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INFORMATION ON SPRINGFIELD DAY 2008 - APRIL 17, 2008 OVER 1,000 PARTICIPANTS GATHERED IN SPRINGFIELD FOR PLEASE DON'T LEAVE OUR CHILDREN BEHIND DAY 2008!!!
To see more information and updates on the event, browse the information below: * To see 1-page flyer on Springfield Day,
click here.
* See the
Organizer's Packet
for all the
information to plan your visit. 4/16/08 Weekly Update - Click here for this important update. 4/11/08 Weekly Update - Click here for this important update. 4/7/08 Weekly Update - So far we have over 875 participants! Click here for the update. 3/3108 Weekly Update - Click here for this week's update which includes a link to share or view our photos. 3/24/08 Weekly Update - Click here for this week's update which includes a checklist of items to bring. 3/17/08 Weekly Update - Click here for this week's update. Please email Springfield.day@sbcglobal.net to let us know how many from your family or group will be participating and which school district you are with. 3/10/08 Weekly Update - Click here for this week's update, including sending out press releases. . 3/3/08 Weekly Update - Click here for this week's update, including reserving seats for lunch at the Howlett building's Hall of Flags. 2/25/08 Weekly Update - Click here for this week's update, including an important update on our Plan for the Day. 2/18/08 Weekly Update - Click here to see the exciting updates on the event, including which School Districts and Schools are participating. If you would like to sign up to receive the Weekly Updates, contact springfield.day@sbcglobal.net. Register now for Please Don't Leave Our Children Behind Day 2008
sponsored by Illinois Association for Gifted Children(IAGC). This event
is for families of gifted and talented children to gather in . * Participants, please print a copy of the Information Packet for Families and bring it with you to Springfield!! See Large Group Photo from 2007 TO DOWNLOAD 2008 PACE SPRINGFIELD DAY FLYER AND T-SHIRT ORDER, CLICK HERE. --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Who are the people making decisions about the education of your child in Illinois? Contact them and ask how they feel about gifted education - 1) Our Illinois Representatives: Representative
Tom Cross: Email tom@tomcross.com
Phone number is (217) 782-1331 in Springfield, and (815)254-0000 in Plainfield. Website link is www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?MemberID=1145 Representative
Linda Chapa La Via: Email
lindachapalavia@aol.com
Phone number is (217) 558-1002 in Springfield, and (630) 264-6855 in Aurora. Website link is www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?GA=95&MemberID=1243 Representative Patricia Reid Lindner: Phone number is (217) 782-1486 in Springfield, and (630) 466-9791 in Sugar Grove. Website link is www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?GA=95&MemberID=1169 Click here to enter your zip code to find your representatives.
2) Our Illinois Senators: Senator Linda
Holmes:
Phone number (217) 782-0422 in Springfield, and (815) 609-3711 in Plainfield. Website link is http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?MemberID=1341 Senator Chris Lauzen:
Phone number (217) 782-0052 in Springfield, and (630) 264-2334 in Aurora. Website link is http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?GA=95&MemberID=1219
3) Governor
Rod
R. Blagojevich 4) The State Board of Education (appointed by the governor):
Per the new gifted legislation, there is a Gifted Advisory Council whose role it is to advise ISBE on issues related to the education of gifted children. See the ISBE press release for a list of the individuals you can contact to provide ISBE with feedback regarding gifted education. 5) Interim State School Superintendent: Dr. Christopher Koch FALL 2007 $5 MILLION IN GIFTED FUNDING HAS PASSED THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET!!! We are proud to share Gifted Funding has PASSED the Governor's Budget and has become law in the State of Illinois! This would not have been possible without:
1. House Republican Leader Tom
Cross' efforts of adding $5 million for
Gifted Funding in the House and Senate budgets in his meetings
with Speakers of House and Senate and the Governor;
2. over 75 parents and children in our
Oswego308 School District who went to Springfield in
April, 2007, as part of IAGC's "Please Don't Leave Our Children Behind
Day," who met with Representative Cross, emailed, called,
and sent him thank you letters; and
3. many PACE families who emailed and called Representative
Cross.
We
sincerely thank House Republican Leader Tom Cross, all our parents, and
also our administrators, our Board of Education, our AT teachers, and
our classroom teachers for the commitment to the
programs for these children who desperately need the support.
Out
of all the parent organizations in the entire state, PACE
organization had the most parents and children attend
IAGC's "Please Don't Leave Our Children Behind Day" in April,
2007, in Springfield. As a parent group, PACE had
the biggest impact in the state, and with our numerous
contacts with Representative Cross, we were able to make this
historical passage happen for children
throughout Illinois.
While the PACE group was in Springfield in April,
we visited historical sites, heard Representative Tom Cross
speak to families from Illinois, saw government in action
by watching legislative sessions, met with
legislators, visited their offices, toured State Capitol Building, and
was recognized by Representative Cross on the floor of the Illinois
House. Plans are underway for next year's "Please Don't Leave
Our Children Behind Day 2008" in April, 2008! More
information will be coming in January,
2008. Hope you can all join us for
this memorable event that will impact the future of education!
Below is information on Funding for Gifted Education
that was recently sent out from Dr. Sally Walker, Executive
Director of IAGC.
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Background of Gifted Education in the State of IllinoisThe State of Illinois systematically removed all reference to gifted children from the school code in 2002. Along with that all targeted gifted funding was turned over to districts as block grants, which can be used to fund all aspects of education. Not surprisingly, once the gifted mandate was removed, many school districts dismantled their gifted programs. The Illinois Association for Gifted Children succeeded in 2005 in reinstating the gifted mandate. The language of the new statute can be seen by linking here. See how Illinois rates compared to other states by clicking here. The IAGC advocacy goal for this year is to reinstate some level of state funding for gifted education. It is the Illinois State Board of Education that recommends education funding levels to the legislature.
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