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Posted: 11:07 PM Feb 8, 2012
Dist. 205 Gifted Program Expansion Proposal
District 205 is looking into ways to expand its gifted program.
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6 Comments 
ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- District 205 is looking into ways to expand its gifted program.
Parents were able to learn about the proposal Wednesday night. Phase one of the plan would move the middle students from Washington to Kennedy starting next year.
Then the following year, 1st through 5th graders would relocate to Montessori. Washington's principal says this will allow the district to offer the gifted program to more students. However, parents have mixed reactions about the proposal.
Gene Ottes says"As long as the number of teachers goes up with the number of students, if the answer is you increase the number of class size to get all the kids in then I think you make some sacrifices there and I don't think those are the right trade off."
Catarina Folkerts says "This program right now is extremely rigorous, my children work very hard... The teachers are wonderful here and by adding more seats to the program I want to make sure that the rigor continues."
Latest Comments
Gifted parents: They are proposing moving you to the old Kennedy building which is empty. So no worries, your program will get to continue to segregate themselves from the rest of the diversified population!!!!!!!
As mass advertisement went out about Gifted testing - they now brag that 700 students currently tested for the program. This is an irrelevant number because how many really actually qualified? Our "Gifted " program has one of the lowest testing benchmarks requiring a 75 on their test compared to many other Gifted schools that require 95 and above. This is not a "Gifted" program per say but it is seen as the "crown jewel" of the district as it overshadows other successful schools and programs. The black minority population at Gifted is at 8-9%. There are other popular programs just as successful that serve ALL students and do not require testing. Be cognizant of the levers and pulleys behind this expansion. A Gifted CAMPUS located on the out skirts of Rockford ...this truly must be a coincidence???
Why does the gifted program have to be moved again? Oh, the new playground's in, time to move them again. My kids already ride the bus an hour each way to Washington. These schools are even further from our house. When they moved the junior high kids from West, we were very excited. We had heard some of the West students were coming up to the gifted students and punching them in the face. So they have violence to look forward to at Kennedy too? IF it HAS to be moved, why can't the gifted program be more centrally located?
