NJAGC is committed to federal and state advocacy efforts, and to supporting educators and parents in local advocacy efforts. Parents and teachers should consider the information and advice for local advocacy. Administrators and policymakers should check out the state and federal advocacy information.
Local Advocacy
Families, Educators, Community Members
Funding and programming decisions for gifted education in New Jersey are made at the local level. Local advocacy efforts can start with families, educators and community members. Your voice is important. Speak out for equitable identification practices, high quality programs and services, and ongoing effective professional learning opportunities for teachers responsible for gifted education.
What Can You Do?
Read and understand the board of education district policies and regulations. These important documents can usually be found on your district’s website under the Board of Education tab. You can find information about the programs and services required by your district under these policies.
Visit the NJDOE website to access information about gifted education in New Jersey and the requirements of the Strengthening Gifted and Talented Education Act which your district must comply with.
Look for information about gifted services and programming on your district’s website. Districts are required under the Strengthening Gifted and Talented Education Act to post identification and procedures, a timeline and services available to advanced learners.
When you have acquainted yourself with the information available and you have concerns about identification processes and/or the gifted services available to advanced learners in your district, contact the teacher of the gifted and/or school administrators to discuss your concerns.
If you are unsatisfied with the response from building personnel and you believe your district is out of compliance with the Strengthening Gifted and Talented Education Act, the law states that you have a right to file a complaint with your local board of education. The board must issue a decision, in writing, to affirm, reject, or modify the district’s action in the matter.
If the complaint has not been addressed by the board to your satisfaction, you may file a petition of appeal of the board’s written decision to the Commissioner of Education through the Office of Controversies and Disputes in accordance with N.J.S.18A:6-9 and the procedures set forth in State Board of Education regulations.
Consider reaching out to other families, educators, and community members with similar concerns about advanced education in your district. There is power in numbers.
Check out the local advocacy guidance from NAGC.
State Advocacy
The NJAGC Advocacy Committee seeks to build knowledge and awareness, foster relationship and connections and promote equitable access and outcomes for the advanced learners of New Jersey. Any student, parent, or educator can get involved in state advocacy efforts.
Due to the efforts of our state Advocacy Committee, New Jersey passed the Strengthening Gifted and Talented Education Act in 2020. This legislation has raised awareness of the needs of advanced learners throughout our state and has led to changes in practice and policy at the state and local levels.
There is still much work to be done. There are currently no pre-service course requirements for new teachers in gifted education, no requirement for certification/training in gifted education for teachers who serve advanced learners, and there is no designated funding from the state for gifted education programs and services.
What Can You Do?
Join NJAGC and the Advocacy committee to support our efforts to raise awareness of the needs of advanced learners in New Jersey. Many voices together can lead to positive changes in policy and action.
When asked, join us in contacting state education policymakers to advocate for professional training/certification requirements for teachers of the gifted and pre-service course requirements at the University level for novice teachers.
Federal Advocacy
NJAGC sends two members from our board to Washington DC every March to attend the annual National Association for Gifted Children Legislative and Advocacy Conference. These representatives visit both of our United States Senators’ offices as well as the Capitol Hill Offices of our twelve Congressional Representatives from NJ to share information on gifted and talented education and discuss how we can make gifted education a priority backed by policy and funding. In addition to developing these relationships, as the state affiliate of NAGC we work closely with educational advocates and leaders throughout the nation to ensure equity and access for all of our gifted students is guiding our path forward.
What Can You Do?
If you would like to learn more about our federal advocacy efforts or would like to become more involved, please reach out by emailing madsenj@njagc.org.
