Three gifted education statewide bills were introduced in this NYS Legislative Session (2023-24).
The bills are as follows:
–A3954 (The Gifted Education Reinforcement Act)
-A672/S1821 (Screening for Gifted and Talented Students)
-A514 (Expand Access to Advanced Courses to Improve Educational Equity)
Each has been referred to the Education Committee in the Assembly. Getting any of these bills passed is a step in the right direction for New York’s diverse gifted populations. Our immediate goal is to get the bills “on the floor”, the next step in the state legislative process.
We urge you to please contact your Assembly Member and ask him/her/them to support the bill(s) or sign onto the bill as a sponsor. While emails are welcomed, phone calls are more powerful, so if you have the time to do so, we encourage you to call their office. A sample script is offered below.
Hi, my name is, __________________I am a constituent of Assembly Member ___________________________and I live in [name of your town/city]. I am calling to urge Assembly Member__________________________ to work with his/her/their colleagues to move _ (insert bill #) out of the Education Committee to the full Assembly for a vote. Furthermore, I encourage the Assembly to fund the mandate for gifted education programs.
New York State is one of only 8 states that does not mandate identification or services nor provide any state funding for gifted education opportunities. Gifted and twice-exceptional students have different learning and social-emotional needs than their age peers. They require a differentiated education that is responsive to their learning needs. It is imperative that New York State pass legislation requiring public schools to identify, serve and fund gifted education for all students, so that gifted students, like their peers, can reach their full potential. Thank you for your time! I’m grateful for your consideration of this matter which is critically important to__ [ me/my family/community/child].
Let’s work together to bring quality, inclusive gifted education to all of New York State.
With gratitude,
The GiftedNYS Advocacy Team
