No Changes, For Now, in Gifted Program

No changes are likely in the structure of Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s program for gifted students this fall, district officials told disappointed parents this week.

“Six weeks is just not adequate time to put together a curriculum or do evaluations,” Bonnie Swann, director of special education, said at a meeting with parents.

The idea of expanding the curriculum for gifted students came from a group of district parents who said they are not satisfied with the gifted and talented education program at Newport-Mesa schools.

Parents of GATE students, who meet twice monthly for several hours in the afternoon, said their children did not spend enough time doing advanced work.

They proposed creating an accelerated program like Irvine Unified School District’s, which has students in advanced classes all day, every day, and said they would like to see the new program in place by September.

Saboohi Currim, parent of a fourth-grader at Anderson Elementary School, said the meeting exposed inertia that has caused Newport-Mesa to fall behind in programs for the gifted.

Currim said she and other parents were not defeated, though. They will initiate a letter-writing campaign to the board of trustees and may hire a consultant to help district officials expand the program as soon as possible, she said.