YOUR VOTE COUNTS!

JAGC wants to help families find accurate information about the candidates running for the JEFFCO school board and their philosophies regarding Gifted and Talented (GT) education. The four Board of Education candidates were asked to provide answers to the same three questions focusing on GT education in JEFFCO. Responses have been posted without editing.

1.     What is your background and philosophy regarding the implementation of support for Gifted and Talented Students in JEFFCO (via policy, funding, resources, and training)?

2.     Gifted learners have accelerated and complex intellectual development, often also leading to unique social and emotional needs. For gifted students to develop their potential, the school community must be capable of providing appropriate support. What do you believe the professional requirement(s) should be of administrators and teachers to recognize and meet the academic, social and emotional needs of Gifted and Talented Students?

3.     The National Association for Gifted and Talented Children (NAGC) notes that a learning environment of intellectual safety, trust, and self-exploration is very important for gifted and talented students. As a school board member, how will you ensure learning environment where each GT student can feel comfortable exploring his or her creative and intellectual differences?

For the JEFFCO Board of Education: Jill Fellman and Preston Branaugh are candidates for district 3, and Lesley Dahlkemper and Jim Powers are candidates for district 4. However, voting is countywide (i.e. registered voters countywide will elect two new board members, regardless of the voter's district). Each seat is for a term of four years.

JAGC is grateful to the School Board candidates for responding and helping the GT community understand their positions on these issues that strongly impact the lives of over 8,800 JEFFCO students and their families. Please read their responses and vote as you feel appropriate.

District 3:
Preston Branaugh
Jill Fellman

District 4:
Lesley Dahkemper
Jim Powers

of related interest:

Jeffco Schools Gifted & Talented Facts:

• Jefferson County has over 8,831 students identified as gifted and talented students, just over 10% of the JEFFCO student population (2011-12 school year). The distribution between males and females is 50/50. The population is both age and ethnically diverse. The school district provides services to the GT population through the Department of Student Success.
  
  The Gifted and Talented office is comprised of one Director and 8 Resource Teachers (RTs) who provide service and management of ALPs to the 8,831 students (or roughly 1 Resource Teacher for 1,100 GT students).
  
  Jeffco’s GT office receives $174,000 from the Jeffco School District general fund for school year 2011-2012. The remaining 82% of the Jeffco GT department’s budget is provided by Colorado Department of Education grant money for a total of $960,000. There is no federal grant money for GT.

Jeffco School District "Just the Facts" Q&A

League of Women Voters' "How to Evaluate School Board Candidates"

National Assocation of Gifted Children (NAGC) Gifted Programming Standards

re. Proposition 103: Great Education Colorado FAQs (JAGC is a member of the Great Futures Colatition)

Election day is Tuesday, November 1, 2011. This election is held by mail-in ballot in Jefferson and Broomfield counties. The last day to register to vote for this election was October 3. Mail-in ballots began to be sent out beginning the week of October 11 to active registered voters. For more information about voting see: www.govotecolorado.com.