elementary gifted programs

Well my son is in a bi-lingual GATE progam at Hollinger Elem. Please let me know if you all find another school that will challenge my child. He is bored in class and even though they are supposed to be learning English and Spanish. They have taken most of this year to teach the children who don't know English... English. My question would be how did they get into GATE in the first place if they can't read or speak English?

Tucson doesn't have a gifted program. Satori went charter some years ago and so lost their focus, and Gateways closed last year. Some teachers in some public schools offer bits and pieces (Vail District for example) but there is nothing coordinated. The Arizona Association for the Gifted reported two or three years agao that because of the low level of AZ public schools, GATE programs are filled with above-average students leaving nowhere for the gifted or highly-able. The best bet at the moment is the International School of Tucson. Their program is recommended by the Arizona Association for the Gifted as being the next option currently available. How do I know? We were in the same position and did a lot of research and visited a lot of schools before we chose IST. There is a specialist website called "Hoagies", but it will point you in the same direction.

I feel the same. If we move him for second grade, it will be a third new school. I teach in TUSD (HS level science) and I was told that we should try Basis or White- which is the best all day GATE program w/in TUSD. I think I'm going to work backwards. For example... figure out where the best HS program is ( think Sal Pointe, Basis, etc...), and find out what middle school(s) feed into it. THen find out which elementary schools feed into the middle schools. I can tell you one thing, I have bright students who should be in a different program, but aren't. I think all parent should look for a good fit for their kids, but most do not. I do not want my boys' future teachers to run into the behavior problem I'm seeing at the HS level because they are bored their entire lives....

hi my son also is going to be in 2nd grade he goes to la paloma lakeside and he seems really bored in class. i love his teacher but i am having him tested for the gate program through tusd. although i am not thrilled either with him going to tusd especially right now with all the budget cuts. i know that from my sister's personal experience with her son, if my son were to be in gate he would go to corbett elem school. we have tried private school for kinder and didn't feel like the quality was there for what we were paying. so good luck. if he isn't accepted into gate we will just stay at la paloma because i really hate moving him again.