New group forms to preserve GATE

A newly formed group of community members supporting educational excellence, including the Davis school district’s Gifted and Talented Education program, invites the public to a discussion Sunday afternoon. The event will run from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Blanchard Room at the Stephens Branch Library, 315 E. 14th St. in Davis.

Called Davis Educational Excellence for All (Davis Excel), the group seeks to ensure a high-quality public education in Davis for all students. In coming months, the group will consider the pressure on the school district’s state rankings, honors and AP courses, and programs such as Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM).

Sunday’s meeting will focus on the district’s GATE program. The Davis school district is currently evaluating alternatives to the GATE classrooms such as cluster grouping and pull-outs. Hundreds of community members have signed a Davis Excel petition supporting the current GATE classrooms. That petition is available at http://www.change.org/petitions/davis-school-board-preserve-excellence-in-education.

At the public event, the group will present an initial report on the current GATE program, as well as suggestions for possible improvements to the program.

The group will be joined by Barbara Branch from the California Association for the Gifted. CAG advocates that “every child deserves a free, public and appropriate education.”

For more information, contact organizers at DavisSchoolsExcel@gmail.com.