years to increase her chances of being selected for this program. The students selected choose to go to classes six days a week during the summer. They even have classes on the 4th of July. I would be glad to pay for the program, but I think it is a shame that anyone would think that these students do not DESERVE the program. I have worked in education since graduation in 1984. The school systems waste huge amounts of money on things that are not important. We have books, but many teachers choose not to use them and spend money on copies of other materials for their students. Money is spent on remediation for students that could do the work but refuse to do it the first time. We spend money on alternative schools and Saturday schools for students that refuse to behave in the regular classroom.(I am not refering to special ed issues here) I agree with other comments that too much money is being spent on administrative positions. I watch buses leave our school everyday with special ed. students going on field trips. Sometimes a bus will only have two or three students and there will be a bus driver and two or three teachers or parapros as well. I may get flamed for this, but some of these students don’t wake up for the entire trip and it seems like a waste of money to me. My daughter has been in the gifted program since first grade and we still had to let her skip a grade to keep her challenged. I think that GHP is one of the few times in her school career that she will be given an equal education. I call it equal because it equals the effort that she puts into her own education. Our motto for education in Georgia is “no child left behind.” I believe that this statement really means that “no child will get ahead.” These kids are the future of Georgia. So please do not deprive them of their future, and therefore, ours.

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GHP was and is, without a doubt, a fantastic program and one of the few bright spots in Georgia’s dark tunnel of public education. It is money well spent. It is not an entitlement but rather an investment. Now given, Georgia public education has been limping, but with two feet still on the ground. Now a foot has been cut off. Any State senator who voted to abolish the GHP program AND voted for perks and spending in their own districts during this legislative session should be voted out of office.

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I’m a 2007 Communicative Arts major and Greek minor. She’s put it as eloquently as anyone could. GHP was, hands down, the best six weeks of my high school career. It is immensely shortsighted to cut this funding and to remove this opportunity for hundreds of Georgia’s most gifted students.

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I have to wonder how much money is spent on the student that does not want to learn and how much is spent on the motivated one. Perhaps we should build an account for each student and if they cost more than the average have the parents make up the difference.

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GHP and UGA’s yearbook both face elimination in the same month. This is such a sad statement of where we are at this time in education. As a GHP alum (’93 Comm Arts) and former editor-in-chief of UGA’s Pandora, I am so saddened that future students may not have the opportunity to participate in these programs. The experiences provided by activities such as these change your perspective and foster creativity while offering opportunities far beyond the scope of a traditional classroom education. As a high school math teacher, I hate to see yet another special program end because we can’t find the funding. We are harming the future with these decisions.

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I don’t know how the Governor’s Honors program works for students.

I did have contact with it as a college student. I went to Valdosta State, where the kids spent their time. It was a real strain on professors and students because they were usually poorly behaved. More than once, Professor Mensing had to open his classroom door and tell the kids to get quiet.

The library was an absolute mess. If you had anything you needed to research, they were in the way. And loud.

They seemed to think they owned the university. Really. One law student had a GHP student sidle up to him while he was studying. She asked him what he was doing. After he explained, she was shocked that you know, there were college students at a college.

I’m not sure if I’m for or against the program. Based on what I saw of their curriculum, I was against it. Granted, it was very small bits and pieces and it is clouded by seeing them misbehave.

Should we do what we can to motivate students? Absolutely. Should we reach out more to the kids eager learn? Absolutely.

Was the Governor’s Honors Program the ideal way of doing it? Perhaps not. At least not with the maturity level of the kids and the seeming lack of supervision.

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Gwinnett Parent..I agree with you. I get upset about the cuts to the best and brightest..This includes band and other arts based programs.

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I am very familiar with Walton as my son is currently a senior at the school. Mom of two daughters, I can assure you that students there do plenty of primary research and academic reading prior to graduating. As an illustration, my son’s senior paper was a 15 page paper on the destructive role of society in The Metamorphosis. His history books, are the same as the books read at the University of Chicago intro level classes so I would imagine they qualify as academic reading.

So from what I’ve seen, I doubt that Annie or my son (who will be attending a different ivy league school this fall) would have been admitted to a school of Yale’s caliber if they were found to be lacking, as you said, these “basic skills.” Other than that, I do agree with your other points.

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That this cut is even being considered is a shame on the state.

That’s not AJC blog hyperbole, either.

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Ann Coulter makes mincemeat out of “news reader” Rachel Maddow’s Timothy McVeigh rant. It seems Ann Coulter understands the value of primary source documents. Perhaps she’s a GHP grad?
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=143813

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As a Soc Stud in ‘85, I have to echo the sentiments Annie’s letter. The impact of this program on my own development as a person and a student was enormous, and it was through this program that I learned to be a leader and gain confidence as a student. I believe it is the same benefit to this group of students each year as football practice and games are to athletes. Why cut one and not the other? It allows students who excel in academics the chance to be surrounded by other students with similar interests and skills, and they are able to develop those skills with some of the best teachers in the state. It is done during the summer, when most students are vacationing or at home for the break, and their devotion should be encouraged and rewarded, not denied. Our state will suffer greatly if this program ends.

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I would have been unable to attend GHP if it had cost money.

I come from a rural area where I only was offered one AP class. GHP gave an introduction to so many things my school never would have had the chance to share with me.

I’ll agree that many who attended would have been able to afford it, but for those of us who couldn’t, the idea of charging money for it is sad. I like the idea of need-based scholarships, however. I understand budget cuts; I just think cutting it completely shows a lack of understanding for how powerful the program is. Perhaps our senators could find a compromise. I also wonder if this wouldn’t be a great chance to have all the successful GHP alumni donate to a fund. I can’t base it on fact, but I feel like most GHP alumni are successful and would be able to donate.

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Free Market Educator – I hope your children don’t grow up to be as bitter and narrow minded as you. They’re leading a life of privilege and may have difficulty adjusting to the real world if they take on your attitude and forget that folks who eat from plastic spoons instead of silver spoons have as much to contribute to society even if they didn’t do tri-board presentations about things abroad. Why didn’t you take your cherubs to some place like Harlem and have them do presentations on something related to black history? Just saying…

DeeDee – You’re probably the type to park your SUV in a handicapped spot even though you may not be handicapped (sorry if you are, but you seem to be the type). That, or you eat at Fellini’s (see past blog regarding said eatery).

John – School athletic programs get gate money (true), but the salaries for coaches and funding for the facilities come from tax payer money. Unless a sport has an outstanding booster program, the school usually “finds some way” to cover the overall losses of the athletics program. Principals have an account funded by vending machines and other school fund raisers that can be used to fill in financial gaps. Unfortunately, many times this fund is used for athletics instead of academic related things.

I went to GHP in 1980 as a voice performance major. My high school did not have a choral program. My only formal exposure to choral music (participating) was through church. Through the classes I took and the people with whom I interacted, I was able to fill a major gap in my life. Though Valdosta was only an hour away from my hometown, the GHP experience was worlds away from a culture that valued sports and hunting over academics and performing arts. I’m disappointed, once again, that Sonny and his ilk have found yet another way to destroy an outstanding educational opportunities for our students. Also, teachers who teach at GHP have the opportunity to work with advanced students who aren’t suffering from being in mixed ability classes, and they get to grow professionally and take what they’ve experienced back to their schools to help enrich the lives of their students.

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It seems like those at the Gold Dome are jumping from one line item to another, if enough rallying is done, or enough calls are made, it goes right back in. I would like to see the whole budget. What fluff is still in there? Certainly, they can weed some money out of something else. The sad reality is that in order to balance this budget, something has to be cut. The other fact is… unemployment is up, revenue is down. I think cutting education, whether you agree with it or not, is going to hurt our state long term. Is our education system the best, not by a long shot. GH is a program that has a long track record, and data to show that it works. Why cut it? There have got to be line items that can’t show the same. We are already at the bottom of the list, cutting this quality program, that is already running smoothly, efficiently is ridiculous, especially considering upstarting something new like Pay for Performance.

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My sister taught at GHP for 2-3 years. She says that it was the best experience of her teaching career. I think she cried every year when she had to leave. The bright, talented, motivated, energetic kids and top notch teachers who speak, write and think well and behavior professionally made it a wonderful experience for her as I’m sure it does for all who participate.

It’s terribly sad that our governor and legislators cannot see the value of investing in our best and brightest students and teachers. Their stupidity (gov. & legs.) seems to know no limit.

It may be true that many of the students’ families could afford to pay for such an experience, some cannot. Can you imagine what GHP would be like for a bright kid with a crappy home life whose parents place no value on education? It would probably be his/her last, best chance to see greater possibilities.

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Perhaps some of the great companies that hire workers who have to go on Peachcare could donate money to sponsor some GHP students! Perhaps some that get great tax cuts to locate here could sponsor some kids! Maybe some of our legislators that claim that exhorbitant per diem could sponsor some kids!

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Jeff (Ex.MGT ‘85), I was the Design instructor from ‘85 to ‘90 (and an additional few years after that). Was your instructor Christie Clemenshaw?

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In ‘84 I attended GHP as a Social Studies Major in Valdosta. Our project that year was a mock national political party convention. I was the representative of the great state of Oiho ( I was a bit dyslexic back then). We had platforms, speeches and “politicking” to do all those six weeks. It was a transformative experience that helped form me as a citizen and as a person.

I’m saddened to see the lack of vision by the State of Georgia. Hopefully, this loss of the program in 2011 will only be temporary. Perhaps it will be a catalyst to those thousands of folks like most of us on the comments thread to urge the program to adapt to the new normal and find a way to self fund and possibly even create an endowment for those who can’t afford to go. This event need not be the death knell but merely a call to a new beginning.

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Asking that GHP not be eliminated is not asking for anything to be handed to us that, as American citizens, we don’t already deserve. A public education, last I checked, is our right. Now, a QUALITY education? That’s another story. All we’re asking is that kids actually be challenged, be provided with opportunities, and be taught to think critically, instead of just obeying teachers, regurgitating useless information, and working toward a standardized test. Students are human and have interests and real needs that should be met. Gifted students are absolutely special needs students. They need more, just as the commonly referred to special ed student does. Putting a student in honors classes absolutely does not fulfill those needs. If the entire public school system was run in a GHP-type manner, the whole problem would be resolved.

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I read you loud and clear, Jeff. However, my proposal would be tantamount to a driver license. As we know, driving is a privilege, not a right. When one abuses that privilege, said privilege is withheld by the issuing authority.

By the same token, far too many abuse, in a variety of ways, the education system. As with driver license abuse, these actions place many in peril. There are too many who do not want, and quite frankly, through continued misdeeds, are not deserving of a tax-supported education. These people serve absolutely no purpose, short run or long, and, in my view, should be legally removed from the roles of publically funded education.

DOES ANYONE IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAVE THE GUTS TO EXAMINE THE FEASABILITY OF THIS PROPOSAL?

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Well said jill. We need more teachers like you who not only are good at what they do but also who speak out with passion. Don’t be sad, this is nothing new. Continue to be who you are and others will join you. Thank you.

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you’re right kathy schools are supposed to provide gifted programs for their students but not all schools can provide the same amount of education that others can. I come from a small school and when i attended GHP i was opened up to so many things that i never had the chance to experience at my school. Just because a school has a gifted or honors program that doesn’t mean that its going to challenge the students in them.

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Jill, while there are those in blogland who simply exude nonesense in their writings, and probably talk to simply hear themselves talk, the vast majority of contributors (I hope my inputs are viewed as such) truly care about the plight of educators. Your’s is not a “closed profession”…whether we have kids in schools or not, whether we are a part of the education field or not, we all realize the great importance a sound educational system plays in our daily lives, and in our futures. Sometimes, as non-educators, we may seem somewhat hard-nosed, vicious, non-understanding, and perhaps even cruel. This, FOR THE MOST PART, is not the intent. Unfortunately, there are some who may have difficulty expressing sensitivity. I do not wish to set myself up as a spokesperson…as an “interested party”, albiet a non-educator, I see very little in the way of personal attacks.

Please understand, Jill, that the entire community of non-educators, in one way or another, relies on you, and your profession, to “keep the lights on” so that the future will not be darkened.

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It seems that everytime there is debate/conversation about the education process, (key word…process) some want to “pass go” and dig their heels into a debate about educators. Let me clear on this, I am speaking about the education process.
Example: Once at a Georgia Gifted Student Assoc. quarterly district meeting primary stakeholders were asked to fill in the blank. “if I could I would______.” I raised my hand and contributed,
If I could I would mandate that the elementary children, especially the gifted who read beyond “grade level” be given science and social studies all year round. The audience was silent because too many parents did not get it….we have 180 days of school right? Now, because of the emphasis on reading and math, our district decided to only allow for 90 hours or science a year and 90 hours of social studies a year. Thus, in our county one can look at DOE report card and notice a trend. Our middle school and high school kids are more likely to fail social studies and science portions of the CRCT and the GHSGT.
Today, our district didn’t change anything, not even for the honors kids.
According to the Georgia School Board “Educaation Policy Primer” guide the GDOE allocates “additional” funding for gifted programs. So where is that extra $$$ going??? Perhaps if you know the person(s) involved in the gifted program you can determine if sufficient funds are going toward administrative costs. In our county gifted classes have a fraction of the students that “regular kids” which means more $$ for teachers and less on the student, AND we still do fund raisers for the gifted program!
To see where the gifted MONEY goes, simply go to the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts. (or call Russel W. Hinton, State Auditor at (404)656-2174 and ask for a CD or any question you might have) And, let’s not forget about recent legislation signed into law last year…HB 251 allowing intra district choice (loophole: LBOEs decide capacity of a school vs. a fire marshall) HB149 offering “dual enrollment” made easier for all kids, NOT just kids in an AP course. (BTW: AP classes have jumped within the last few years thanks to GDOE, not LBOEs) Dual enrollment also means the $$$$ going to the institution of higher education, which may lead LBOEs to OMIT such information to unsuspecting stakeholders.

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Kathy, you pose an interesting scenario. I do not know if the Georgia School Board Education Policy Primer is authored by anyone vaguely associated with the regulating authority of the DOE, however, if the Georgia Department of Education is directed (I say again…DIRECTED) to provide additional funding for gifted programs, I would be willing to venture that GDOE leadership, brought to the attention of the courts, would be in contempt of same.

Before you start contemplating taking the monkey off the back of GDOE leadership, you may wish to determine, through the courts, just exactly which one of two scenarios exist: 1) GDOE, due to fiscal constraints, CANNOT meet this stipulation, or 2) GDOE, due to internal fluff, WOULD RATHER NOT meet this requirement.

We’ve all read of extravagant “educational junkets” to far-off entertainment venues, the insistance of local school boards retaining personel of questionable value (graduation coaches, etc), and absurd raises for leadership personel whose only “accomplishments” are fiscal fiasco, gutted teacher corps, and persistently high drop-out/failure rates.

Once again, I ask the question…”Are there any leaders within the Ga Teacher Corps”?

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As a former dekalb county social studies high school that has been an actual judge in the GHP I throughly disagree with Governor Perdue shutting the program down. You say you want Georgia high school students to be competitive but how when you are constantly closing down programs that might expose the best and brightest students, who may not have the chance to experience an opportunity like this anywhere else.
I don’t get it. I really care about these kids and they definitely need the Governors Honors Program. Please keep it.

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Here you go Ole Guy…OCGA 20-2-152 conti’d…the $$$$
“(d) For purposes of funding under this article, the following special education categories are authorized for the local units of administration of this state:
(6) Category VI: intellectually gifted.
Perhaps it is not the LBOE that needs to be charged with anything, but the public who allows LBOEs to exercise local flexibility without primary stakeholder input!

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There were a couple of pretty negative comments upthread about Ms. Wang’s reference to GHP being the first time she used primary source materials.

I suspect that not everyone is using this terminology the same way. The overwhelming majority of sources of information for most school and even college level reports written by students are secondary sources.

Books, monographs,and even academic journal articles are all secondary source documents.

Primary sources are original documents, first person accounts, raw quantitative data, etc.

When your middle school or high school student is working on a research project, they are almost certainly using mostly secondary source materials, perhaps with some primary source material incorporated. There is nothing wrong with that. Experts in their fields have spent their entire academic careers reviewing primary source materials to construct their understanding of a particular topic. A high school student working on a research paper should take advantage of the secondary sources written by these experts, perhaps with some primary sources incorporated to support the thesis of his or her paper.

Ms. Wang, in her very well-written letter, is describing the value of moving to an environment in which primary sources played a much larger role in her research. This is really a college-level skill. (Keep in mind that AP courses, which do incorporate writing about primary source documents, are supposed to be taught as college-level courses.)

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Kathy, thank you for your detailed analysis. Unfortunately, our legislators are “fair weather pilots”…more than willing to talk the talk, by way of legislation which appeases the public, and garners votes. I believe Rob has pretty much identified the root problem as “a lack of real commitment to high quality public education by the leadership of the state”. At the same time, many of these (clearing of throat) “leaders”, realizing their days on the gravy train are limited, somehow manage to find the money to fund pet projects of dubious value.

Thank you again, Kathy, for the enlightenment.

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Georgia never fails to disappoint. GHP is not the only valuable program to go. Our political hacks — sorry, I mean “elected leaders” are a bunch of troglodytes. But we elected them, so we have only ourselves to blame for the sorry state of the state.

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I am from Mississippi, and I attended the Mississippi Governor’s School when I was between my junior and senior year in 1995. That program changed my life, and it is only 3 weeks long there. I was from a tiny rural school with only one AP class, and I was the smartest kid there. When I went to MGS, I was shocked that there were other smart kids there that weren’t your stereotypical geeks. Haha, I thought I was the only one. I ended up being the only kid from my HS that went straight to a 4-year school, and the experiences that I had that summer prepared me and helped me to be confident about moving on to the “big time.”

I also went back and served as an RA for 3 summers, and an instructor for 2. So, I can understand the feelings everyone has for GHP. As a high school teacher now, I see students in my high school who are accepted or nominated for this program, and I see how it helps accelerate their growth as it did mine.

It’s not a question of primary sources or tri-boards, but its a matter of exposing yourself to a community of like-minded individuals who share your intellectual curiosity. Hopefully, some kind of agreement can be reached to keep the GHP going, and now I’ve got to search and find if my own MGS is safe from the cuts.

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Why isn’t this a Get Schooled topic?
Public school teacher seeking counseling degree gets the boot. University is sued for violation of Constitution.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=144881

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Cut programs for gifted, boost programs for low achievers. The marginal return of giving extra opportunities to gifted is far greater, from a social standpoint. We left Georgia to move to Northern Virginia, where families (with and without children) of all races are highly motivated to have educated, high performing school children. Georgia fails in education on so many fronts – but it starts with a very poor understanding of the value of a truly excellent public education that challenges all the students – low and high achieving.

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Looks like the GHP will go for 4 weeks in 2-1- and no funding allocated for 2011. I am curious why the GHP can’t be turned nito a 501 c 3 and all the hopeful participants can raise money and write grants for recipiants. Also, how many of you realize that the Gerogia Gifted Student Association is actually a 501 c 3?
Perhpas its time for everyone to pay their way instead of waiting for a government handout. It is might behoove some to read and learn what corporate social responsibility is in order to look to other pockets of money other than the Georgia tax payer.
I am still curious what recipients give back/reciprocate to Ga. tax payers for their generousity.

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[...] at least it will happen in 2011. The Senate had stripped the 2011 funding, setting off a firestorm of protest from ex GHP attendees who testified to the program’s life-changing powers. A Facebook page to [...]

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GHP 2004 Math Major, Comm Arts Minor.

GHP gave me the opportunity to stretch my mind in ways I never thought possible, and as a result, I learned of my passion for mathematical research. I’m now doing a PhD at Penn in mathematics, thanks to a National Science Foundation fellowship. Governmental fundings like this and then NSF are the way we are able to keep our best high school students in the US to be able to compete with other nations’ students, and we need to be on top of the education levels in quantitative sciences.

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