Parents Speak Out About District Proposal to Combine GATE, Honors Programs

» The real problem on 02.05.10 @ 12:10 AM

One parent, a Latino mother, said she was insulted by the notion that the district would make the change just to accommodate Latino students.

“Once you cross the border to this country, it’s a salad — it’s like a melting pot,” she said. “I do not want to be played a favorite just because I’m Hispanic. I want GATE to stay because that’s where kids who perform will be pushed.”

God bless this woman, who has common sense, unlike the liberal white racist School Principals who seem to want to prevent assimilation and integration, by treating Latinos as if they need special help and are not as capable as say Asians, or any other immigrants. It truly is insulting and sends them the wrong message, that they are different and substandard second class citizens (assuming they are citizens) and cannot succeed in this country. No wonder we have gangs.

» SBHS 2003 on 02.05.10 @ 02:15 AM

Looks like we’re kicking off the thread with a lil’ nativist trolling…

» b_reynaldo on 02.05.10 @ 05:28 AM

Everyone is making this too complicated.  GATE is not being criticized because it has failed from the academic standpoint, but because too many of its participants are “white”.  Note that white students in SB include many 1st and 2nd generation immigrants also.  The criticisms of GATE from both white educators and Latino activists like Ms. Cordero are simply racist against whites. 

The biggest lie taught in Ed Schools is that academic success is due to “privilege” and “wealth”. The highest-performing students in California are of Asian descent, and this group was never privileged (read about the Chinese Exclusion act) and many arrived without financial assets.

» Let's sue Harvard next on 02.05.10 @ 07:48 AM

Stop playing the race card and look at the issue objectively.  Why do you never mention Asian, European, African or Middle Eastern minorities and just Latinos?  Many of which are in GATE and never had their individual language and cultural barriers addressed by the ESL program, yet have succeeded nonetheless.  If you truly want to meld the students, then bring those less performing students UP to GATE level - push them to achieve higher goals.
Academic performance has to do with a student’s drive and desire to excel and GATE provides that opportunity.  “Expanding” GATE by “melding” it with Honors takes away that opportunity.  Especially when the educational focus is always on the lowest common denominator.  The fact is that GATE kids WILL suffer and will be denied their right to a higher education environment so that we can placate kids who have NOT performed as well during their last 7 years of K-6.  What’s next?  Will there be a lawsuit against Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and MIT because one under-performing group is not adequately represented?

» Look at the facts on 02.05.10 @ 08:57 AM

This is certainly a tempest in a teapot.

Those that are bashing this as some sort of reverse racism, do you even know that most districts in the state, let alone the country use the honors model rather than the GATE model for all kinds of practical reasons: allows teachers to recommend non-GATE identified but talented and hard working students a chance to take these higher level courses, gives transfer students from private schools who have not taken a GATE test a chance to enroll in higher level courses, etc. You’re basically saying that if it isn’t called “GATE” it’s not a rigorous course? Talk about semantics.

No one who is bashing this proposal seems to acknowledge the fact that in high school, there are only two classes that are GATE - freshmen English and freshmen Geometry. After that, it’s on to college-level AP classes which are taken by the GATE-identified students and anyone else who has the ability and drive to try these classes. And that’s the case nationwide! We are the only district to keep GATE in the high school for these two freshmen courses and the only reason it hasn’t been changed yet, is because of the reactionary and baseless claims by some that this will destroy rigor.

At DP, the high achieving students have an array of choices for rigorous and challenging coursework: Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate (a wonderful program), dual-enrollment SBCC courses. Heck, my son’s friend has taken three theoretical calculus courses through UCSB while still at DP (and he’s only a junior!) Ironically, education for gifted and talented students in Santa Barbara County has never been better as these kids have so many choices not available when I was in high school and there was just one AP section for thirty kids.

What we are really talking about is changing the name of these two courses freshmen courses from “GATE” to “Honors” so that it would be easier for talented students who are not GATE identified to take a challenging class. These classes will still be made up, for the most part, of the same high achieving GATE-identified students

People, get a grip. Look at the facts.

» Anabelle Azman on 02.05.10 @ 09:36 AM

My daughter did not test into GATE since she always did better in the classroom than on a standardized test.  However, with the help of her teachers, Principal and coach she was placed in GATE while a student in grade school.  My daughter earned straight “As” in grade school, junior high and high school.  She went on to graduate from college Phi Beta Kappa, Gold Key Honor Society and Magna Cum Laude.  My daughter may not have tested into GATE, but she was an advanced learner and her credentials speak for themselves.  It would be a crime for the school Board to eliminate GATE.

» TO: Look at the Facts on 02.05.10 @ 10:39 AM

sir or ma’am- i believe all that you state, the problem is that in proposing this change last week, the Superintendent and Board members explicitly raised the issues of race and ethnicity as the basis for their decisions, and the desire for “diversity”. your arguments make sense, however those were not the arguments that were cited as the basis for the change.  Watch the replay of the board meeting, saturday night, i believe.

» Unclear on 02.05.10 @ 01:34 PM

I have found the GATE program to be confusing as to its intent. My understanding was that it was a program for students who, for a variety of reasons, were unable to thrive in a normal classroom setting, despite being very intelligent, either because they had behavioral issues, or were extremely gifted in one area (say working at college-level math) but still struggling with reading comprehension. I understood it to be an offshoot of special education. Can anyone verify if this is true or if I just misunderstood? It is strange to me to see that the program has somehow morphed over the years and is now considered as the top tier of education, and related to high achievers, when I don’t think it was ever about achievement at all. I hope someone can shed some light on this…I really think it needs to be addressed.

» AKS on 02.05.10 @ 02:25 PM

The most demeaning thing we can do is deprive immigrants of truly achieving success by catering to their special needs.

As for GATE entrance, how about this?
Every year or semester, the bottom few of a top-tier class are encouraged to move to a 2nd-tier class, and the top few of a 2nd tier class have the option to move to a top-tier class. Students decide where they want to begin.

» SB Parent on 02.05.10 @ 04:29 PM

To a concerned teacher,

How about everyone gets to take the GATE test, every year. If you pass you are in. No exceptions. Then the recommendations and the politics are out. Your issues with parents pushing or not would go away and the percentage of students that qualify for GATE would drop significantly. By having every student take the test this would take away what you describe as a huge gap in the system. Unfortunately, standardized test determine many things. I wish it were not that way. Look at the SAT which determines whether a student has any chance of attending many quality universities. This is just a fact of life.

» @a concerned teacher on 02.05.10 @ 05:24 PM

Anti-white prejudice and anti-Americanism is ingrained in “modern” schools of education and among many teachers and administrators. See this letter from the free-speech organization FIRE exposing the agenda of the Univ. of Minnesota school of education for example.

http://www.thefire.org/article/11321.html

Excerpt from Univ. of Minnesota Task Force:
 
“Our future teachers will be able to discuss their own histories and current thinking drawing on notions of white privilege, hegemonic masculinity, heteronormativity, and internalized oppression.

  Future teachers will understand that they are privileged & marginalized depending on context ... It is about the development of cultural empathy, if you will. Teachers first have to discover their own privilege, oppression, or marginalization and also are able to describe their cultural identity.

  Future teachers will recognize & demonstrate understanding of white privilege[.]

  Future teachers will understand the importance of cultural identity and develop a positive sense of racial/cultural identity[.]”

“Every faculty member at our university that trains our teachers must comprehend and commit to the centrality of race, class, culture, and gender issues in teaching and learning, and consequently, frame their teaching and course foci accordingly.”

» JAX on 02.05.10 @ 06:39 PM

Once again it can be discerned from many of these comments just who are the “racists” in the crowd.

The liberal (aka progressive) sees their role in society as making excuses for those who fail. Students actually fail for a variety of reasons not the least of which is lack of motivation. Then there is the educational level of their parents (not the size of their bank accounts). Mix in the quality of the teachers they have and the learning institutions they attend and finish off with the education and motivation level of their peer groups, and you have the whole picture.

The liberal/progressives see their role as the paternalistic watch dog of children they see as deprived by “race”, economic and other irrelevant factors to be coddled and excused. Whats more they not only see them in that light THEY TELL THEM, THEIR PARENTS AND PEERS that it is all someone elses fault for their plight.

These liberal/progressive apologists often espouse the false belief that the system will be corrected if society just throws more and more money at the education system.  They do not expect any effort from the students and would not think of being critical of students or their parents and peer groups (or subcultures) because to do so wouldn’t be politically correct and anyone that does offer such criticism is necessarily a “racist”!

These “liberal/progressives” point to wealthy school districts who’s students are more successful as if the wealth is the reason for their concurrent success. In fact that wealth, that may exist in a neighborhood, school district or school is directely related to the education level of the parents who are usually better educated and hence earn more money, pay more taxes, live in better neighborhoods and build better schools.

By blaming others for the plight of large segments of the unsuccessful student population instead of the students themselves, their parents and their collective peer groups, these apologists can thus avoid dealing with and expressing the ugly truth, which could cause them grief and ridicule amongst their liberal/progressive friends. Perhaps even results in them being ostercized for being “politically incorrect” or even “racists”.

Dumbing down those students who are successful because of their ability, motivation, parental support and peer education levels, so that those who do not succeeed can feel good while doing nothing for themselves, is the height of foolishness. It also makes it easier for some in the teaching profession who can then have classes of mediocrity marching along in lock step just getting by and barely passing tests (if they pass at all), which tests are aimed at measuring their educational and skill levels! Education and skill levels that they have been told were wrongfully denied them by the “wealthy class” because of their race or socio-economic backround.

These same apologists and their allies in the schol system assert that when those unsuccessful students do not do well academically, as measured by testing, that ALL students take, it is the fault of the test not the student who fails. Why these misguided folks think they are doing these unsuccessful students a favor in life by blaming everything but the students themselves and their responsible parents and teachers, is hard to rationally understand.

Why they think dumbing down others to be politically correct like them and in order not to offend these underachievers instead of teaching them how to achieve, if they can, is beyond me!

» Local on 02.05.10 @ 07:20 PM

JAX, I and others are liberal/progressives and I think the GATE program should stay as it is. So much for your categories that you like to assume exist. You should probably grow up and understand that all issues are not so simple and not us against them or black versus white. Social engineering is an issue by itself and has nothing to do with any of your lengthy pontification. Never assume because you know what that makes you!!! Whether you are a liberal or conservative parent you want the best education for your children. PERIOD. If that means fighting for a successful program, then so be it.

» Thank you! on 02.05.10 @ 10:27 PM

Mr. Woodard, thank you for being a voice of reason. It really helps to hear from a teacher who has worked in GATE and AP classes. If the experienced professionals think this is the right thing to do, then I’m all for it.

» Lou Segal on 02.06.10 @ 08:05 AM

I completely agree with Bill Woodard’s comments. Any student, whether white or hispanic, who is motivated to learn should have the opportunity to take accelerated courses. It doesn’t make sense to deny that opportunity to a motivated student because of an irrelevant test taken in 2nd grade. My son was able to take Gate courses in high school, did very well, and is now attending an excellent college. Although he had this opportunity, it always bothered me that other students, who were equally capable, were not able to take these courses. It always seemed to me that many of the Gate parents liked this system because it made them feel superior. There are many things about public education that I don’t like (unions), but I definitely agree with the School Board members who would like to abolish this elitist and counterproductive system.

» sb native on 02.06.10 @ 02:03 PM

Seriously, folks.  COLLEGES DO NOT ACCEPT GATE AS A CLASSIFICATION…NOT HARVARD, NOT YALE, NOT UC.  Get a grip.  It is EVIL to label one group of kids as “gifted and talented” based on a 2nd grade test and how pushy their parents are.  Yes, the “other” students really DO think that they are NOT “gifted and talented.”  They aren’t stupid!  Besides, why is doing well on an academic test “gifted and talented,” and being a ballet dancer, or a guitar player, or a computer geek NOT?

It is a silly category and should be abolished.  Let the chips fall where they may.  If a parent would rather pay $25,000/year—let them.  The educators (whom most of seem to have nothing but scorn for) in classrooms don’t need a label to evaluate and teach students ALL students to their full potential.

» RKV on 02.07.10 @ 03:40 PM

You wouldn’t say “Any student, whether white or hispanic, who is motivated should play varsity sports.” would you?  You have to earn the spot on the team.  You get your opportunity to “try out” for GATE by taking the test.  Then you get the results you earn, and not everyone is going to qualify.  That’s the POINT.

» Cheryl Kelmar on 02.09.10 @ 06:04 AM

This opinion will be viewed on Channel 17 @ 7 on Thursday evening.

In my opinion, the Gate program that should be closing, versus the one at Junior High, is the Gate program at Washington School.  That segregated approach, where wealthy parents prepare their 2nd graders to take the Gate Test at Dubin Learning Center is unconscionable, being that budgets are being cut for all students. 

Since, the WA Gate program is a program that divides the haves and have not, being that parents are preparing their kids for the Gate test. In fact, once an entire 2nd grade all passed the Gate test and when the School District learned that so many families broke the rules, the district did not make these families re-test.

In my opinion, to evaluate kids based on one test, which wealthy kids can prepare, is discrimination against the middle class and minority.  As a single mom, who has invested over $40k in private elementary education for my son, I am against having my tax dollars paying for the wealthiest kids in our society getting a private education at my expense.

Cheryl Kelmar

» Highly involved Santa Barbara High Parent since 19 on 02.12.10 @ 04:35 PM

HONORS/GATE: Santa Barbara School District Meetings
2/18, Thursday 4-5:30 Santa Barbara High   Cafeteria
See SBHS Paper ‘The Forge’ for student diversity opinions

2/22, Monday 6:30   San Marcos High-Cafeteria

Information on the draft proposal is posted online: http://www.sbsdk12.org/programs/gate/secondarygate.shtml

It’s time to point the finger at the SB District Administration for its many failures at its elementary school level. Do your job; start giving attention and essential instruction to prepare our Latino and Hispanic elementary students!  There would not be issues at the junior and senior high school level, if the SB District made elementary students its priority for a few years by:
1. providing our elementary students adequate instruction through grade 6,
2. holding each student accoutable for meeting minimum reading and math standards, AND/OR at minimum,
3. individually meeting to inform each student’s parents of their child’s status at the end of each school year; and asking parents if they will commit to helping the District prepare their child for junior high by having them attend supplemental classes before school and on Saturdays.
Once informed of the facts Hispanic/Latio parents might riot in the streets to demand our children be instructed to be able to achieve at comparable levels as students from the Hope, Goleta, MUS and CSS Districts; and demand that the District bring back highly valued vocational training classes from electronics to CNA and LVN certifications.  Give parents facts and the option to have our child socially promoted, or to receive needed instruction to proceed confidently to junior and senior high school. Blame yourself District administrators and Trustees for lack of leadership; and your failure to give students the necessary foundation to advance.
THEN:
All students from every District and private school should be tested for appropriate placement in 7th grade English, Math,Science, foreign language and history classes; and given the opportunity to test again before entering 9th grade. 
The District’s 6th grade ‘test-into math’ program administered in May works great.  The goal is to determine whether each student is PREPARED to take pre-algebra, algebra, geometry (or basic math class) in 7th grade?  Take the test! Re-test, if you don’t like the results. A student can leave the fast track whenever desired; or move up from another track whenever they prove they’ve the pre-requisites mastered. 
GATE TESTED students are special needs students: ask expert Sandy Robertson.  As one of several examples, they hear information once and get it, whereas another highly motivated, smart, determined student (like my child) may have to hear the same information up to six times and will ask more questions to be able to crasp the concept holding back the class.

Instructional time is limited; the goal of ability based groupings is to make the highest and best use of each teacher and student’s time. Talk to a few GATE 10th grade Trig or Calculus students who are in ‘regular/Honors’ with 12th graders; or in an Honors Chemistry or Physics classes.  The classes move slower than a class with peers [by any name GATE or other label] because more time is needed for questions, which takes away teacher time to move into more complex instruction.  LACK OF MATH TALENT has been declared a NATIONAL SECURITY RISK.  Is it not our responsibility and duty to ensure that the gifted receive the opportunity to receive instruction at their high schools, and to benefit from the high school experience, without having to be transported to UCSB?  They’re our future, but they only get to be kids once in their lives and communicate that socially/emotionally, and for sports or performing arts,  they want to go to high school.  It’s wonderful that SBCC dual enrollment classes are offered at our high schools, but they need to be offered at our junior high schools because there are students PREPARED to take them.  (The SBCC English test is based on 5th grade skills, but a typical 6th grader wants to go to junior high with peers and not to SBCC with adults.)
SPEAK UP to give all motivated, determined kids the chance to reach their peak performance in an age appropriate environment by demanding the SB Elementary District do its job.

» Another Perspective on 02.19.10 @ 01:16 AM

First of all, anyone else get the feeling that the district is going through the motions of getting input, but just going to steamroll the proposed “name change”, anyway???

What is happening to the money that the district gets for each classified GATE student??

Have the decision makers become well versed in GATE issues and the criteria as determined by researchers of what makes a student GATE?

Getting rid of the GATE label of classes should not be a political issue or become “educational affirmative action”.

Children who are truly GATE have special needs that need to be addressed, not only academically, but socially/emotionally.  They need to be taught in a special way, by teachers who are passionate and committed to providing the “free and appropriate education”  that these students deserve also (like every other student).  These students deserve to have a year of growth in the subject matter that they are learning, just like students in the other academic tracks.  Because of the way GATE students process information, this year of growth has the potential to be much more than what is currently offered by having GATE students being lumped in with high-performing students who are not truly GATE.

It is dangerous when educators/administrators who have not gone through specific research-based GATE training (as what is offered through UCSB) purport as fact that there is basically no difference between how a GATE student learns/achieves (or thrives at) vs. a high achieving non-GATE student.  Is it possible that there is no real GATE teaching going on in the secondary schools that address the very real and different needs of GATE students???  And will the Board allow itself to be guided by opinion rather than actual research?

From what I understand, the District is proposing to change the tracks from College Prep, Honors, GATE to Intervention, College Prep, and Honors, with the reason being that we have a stratospherically high number of students being mis-identified as GATE who are probably your basic Honors students anyway.  I get that, but why should we settle for this?

Instead, there should be four tracks: Intervention, College Prep, Honors and GATE.  That fourth track should be reserved for the 5% of the population that are truly GATE and be available in courses where there is no AP/IB/Dual Enrollment option.  They should be taught by GATE trained (and if possible, certified) teachers who understand the special needs of GATE students and are passionate about meeting their needs.  Do this at all of the district secondary schools and there would be no need to say that there is lack of uniformity between the schools.

Furthermore, if the Board and District want to make race an issue, then they need to be upfront with the public as to what percentage of kids are identified from each ethnic group for GATE.  Be honest with us as to why underrepresented students are not taking GATE classes.  Are they identified and then opt not to take higher level courses due to familial, cultural (not ethnic) or personal reasons?  At our schools, we want there to be a level playing field for students of every socio-economic and ethnic background, but the reality is that not every student has the same level of parental support, peer support, or motivation to want to enter into one of these classes (and this could be true of a student from a “represented” group, also).  Those who want more students to have access to higher level curriculum need to address those issues (what happens when the student is not in the classroom that influence their academic decisions).  We need to ask—is the barrier really the name of the class… or is it the lack of support that drives some of these students to not take these classes and achieve their potential?

For those of you who care about what happens to GATE, please remember, that the Board was considering doing away with the IB program for the same reason (underrepresentation by minority groups), and also considered getting rid of the GATE cluster class at Washington, as well.  If the Board and District succeed at getting rid of a GATE designation at the secondary school, then why even have it at the elementary school when there is no program for it to feed into?  And once that class designation of GATE is gone, do you really think that the Board or District is going to bring it back?  I ask again, what is the District going to do with the money that they collect for your GATE child?

And really, isn’t this about money, anyway?  It would probably cost the district money to fund GATE classes the way that they should with only GATE kids and trained teachers in place—especially if the class size is smaller due to the statistically correct amount of kids in the program.

The district is in the process of reducing the number of kids mis-identified as GATE through an agreement with the feeder schools and it will take a few more years until that number approaches the statistically correct amount.  Until then, the district needs to hold off on getting rid of the GATE name, so that there can be chance to have a truly GATE class.

Disclaimer: I have taken several UCSB courses towards certification in GATE education and am the parent of a child who has been independently identified as gifted.  I don’t think of myself nor my child as superior in any way, but I do recognize that her needs are different than many of her grade-level classmates.  We provide enrichment for her outside of the school day, but it is painful to know that a good portion of her day is NOT enriching when we send her to school.  Sadly, despite our efforts at home, she has already learned that she has to not appear to know as much as she does in order to fit in…and there are probably others spread out in other classrooms that feel they have to do the same.  Is that what we want, people???  By the way, the teacher told me that if I wanted differentiated instruction for my daughter, then I should send her to Montessori, that she was charged with imparting the basic grade-level curriculum to all of the other kids and basically could not do anything for my daughter during the school day.  The trouble is we can’t afford private school, but those who can will just pull their kids and put them in a program that they feel will better meet their child’s needs.  Then will there be a conversation as to how to get that demographic back in our schools? 

The unintended reprecussion as alluded to by Bob Kupiec, is that more segregation is created in our schools when GATE kids are pulled out of the Santa Barbara School District to go to private school, attend college early, etc. seeking an alternative to meet their child’s needs, because they are not being met by the district’s course offerings.