BRRSD - Eliminate AI in 5th and 6th Grade

Dear Parents:

Please read all the way to the end of this e-mail to participate in a petition.

There is a very important budget matter being discussed by the Administration and Board of Education in BRRSD right now. It is whether to maintain the AI program in the 5th and 6th grades or to eliminate it and replace it by adding E Science and E Social Studies in addition to the current E Language Arts and E Math programs that are currently in place in these two grades.

In the first draft of the 2010-2011 budget, the Administration proposed eliminating the AI classes in both 5th and 6th grade and adding both E Science and E Social Studies classes. This change would benefit more students by allowing children who excel in any of these four subjects (Language Arts, Math, Science or Social Studies) to be able to attend accelerated learning classes in just those classes. The AI parents (APEX) are against this change and have been very vocal at recent Board Meetings and coupled with their representation on the BOE; they have been successful in modifying this change so that only the 6th Grade AI classes will be modified but not the 5th. They were able to argue keeping the 5th Grade AI program because by eliminating two regular education teachers in the incoming 5th grade and keeping the AI classes the change in class size and budgetary savings will remain the same. They were not able to accomplish this in the incoming 6th grade because currently there are only 15 students in the Hillside AI class and close to 24 in the regular education classes.

I still object to the modification because it does not benefit the majority of students in 5th grade. All students (650 +) should have access to accelerated learning in all four subjects (Language Arts, Math, Science- new and Social Studies new) not just the 40 or so that are in the AI program.

Some background is necessary to explain how the AI issue has taken over our district. The AI program only represents about 5\% of students. I would say that more than half of our current Board of Education represents the interests of the APEX group which represents the AI parents. Some interesting facts:

1. This group has monopolized or should I say wasted ($$) hours and hours of our Administration and Board of Educations time discussing matters that only pertain to 5\% of our student population.
2. There are additional costs in busing associated with this program.
3. There are additional costs associated with the testing and evaluation of the AI children.
4. Are there additional costs in the curriculum material and training for the AI Teachers?
5. In the past, many of the AI classes were significantly smaller than the average regular education classes. So, the AI students were and some still are basically getting a private education at the taxpayers expense and at the expense of our childrens education. In recent years, this class size has been on the rise because more and more parents want this program so their children benefit by this private school method of education.
6. Our district is one of less than a handful of school districts that has a Gifted and Talented program that isolates these children in a separate class from 2nd grade through 6th grade.
7. In a district our size, the social ramifications for these children can be significant. Imagine being with the same 20 -25 children from 2nd -6th grade and then being dumped into our Middle School with 650+ classmates that you do not know. This program leaves these children ill prepared to deal with social situations in our Middle and High School and quite frankly in the real world.
8. For your review and consideration, I am attaching a copy of the recent Gifted and Talented Program Evaluation. It does not totally support or agree with the current method that our district is using to educate the gifted and talented students in BRRSD.

I agree that it is in the best interest of the MAJORITY of BRRSD students that the AI program be eliminated in both 5th and 6th grade and be replaced with E classes in Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. I demand that the Administration and Board of Education act on behalf of the majority of the BRRSD students and eliminate AI in 5th grade.

It is time for the Administration and Board of Education to vote based on what is right for the MAJORITY of our students! If you agree with this statement, please sign the petition!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail at [email protected]


Jennifer Morin
Concerned Parent

Please forward this e-mail onto parents that you feel would be in agreement with this issue.