Changes in GATE Funding in California

Last year, the governor and other legislators made some dramatic changes in how specific school district programs are funded. In the past, the state would send money to school districts with the condition that the funds be spent only on those particular programs. For example, as the GATE coordinator in my District, I received a budget and those dollars could only be spent on supporting the GATE program and the students it serves. That system has changed. Now, the state still provides some funding, but the decision of which programs and students the money is spent on rests with local school districts.

The term attached to this change is "flexible spending". For programs that will lose their funding to other interests the district deems more important, the term has the same ring to it as "positive attrition". Advocates of the change point out (quite correctly) that local administrators have a far better sense than the state of the best places to put the few precious dollars they are allotted. Moreover, many districts, like the district I work for, did not take money away from GATE and are continuing to run as they did before. We took a budget cut but it was no higher or lower than any other program. I am fortunate to work in a district where there is a clear understanding that leaving gifted and high ability students unchallenged and unserved will lead them to lack motivation and perform poorly. There are, however, districts that have taken away all GATE funds and put them toward other services and programs. As a student in one of my university classes put it, "GATE has gone away" in her district.

I am curious and eager to hear what is happening in districts across the state regarding their GATE funds. Even in the best of economic times, this population of students does not get adequate attention and funding. In this "high stakes testing" age, often there is the assumption that gifted students will always test well so there is no need to worry about them. The truth is, their performance will decline if they are bored and see no relevance to their academics. Even more importantly, they will not be given opportunities to practice higher level thinking and problem solving.

If you are a parent or teacher in a district where "GATE has gone away", I urge you to actively advocate for gifted students and to let me know if and how I can support your efforts.