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WISCONSIN ASSOCIATION FOR TALENTED & GIFTED

Wisconsin Association For Talented & Gifted

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WHAT CAN PARENTS AND GUARDIANS DO?

6/1/2021

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We at WATG often answer questions from parents and guardians of gifted children. Here are some answers to the question, “what can parents and guardians do?”

WHAT CAN PARENTS AND GUARDIANS DO?

1. Ask questions and seek answers from resources, educators and
administrators.
Use a variety of avenues to seek out information about gifted
learners and parenting gifted children. The Wisconsin Association for Talented
and Gifted (WATG), the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), and
Hoagies Gifted are good places to start. Join a parent group, read, attend a
conference or webinar to learn more about tools and strategies that work with
advanced learners.

2. Communicate regularly in partnership with the school and
district.
Connect with school staff and explore the options available to
students in the school. Ask questions about how students are
identified for accelerated learning opportunities. Find out how often students
are identified, what programming is offered, and how often opportunities and
placements are reviewed.

3. Advocate at the school, district, and state levels.
Build a strong relationship with educators and let them know you
are a partner and advocate. Offer support and encouragement
to the school community. If your child needs gifted and talented services
or is receiving them, communicate regularly with school staff. Two-way
communication is optimal for building a strong and proactive relationship.
This solid relationship will benefit your child, other children, and the school
community at large.

Gifted and talented advocacy offers a multitude of possibilities. In Wisconsin,
gifted education is mandated, but not funded. Writing to state legislators and
asking for funding for gifted education could accelerate change. Though WATG
has asked for $5,000,000 for gifted education, gifted education in Wisconsin
only receives $237,200 in the form of competitive grants. Much more funding
is needed. Additionally, you can write letters asking that gifted education
coursework be included at the college level of teacher training. Currently in
Wisconsin, teachers do not experience any classes in gifted education.

4. Network.
Advocacy and networking often go hand in hand. Join WATG, attend
the annual WATG conference, and visit WATG’s website to determine
if becoming a member of the board might be a fit for you. Additionally, WATG
always welcomes volunteers to further our mission, “to advocate for and
educate about the needs of gifted in Wisconsin.” Through networking in your
local school district, CESA (Cooperative Educational Services Agency), state, or
nation, you will join others who share your commitment to gifted learners.

5. Celebrate best practices in gifted education.
Celebrate the efforts of educators who are successfully meeting
the needs of gifted learners. Let administrators at the school and
district level know about the specific strategies and the positive impacts they
are having on student achievement. Encourage the use of these strategies in
all classrooms and schools so that they can impact more students. Nominate
a teacher, administrator or community member for a WATG award for the
significant contributions they are making for gifted students. Recognition of
success generates more success.

Finally, parents, realize the power you have to impact change in the school
community. When informed and united, parents can and do effect change at
all levels. Working together with educators, districts, state and national policy
makers, parents can experience first-hand the difference that they can make in
the lives of their gifted children, and all gifted children.

WATG would like to extend a huge thank you to Esther Vasquez Guendulain for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can also be found below. It is an excerpt from WATG’s Acceleration Report.



En WATG a menudo respondemos preguntas de padres y tutores de niños con habilidades excepcionales. Aquí hay algunas respuestas a la pregunta, "¿qué pueden hacer los padres y tutores?"

¿QUÉ PUEDEN HACER LOS PADRES Y TUTORES?

1. Hacer preguntas y buscar respuestas en los recursos existentes, educadores y administradores.
Utilice una variedad de vías para buscar información sobre alumnos con habilidades excepcionales y cómo criarlos. La Asociación para niños con habilidades y talentos especiales de Wisconsin (WATG por sus siglas en inglés) y la Asociación Nacional para niños talentosos (NAGS por sus siglas en inglés), son buenos lugares para empezar. Únase a un grupo de padres, lea, asista a conferencias o seminarios en-línea para aprender más sobre herramientas y estrategias que funcionan con alumnos avanzados.

2. Comuníquese regularmente en colaboración con la escuela y el distrito.
 Conéctese con el personal de la escuela y explore las opciones disponibles para los estudiantes en la escuela. Haga preguntas sobre cómo se identifican a los estudiantes para las oportunidades de aprendizaje avanzado. Averigüe qué tan frecuentemente se identifican a los estudiantes, que programas se ofrecen y que tan frecuentemente este acceso a oportunidades de aprendizaje y acceso a programas son revisados. 

3. Abogue en la escuela, el distrito y a nivel estatal.
Construya una fuerte relación con los maestros y hágales saber que usted es un colaborador y puede abogar. Ofrezca apoyo y motivación a la comunidad escolar. Si su hijo(a) necesita servicios o está recibiendo estos servicios, comuníquese regularmente con el personal de la escuela.  La comunicación de dos vías es óptima para construir una relación fuerte y proactiva. Esta sólida relación será de beneficio para su estudiante, otros niños y la comunidad escolar en general.
El abogar por estudiantes con habilidades excepcionales ofrece una multitud de posibilidades. En Wisconsin, la educación para estos estudiantes es obligatoria pero no financiada. El escribir a los legisladores estatales y pedir fondos para la educación de estos estudiantes, podría acelerar el cambio. A pesar de que WATG ha solicitado $5,000,000 para la educación especializada para niños con talentos especiales, este  programa de educación en Wisconsin únicamente recibe $237,200 en forma de subsidios competitivos. Se necesitan muchos más fondos. Adicionalmente, puede escribir cartas pidiendo a los legisladores que se incluyan cursos acerca de cómo trabajar con estudiantes con habilidades excepcionales para maestros como parte de su formación universitaria. Actualmente, los maestros en Wisconsin no reciben ninguna clase de entrenamiento en esta área.
​
4. Red de comunicación
El abogar por una red de comunicación, van de la mano frecuentemente. Unase a WATG, asista a la conferencia anual de WATG y visite la página web de WATG para determinar si el ser miembro del Consejo, es una buena posibilidad. Adicionalmente, en WATG los voluntarios son siempre bienvenidos a ayudar con la misión de “abogar y educar sobre las necesidades de los estudiantes con talentos únicos en Wisconsin”. A través de la red de comunicación en su distrito escolar local, la Agencia de Servicios de Educación Cooperativa (CESA por sus siglas en inglés), el estado o nación; se unirá a otros que comparten su compromiso con los alumnos que poseen talentos excepcionales. 


WATG desea extender un enorme agradecimiento a la Esther Vasquez Guendulain por traducir este artículo al español para nuestras familias y educadores hispanohablantes. La traducción también se puede encontrar en los blogs de nuestro sitio web. Es un extracto del informe de Aceleración de WATG. 
 




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