State Budget and Gifted Education: Tell Us What You Want to See!

As you probably know, the governor just announced his state budget proposal on February 28.  The link to the full 592-page governor's budget (and summary documents) is https://doa.wi.gov/Pages/StateFinances/2019-21-Executive-Budget.aspx. 
 
The request for gifted funding (item 18 on page 419) seems to have been kept at $1 million per year for the competitive grants program, which is what DPI requested last fall.  (The actual amount shown on the budget document is $762,800 for each year, FY20 and FY21, but we take that to be the amount of increase: added to the current $237,200/year it adds up to $1M.). Here is the link to the original DPI request https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/policy-budget/pdf/2019-21_Biennial_Budget_Request_Sept_17_2018_FINAL_tech_corrections.pdf- the four pages on gifted education are at document pages 121-124.
 
Here is the paragraph that accompanies the governor’s request; it simply summarizes the longer DPI budget request language: "Governor recommends providing funding to increase gifted and talented programming capacity in school districts. The Governor also recommends providing districts the flexibility to use grant funds for professional development and modifying the goal of the program to focus on serving historically underrepresented students including economically disadvantaged students, students of color, English Learners and students with disabilities."            

While a number of Republican majority state legislators have objected to the governor’s budget, there does seem to be agreement that K-12 education funding will increase, and the Republican-led Blue Ribbon Commission on School Funding report in January recommended increasing funding for gifted education (they suggest $2.5 million per year as one option – see item #22).  https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lfb/misc/206_recommendations_of_the_blue_ribbon_commission_on_school_funding_1_4_19.pdf The Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) also recently recommended increased funding for gifted education: https://wasb.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Report-to-the-Membership-on-Resolutions-Adopted-by-the-2019-Delegate-Assembly-FINAL.pdf  - see Resolution 19-05.
                
What next?  WATG’s Government Action Committee is currently developing its advocacy strategic plan; it will probably include support for $2.5 million for the current DPI grants program, promotion of WATG’s “Acceleration Project” (submit your acceleration stories!), and a longer-term emphasis on policy and funding changes that will remove barriers and improve action on behalf of students with gifts and talents.
 
WE NEED YOUR IDEAS!   What would you like to see in Wisconsin?  If you are a parent, what policies would help your children thrive in school?  If you are an educator, what would make your job easier as you provide appropriate advanced instructional opportunities?  If you have experience in another state, what was available there that you wish was available in Wisconsin?  Please send your ideas for what you would like to see in gifted education in Wisconsin!  Email Advocacy@watg.org.