AIG Center Closing

My child was AIG "with center" last year (2nd) grade and this year only AIG at my request. I am neither saddened or surprised at the closure of the center. For those who feel it has been beneficial to your child's education, I am sorry for your loss. My child does very well in school and tests very well but he had a hard time getting 5 days of regular classwork done in 4 days. I realize that isn't the case with all children who go to the center. When he did go to the center, what he described to me just sounded like a fun day with a lot of travel time on the bus. Maybe he wasn't in the classes that provided the most stimulation.

I actually felt guilty about my child receiving additional services when I have friends who struggle on a daily basis to get/keep their children at grade level in public school.

 

thanks for the different perspective! i can't imagine my kid going away for a day and trying to fit back in the other 4 days. i always wondered how that worked.

(that being said, i don't feel guilty about a lot of things unless i did something myself to feel guilty about. i feel bad, but not guilty. just sayin'. )

i never had AIG away from school as a kid. when i heard my kid didn't naturally place into the system, i momentarily felt like i had done wrong by him somehow b/c he wasn't fitting into that mold of "gifted". then i stopped for 2 seconds and thought about my son...the whole picture of my son...and i didn't give his exclusion from that program another thought. he is the absolute best 9-year-old he can be. we make the most of what we have at west view (and i do realize we are lucky to be there) and at home and on the soccer fields and in every moment we spend with our kids, and we do not for a single minute rely on something someone else gives to us.

 

has anyone thought about the fact that we have so many "gifted" children now days due to the dumbing down of our requirements for education in general?


yeah when I was in school we had gifted kids as well, and up till high school they received the same teaching lessons as a non-gifted child. Once they got to high school they were allowed to take or sign up for college prep or ap classes which were taught by the same teachers as a non advanced class, just used a different level of ciriculum in class.


Good thinking and imo is accurate - even tho I didn't think of that side point other then slightly of the no child left behind rule. But yeah - school definately isn't what it use to be like back in the ol' days:banghead:

 

Before I begin to speak on this topic, I want to say that I have children in the AIG program. I've seen them grow and achieve things that they might not have had the honor of doing had there not been a program such as AIG. We truly love the program and love the concept...

However, when I consider how much I can suppliment my children alone to feed ther desire to learn, it makes me almost shutter to think that they would also cut the funding for "at risk" children or children with disabilities. There are very specific methods to teach thiese children, and I have seen in my sons' school what a great job they do with these children. I have personally witnessed students that needed extra help go from being a "disturbance" in the classroom to a child that is consistantly challenged and I have watched these teachers somehow turn on the light switch for them.

I love that my sons have an option to "add to" their traditional education. But, if you asked me how I might react if it was a decision over children that needed education assistance and guidance and my kids, that learn in so many outlets and have shown in multiple ways that they can also independently work, I would have to vote to keep the remedial and disabled student faculty receive the funding.

 

It is not an either/or situation. Both AIG and EC receive funding specific to their needs. Previous posters have implied/flat out stated that AIG students should just receive the same educational experience as everyone else. That would not be appropriate for them just as it would not be appropriate for the opposite end of the spectrum. AIG students have needs and challenges that are specific to them just as children with learning disabilities have challenges that are specific to them. Some of what occurred at the AIG Center addressed these issues and that is what I hate to see the children lose. And while home environment and extracurricular stimulation is important, the school has our children 35 hours a week. Those 35 hours need to be as productive as possible.

 

How many other counties in North Carolina have AIG Centers. Are the AIG students in these counties underserved by not attending an AIG center?

DB's wife

 

Would you share some of the things they achieved that they might not have if they didn't go to the AIG center?

Thanks!
DB's wife

 

I am not fighting for it to stay open. It does not need to and should not based on the cost. The schools will have to make a real effort though to bridge the gap. They are not used to carrying the responsibility of the entirety of the differentiation and it is not fair what previous posters have implied- that AIG students do not need anything different from other students. They do. Even how they group them from this day forward will matter even more. Wake does pull out. But from my understanding at this point even that is not in the plan. I want to see a plan. You can't just pull away something that was appropriate yet too costly and not have a backup plan ready to share.

 

kmollins - Well said....

Where is the PLAN for AIG kids 2011-2012?

 

I disagree JCoRes. I think kids are alot smarter nowadays than they used to be. Humans have always been evolving.

 

First of all, I have a daughter that is a rising 6th grader that has attended AIG since first grade and a rising 4th grader that does AIG math in her regular school.

It's a crying shame that they are closing AIG, since we have a school system that heavily supports no child left behind. Since the NCLB has been in existence, children in the top of their classes have not been challenged at all. My daughters are doing as well as possible, because we work with them at home and AIG. By getting rid of the AIG center we are celebrating mediocruty amongst our students and not giving the ones that enjoy school a chance to excel.

It's a shame that society has created a system where children are not encouraged to excel, instead trying to treat all equally, by getting rid of programs like AIG, sports where all children receive trophies and there are no winners (or scores kept) are another thing that drives me nuts. Eventually everyone will learn the phrase "Want fries with that ?" instead of learning to be free thinkers and excelling in the business world.

Johnston Count Schools you got it wrong this time. Maybe they think that following the Wake County Schools philosophy of "We aim for mediocrity" will help our children.

 

Just looking at the salaries they are paying....That have it really wrong. Have any of you met these losers? Not worth the money. Especially when the board drives the schools here. What is JoCo getting for it's money???

 

Sounds like we should be doing more talking with our votes...and, thankfully we have the lottery to help these finances! Not sure what we'd do without it.

 

I wrote to the head of AIG, the office of the Supt and one other asking that exact question.
I hope to hear soon.

 

PLEASE PM me or POST what you find out.
- Thanks.

 

i got an e mail. ill pm you on contents tomorow, as i dont feel right posting on here (and i need to do it from my office). doesnt sound like a plan inplace yet, no specifics.

 

Mark,
How in the world will we ever find a way to change things, if we don't know what's going on?

The proposed Academic Enhanced Calendar debacle is a perfect example of allowing the minimum of information to be disbursed, a plethora of supporting materials no matter how inconclusive or incomparable, refusal to consider requests for more relevant information used for the decision making process, and a general "we got elected, and we'll run this board like we want", with no meaningful interaction with you peons who continue to vote us in.

The only thing we've seen that makes them react is the power of publicity. That's what got their attention and changed their course of the AEC baloney.

I suggest that placing the information in the public domain is the best use of time.

 

Mr. Mark- please PM me as well and I will let you know what I was told as well. Karen

 

My biggest fault with the AIG center is the amount of travel time the kids spent for their 1 partial day a week there. One has to wonder exactly how much time they received towards instruction versus how much it actually helped. I think if the schools put into place a WELL-THOUGHT OUT plan, it may just be better than the center since it will be available to the kids more. Maybe I am naive...just trying to look @ the bright side!