Coming soon in Pinellas: new magnet programs

Look for some news in the near future on magnet programs in Pinellas County. At a workshop today, the School Board expressed serious interest in several initiatives, including a proposed middle school program for gifted students and a new magnet program at Pinellas Park High geared to students seeking careers in emergency management.

The board also asked superintendent Julie Janssen for ideas on 1.) allowing more students to enter the district’s International Baccalaureate programs at Palm Harbor University High and St. Petersburg High, 2.) adding an IB or IB-like program at a third school or 3.) coming up with a new rigorous program for high school students. Board member Jane Gallucci pushed for something besides IB, saying the district needed a program that focused more narrowly on preparing students for global competition. Board members Janet Clark, Linda Lerner and Carol Cook said they were intrigued by Gallucci’s idea.

The middle school gifted program is a response to years of lobbying from parents at Ridgecrest Elementary, a gifted magnet in Largo and the only elementary magnet without a destination program in middle school. District officials said such a program could be in place for the 2009-10 school year. It would operate as a “school within a school” at a yet-to-be-determined middle school.

The National Guard has provided nearly $900,000 in start-up costs for the proposed magnet at Pinellas Park High. District officials said the idea for the magnet grew out of a realization after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 that the nation needed more emergency management professionals. The program could be ready to accept students in time for the 2009-10 school year, with approval as soon as November.

Comments

[Jeanne H.]

Not in Clearwater, but highly recommended:

Dennis Apple
9887 - 4th Street North
Suite 232
St. Petersburg, FL 33702
381-0415
SWACDNKICK@aol.com

[MH]

Can anyone recommend a private psychologist to test kids for Gifted? . I know someone mentioned one that work for Hillsborough . Can anyone share one in Clearwater area?

[ivona]

They really need to put a magnet program at Countryside high school not like IB but like a medical or something.

[New Ridgecrest Mom]

I just started my 1st grade daughter in the spanish immersion program this year. We did the school testing at Seminole Elementary. She was pulled out one day a week once all the paperwork got done, which was about mid-year. That took care of her boredom. This year was a concern for us, though, because since she had been in the multi-age pod at Seminole, she was going to learn (within a range) the same things she learned last year. If last year she was at the top of her class, where would that put her this year? I'm not stuck up, affluent, or obnoxious. I just want my daughter to get the best education possible. And we can't afford private. I think this gifted program would give private a run for its money, though. We're very pleased. She was very overwhelmed with the spanish in the beginning of the year, but her head is above water now and she loves it. It's not as tough as I thought it would be. (is that good???) I'm not for spending a lot more money, but something needs to happen if it's true that the students that have not been id'd as "gifted" within the same school are not receiving a good education... understanding that the figures might be skewed because often times the parents of the students who have been id'd as "gifted" are heavily invested in their education, and that might not necessarily be true of the rest of the students in the school, and that might result in students who don't live up to their full potential.

[Julia]

RC Mom - again, we don't need more buses. They are $ and not good for the environment. There needs to be more MEGSS programs and classes at every MS. It is good for kids to learn to be w/ other non gifted kids anyway.

I also don't feel a need to advertise my child's IQ and my neighborhood. No, this is not coming from a place of jealousy. I did not need to have private testing done but have known many who have. So in that sense, Jack is correct.

[Ridgecrest parent too]

I am a Ridgecrest parent too. Ridgecret Mom, Ridgecrest is not all it says. Those "regular ed" classes do not have the language inclusion you speak of, they don't have the greatest teachers either. They don't have the programs to help a child that is a point or two below common assessment. They say they do. They will even pull your child out of class for a half hour a day and say they are helping, but it is bogus. That school is there for your gifted child alone. They are not helping the other children very well at all.

[Ridgecrest Mom]

There is busing available to Ridgecrest.

I choose to drive so I can volunteer at the school, to be involved.

I make sacrifices to be able to do this, and juggle my work schedule around this. I may not drive a brand new car, or take vacations, wear expensive clothes, carry expensive purses; but I am involved.

Expressing thanks primarily to GAP for begining the magnet middle chool discussions and to the Ridgecrest staff for the great job they do is something worthy of capital letters. :)

[Julia]

Jack and Ridgecrest mom - you both give me a headache!

Jack for not acknowledging that there are kids that need accelerated learning programs. My daughter and niece are both examples of gifted children who need challenges.

Ridgecrest mom please be careful with the caps and "yelling". This is not how to get what you want. Many consider gifted parents to be obnoxious and selfish. We don't need to give into the stereotype.

I also don't believe we need to create more magnets period. They are expensive to run. The district is broke right now. We need to focus on neighborhood schools. This is the first year of neighborhood schools, let's try to make it work! Bring more gifted programs to local, neighborhood schools. Not everyone can drive 17 miles, RC mom. That does not make them a bad mom or you a better one. It means they may not have the $ for gas, a larger family who driving that distance would be hardship for younger children etc... everyone's family situation is different. For gas, the budget and parental involvement reasons, we need to focus on neighborhood schools. Not pit parents against each other.

[Countryside Mom]

Countryside High School needs a magnet program. And, yes there should be other programs besides IB. How about something for all those writers out there?

[Valerie]

The Gifted Association of Pinellas (GAP) is the voice of gifted parents in the county and they have done a wonderful job working on this. It would have been nice to see them mentioned in the article and acknowledging their efforts.

[Safety Harbor Mom]

This is a result of the hard work and efforts of GAP - Gifted Association with the input of Ridgecrest parents and also one day pull out program parents who wanted a more challenging program for their children.

Note: There's a GAP meeting today Tuesday 9/30 at 6pm at Clearwater East Library.

Thank you GAP.

[Proud Ridgecrest Mom]

THANK YOU GAP for advocating for ALL gifted students in the county. YES, I am a VERY proud Ridgecrest Mom. My daughter is in the 2nd grade there.

Jack - you seem bitter. Most likely, you have (or know someone) who did not pass the testing to gain admission to the gifted program in the county..... or perhaps it was to difficult for you to drive to Ridgecrest. I have spent the past 2 1/2 years driving my daughter 17 miles to school from NE St. Petersburg.

YES ... in case anyone was wondering, there are free/reduced lunch kids in the gifted program, just like the traditional classes. Gifted DOES NOT EQUAL rich...

Yes, my Daughter did not pass the school testing, but there are numerous Ridgecrest Parents who can attest to the failures of the gifted testing department @ PSC ... sending confidential test results to the wrong students; Kids having NO NOTICE of what day/time they will be tested (and the kids being pulled from class by a strange man/woman and taken to a back room/storage closet for testing); Kids receiving their test results w/ one kids name typed out and their name HANDWRITTEN in place ... But I have yet to meet someone who has "doctor shopped" and gotten multiple tests until their child passed. My daughter went from 126 with the school testing to 144 with a private testing. The private tester I used (a lovely woman who works for Hills. county schools doing gifted testing for their students) even commented on my daughters results that she was amazed that PSC got the results they did, as my daughter was OBVIOUSLY gifted.

A lot of the gifted program involves teaching a grade ahead ... Many gifted 5th graders leave Ridgecrest and go to Middle School (while taking the advanced Math & Science classes offered at some, not all, Middle Schools) and use the SAME TEXTBOOKS and the SAME READING BOOKS (novels) that they used in 5th grade at Ridgecrest.

The kids do not seem to mind the label of "Gifted". Perhaps we need to be more PC and call it "Advanced" or "Accelerated". Whatever it is called, the classes are needed. That is why there is typically a waiting list for at least one of the grades of gifted instruction at any given time.

Another great GEM of a program contained within Ridgecrest that no one at the SP Times seems to care about is their PARTIAL IMMERSION SPANISH PROGRAM. They have 33 2nd graders and 36 1st graders who spend 1/2 the day learning in TOTAL SPANISH. There are 2 wonderful teachers (C. Wapole and A. Smith) who spend their days teaching our children math, science and reading in Spanish. At the end of last year, the testing done throughout the year showed the following for the current 2nd graders:
- They were on the same level (Spanish) as native Speaking Spanish children in Mexico
- They were on the same level (English) as the other students at Ridgecrest who were in a gifted English 1st grade. Almost all these students were ABOVE grade level, at the level of most regular 2nd graders.

Ridgecrest is a wonferful place to be a student. They have a GREAT PTA (yes I am a member). They have caring staff (from the lunch ladies, "copy queen", front office data staff, custodians, technical computer guy, media specialist, PE coaches, reading coaches, TEACHERS, Principal and Vice Principal)

THANK YOU GAP FOR STANDING UP FOR THE THOUSANDS OF GIFTED STUDENT STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

THANK YOU RIDGECREST STAFF FOR PROVIDING SUCH A WONDERFUL SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT.

[Jack]

The whole gifted thing is bogus. It measures one type of intelligence. Research shows there are multiple types of intelligence. Gifted schools and programs are just a way for affluent parents to get their kids away from poor kids. It is the only program where a parent can pay a private psychologist to say their kid is gifted so the kid gets specialized treatment. It's wrong. We shouldn't start a gifted middle school. We should drop the entire gifted program.

[twdj]

The Gifted Association of Pinellas was also instrumental in lobbying for the Gifted MS. GAP is made up of parents and teachers of gifted students from various schools in Pinellas County, not just Ridgecrest Elem.

Seminole High School is the PERFECT place for a new IB program!!!!