Reply to letter received today from MCPS about HGC

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Reply to "letter received today from MCPS about HGC"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Sure its fine to test everyone but I still have my doubts that this is going to affect the students that actually attend the program.     Parents aren't applying since either a) they live in a hole and ignore the many calls, emails and letters [b] b) can't logistically get kid to transportation[/b] c) kid does not want to leave home school d) kid not interested

This program is great but its is a commitment

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I've been thinking about this barrier to participation in the HGC programs and how it contributes to unequal representation of gifted kids from low-income families.  We have a family at our neighborhood school with bright kids that should apply to the HGC.  I know that they have one reliable working vehicle, and that the single parent uses that vehicle to get to and from a long day at work, leaving in the morning before the kids are up and arriving home after an afterschool program would be closed (and couldn't afford an afterschool program anyway).  There's another adult in the house who currently gets the kids up and on and off the school bus to the local school but doesn't have a reliable car.  How would this family be able to make an HGC work?  The local school (where the current HGC bus stop is) is not walkable (2 miles away down a busy road with no sidewalks).  The HGC is actually closer (1.5 miles) but again, there's not a safe way to walk it. There's no public transit option.  I'm sure there are other kids in similar situations.  Expanding gifted options to more schools would help, but as long as there are magnet schools, there are going to be significant barriers to entry for certain families, and the emphasis on trying to reach out to underrepresented groups doesn't seem to address these barriers (although reducing the first barrier to getting into the testing group is also a good step -- just doesn't address this issue). [/quote]

Good post from PP. As a single mom this would be really tricky. I'm assuming the morning drop off is easier for most parents as it's earlier and possibly on their way to work but there's no way I or many others could make the pick up in the afternoon and get in a full day of work at an office and the pick up location (location) is too far for DC to walk safely.[/quote]

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