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Survey Summary:
The Gifted Association of Pinellas has recently conducted a survey of parents' opinions.
We asked parents of gifted children in Pinellas County Schools about the quality of
their children's education. We distributed 250 surveys throughout the county. There were a
total of 71 surveys completed and returned.
Most of the respondents (54) were from Ridgecrest Elementary, the county's only gifted magnet school.
A small sample, 15 surveys, commented on the one-day, enrichment gifted program.
This sample includes 4 home school families. Two surveys did not report elementary education.
Elementary School
Overall, most Ridgecrest parents are somewhat satisfied with their children's gifted
education, however, they feel the curriculum could be more challenging, particularly in
language arts. There is also dissatisfaction with Spanish. Parents want either a proper
language class (not a tape for 15 minutes) or the Spanish Immersion Program for the
whole magnet. The parents are concerned about middle and high school, particularly
middle school. The majority of them want a gifted middle school program comparable
with the Ridgecrest program. There is a concern about children losing interest in school
with the current middle school program because there are a number of gifted children
who have experienced this when moving up to middle school. Two parents (Case #13 and
22) stated that the Ridgecrest curriculum is too rigid and doesn't promote creativity.
Many Ridgecrest respondents to this survey live in North Pinellas County. They would
like gifted magnets closer to home. Many of the one-day enrichment program parents
said they would have considered sending their children to Ridgecrest if it was closer to
their homes. One parent (Case #27) had no desire to travel from McMullen Booth
Elementary to Ridgecrest and feels her child missed out on gifted services.
A number of parents, both Ridgecrest and one-day enrichment program, feel their
teachers do not meet their children's individual needs. Classes are taught at the same
level, regardless of the child's level. This is especially true for the one-day enrichment
children. One parent (Case #64) at Leila G. Davis Elementary who has one child
currently in the program and another who completed it cites that the gifted classes large
size (35 children) makes it difficult for a child to receive individual attention regarding
their strengths and weaknesses. This parent would like a daily gifted program with a
smaller teacher-child ratio. Other one-day enrichment program parents in our survey
share this opinion. One parent (Case #18) from McMullen Booth Elementary would like
a full-time gifted class or program at the school.
The majority of one-day enrichment program parents are satisfied with their gifted
services. One parent (Case #36) from Brooker Creek Elementary observed that although
a child may have a gifted teacher for five years the school system does not allow the
teacher to be a proactive advocate for an individually tailored approach to learning. The
parent writes "What a waste!"
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