Published 4-17-06 in the Tri-City Herald
The display boards may be slightly crooked and the research papers dotted with minor misspellings, but with these science projects, second-graders in Chandra Tebay's gifted classroom did something important. They got to work at their own level.

"One of the major tenets of gifted education is to allow a student to pursue his or her own passion," Tebay said.  Her students are part of the Kennewick Opportunities for the Gifted program at Amistad Elementary School. Richland and Pasco have similar programs, the
GATE in Richland and Project Spectrum in Pasco.

Gifted education is strong in Washington, teachers say, but in many states programs for the smartest students are in peril. Eight states spent zero dollars on programs for the gifted last year, and another six spent less than $500,000, according to the National Association of Gifted Children.  Illinois, New York and Oregon recently cut all state funding for gifted programs.

"Just because they're smart doesn't mean they stay ahead of where they should be," said Jane Clarenbach, a spokeswoman for NACG. "The performance of gifted students could be dropping, but they're likely still above average, and so no one is paying attention."

'Now I've found my place'

Tebay said financial and professional support is crucial for gifted programs and teachers. Without special elementary classes, the smartest kids may withdraw or misbehave because they feel alienated and bored.

"Some kids who aren't challenged sit back and say, 'Why try?' " she said. "Or they feel really out of it and weird, and they come here and it's like, 'Now I've found my place.' "

Students say it's easier to make friends in a classroom of peers who understand their thought processes and sense of humor.

"I thought that if I didn't know the answer I'd be better because I'd be like the other kids," said Carlos Reyes, a fifth-grader in Project Spectrum at Ruth Livingston Elementary in Pasco.

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