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Duval's Gifted Program Will Stay The Same Next Year

Cyd Hoskinson
/
WJCT

Parents worried about proposed changes to Duval County’s gifted program can relax.

Following a meeting with about a hundred parents Wednesday night, school Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti says he’ll keep everything the same for one more year at least.

"Listening to them, I decided we would not more forward with the proposal and we would continue to improve our gifted services, build our home-based, neighborhood feeder-pattern schools with more gifted students but not implement the proposal as originally designed."

Right now, students who attend schools with small gifted programs are bused to schools with larger programs.

Vitti had proposed keeping those students in their home schools and connecting them to the larger programs via Skype or some other technology, something parents weren't keen on.

"These parents didn't feel comfortable (not) knowing whether the teacher at the home school would be as strong as the teacher they currently have at the school they're being transported to."

Vitti says they'll spend the coming year figuring out how to include more children in the smaller gifted programs.

The state of Florida defines gifted students as being intellectually superior and capable of high performance.

Gifted programs are designed to help these students develop skills in things like critical thinking and creative problem solving.

Cyd Hoskinson began working at WJCT on Valentine’s Day 2011.