Q: Do you (the gifted specialist) decide if my child is qualified to participate in AIG services?
A: No, I am not the sole deciding factor. I present the information to the match team and I will give my input as a member of the team. I can't by myself "decide" that your child is gifted or not. Mr. Broadfoot also has the final say and must sign off that he agrees with the match teams decision.
Q: If my child goes through the Match Team process and he/she is identified as a gifted learner, why don't you move him/her midyear?
A: We don't move students midyear for several reasons. First, it is disruptive to the child's schedule. At this point, they have bonded with their teachers and classmates. To move a child midyear, uproots them from their routine and classroom expectations. Second, we don't overload classes beyond the normal capacity. For example, if we have a gifted clustered class that is currently at 36 students, and then we identify 7 students through the Match Team process, we are not going to move them and make a class of 43 students. It is not productive for any of the students involved.
Q: Do I have to reapply each year so my student stays in the AIG program?
A: No, once a student is identified as needing gifted services, they stay in the program unless there is a need to make a change. Moving a student out of a gifted class is a rare situation and both parents, teachers and the match team would be involved.
Q: If my child is gifted in one area and then receives "standard" differentiation in another area, what does "standard" mean?
A: Standard means that the child is not gifted in that area and the differentiation will happen within the normal classroom setting. If a student applies to be in the AIG program and the match team determines that he/she does not qualify for gifted services, the parent will be told that the child will receive "standard" differentiation in the classroom, which is provided by the classroom teacher, not myself.
Q: If I have a concern about something that is happening in my child's class, what is the proper "chain of command?"
A: You would contact your child's classroom teacher and the team first, then contact me and the team. Then, if needed, contact Mr. Broadfoot. My role is to be a resource to the teachers but I do not have a supervisory position and any concerns along those lines would need to go to Mr. Broadfoot. However, when we work together we tend to come up with solutions since we all have your child's best interest at heart.