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Gifted students seen as jumping the queu for assessmentstion as the gifted program takes up a small por-Continued from page 1tion of its total budget.through February and March, in that time the Foster is a member of the Halton chapter of the list of 700 students is on hold.Association for Bright Children of Ontario (ABC In a board meeting on Wednesday, March 2, Ontario) and is its representative on the Halton trustees learned the board has an excess of boards Special Education Advisory Committee.$340,000, which will be used to speed up the Boag said the wait list has been equally long assessments of those on the wait list. David Boag, for a number of years and the screening process superintendent of education, said the board can for the primary gifted program has not even use the money to contract outside agencies and begun, so it could not have affected the current can contract its own staff over the March Break wait list. and summer holidays to shorten the wait time. Foster said students are being tested for gift-At an approximate cost of $1,300 per assessment, edness in February and March because the he said the board will be able to do an additional assessments are time sensitive. This has been the 260 assessments this year. This is in addition to boards previous practice. the 250 its staff should normally be able to do.Theyre also testing for primary language, After the meeting, parent Allison McDade, of which is a learning disability. So, are we going to Burlington, said the extra funding is only a stop testing for those kids, too, if we stop testing start.primary gifted? she asked. Our kids have spe-I wouldnt say Im 100 per cent satisfied. Its cial needs just like any other kid.just touching the problem, said the mother of Foster has a daughter, Jennifer, in Grade 5, VINCE TALOTT / TORONTO STARthree. It is going to help, but it isnt long-term. who just started in the gifted program. Foster I dont think Ill be happy until I see the long-THE WAIT: Allison McDade with her children Joe, 9, middle, and Sam, 13, left. Joe just began aalso has a son in Grade 2, who is not eligible for term effects.psychoeducational assessment for learning disabilities this week after waiting 13 months. the assessment until he enters Grade 4, being One of her sons, Sam, currently in Grade 8, one year too late to start in the primary pro-gram starting, she said resources will be further I dont care what your disability is. A wait list was identified with a learning disability. Her gram.diminished for students like her son.is a wait list. You start at the bottom and move youngest son, Joe, who is in Grade 3, is currently Her daughter was having difficulties in school Im not pinning one against the other. your way up. Mine is time sensitive, in my in the process of being tested after having waited until she entered the Grade 5 gifted program this Theyve (trustees) done that themselves by mind.for 13 months for an assessment.year.approving this new program that is now getting Another parent, Sherry Foster, of McDade said shes lucky her son's teachers She was having difficulties just not fitting in, into the resources we dont have, McDade said.Campbellville, doesnt understand why a group have provided great support to him. However, not having friends. Recess was particularly stress-She said the gifted students are jumping of parents is blaming the start of the primary she said there is a lack of services at the board, ful. She hated recess because kids would go off in ahead of the queue that the struggling students gifted program on the long wait list for assess-and what little there was, has been diminished in their groups and she would always be left out.have been on for a long time.ments or on a lack of funding for special educa-recent years. With a new special education pro-See Parents page 4ALL DOMINION DRIVER TRAINING AND TRAFFIC EDUCATION CENTRES LIMITEDHelping You Make Smart Decisions MarcAbout Your Moneyh 12, 13, 19, 20 Saturday and Sunday 9:30am - 3:30pmMarch 22, Tuesday/Thursday Evenings 4 Weeks, Class starts at 6:00pmApril 2, 3, 9, 10 (2 Weekends) Saturday and Sunday 9:30am - 3:30pmPeter Watson220 Randall Street Downtown Oakville Phone: 905.842.21003 Wednesday, March 9, 2011 OAKVILLE BEAVER www.insideHALTON.com