For anyone interested in talented & gifted issues at Alameda and within PPS

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Still time to send emails to Ore. School Funding Task Force

From Oregon Association of TAG -

(UPDATE - The Task Force Meeting has been delayed so there is more time to send in letters about your education funding priorities.  OATAG is spreading the word to encourage families to advocate for TAG students in the state.)

The Oregon School Funding Task Force will be meeting this year to take public testimony on the State funding formula for education. The members of the committee are important policy makers.

This may be our best chance to get TAG funding included in legislation next session.

This is likely to be a crowded and busy hearing. Instead of testifying in person, OATAG strongly recommends sending written testimony to the committee staff member:

jan.mccomb@state.or.us 

Let her know that your message is intended as testimony for the hearing.

Your testimony should be short and concise. Express your views about the TAG funding based on your own experience. Include your name and address and any relevant status information. Names and addresses will be redacted.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

It's February So...Summer Camp Links Are Up!

Saturday Academy now has details on its summer 2014 camps, including the TAG Challenge Camp -
http://www.saturdayacademy.org/ The summer TAG Challenge camps are for kids entering grades 4 through 8 and are held at Reed College and The University of Portland.

The National Assn. of Gifted Children has a directory of summer camps for gifted kids here .

We'll post links to more camps as information comes in - feel free to send suggestions to alamedatag@gmail.com .


ACCESS info. and tours

ACCESS Academy Alternative program has posted information on its information nights, tours and question hotline -

http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/access/


Thursday, February 20, 2014

Message from Ore. Assn. of TAG on Task Force Hearing

"The Oregon School Funding Task Force will be meeting next week to take public testimony on the State funding formula for education. Below is a list of the members of the task force and the meeting announcement. The members of the committee are important policy makers.

This may be our best chance to get TAG funding included in legislation next session.


This is likely to be a crowded and busy hearing. Instead of testifying in person, I strongly recommend sending written testimony to
the committee staff member:

jan.mccomb@state.or.us .

Let her know that your message is intended as testimony for the hearing.

Your testimony should be short and concise. Express your views about the TAG funding based on your own experience. Include your name and address and any relevant status information--for example, "a parent of an Oregon public school student" "an elementary school teacher", "a resident of Woodburn" or "a small business owner" .

OATAG will provide evidence on the trends in state funding over the past decade and provide a copy of the Task Force report "Quiet Crisis".

Letters written by students are always especially welcome.

The Task Force on School Funding was established by HB 2506 (2013). Its directive is to “make recommendations regarding possible modifications to the funding formulas used to distribute State School Fund moneys to school districts and education service districts.”

Task Force Membership:
The task force consists of 13 members. The Speaker of the House appoints two members; the Senate President appoints two members; and the Governor appoints 9 members. The Governor’s appointees shall be persons who represent school teachers, school administrators, school district business managers, district school board members, and education service districts.

Task Force Members
Senator Richard Devlin
Senator Fred Girod
Representative Betty Komp
Representative Sherrie Sprenger
Kelly K. Devlin
John W. Hayes, Jr. PhD
Claire S. Hertz
Steven G. Isaacs
Sena E. Norton
Bobbie Regan
John M. Rexford
Heidi A. Sipe
Michael D. Wolfe

A report from the task force must be submitted to interim committees related to education no later than October 1, 2014.

Task Force on School Funding
Date
:
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Time:1:00–4:00pm
Place: Hearing RoomB
State Capitol Building
900 Court Street NE, Salem OR
Public Testimony"