It's over! It's Over! Victory is ours!

After what seemed to be forever in terms of lobbying on behalf our oldest son, Caleb, to get into the gifted program in Rantoul, we have finally had a breakthrough. He is IN the gifted program and will start tomorrow--on his birthday, no less! YEY!

Now, did this come at the price we asked of the Rantoul School District? Well, not so much. Although our largest fight was to have the program basically revamped to allow more than 12 students per class per year or if this was going to be the end-all be-all number that retesting should be done since they grandfather all students in once they have "room". Well, lo and behold, a student moved out of the area and Caleb was able to get that spot.

However, this really has not solved anything, because again--what if that student moves back and is obviously qualified to get into the program? Well, now it's them who gets shut out in the cold. Well, with the momentum that this issue has built up, we will continue to send requests to the school board as well as my stepfather, who is on the board, will continue to raise the reworking issue at board meetings until hopefully things are changed.

Did our work make a difference? I'd like to think so. It would have been very easy for the school to basically not move on this as fast as they did, and I'd like to think that it was our constant efforts, this blog, my ex-wife and her husband's diligent legwork, and our newscast with a local station that will possibly give a start to reform in the school system, and may also be an exposed artery of Dr. Evil himself, Superintendent Bill Trankina. Although I think that he and Hellraiser icon Pinhead would be great friends in real life and I sincerely doubt that he has lost any sleep over this, perhaps these issues are the start of what should be happening in Rantoul--change.

Yey! I am stoked for Caleb! :)

TAGS: Bill Trankina, Education, Education Issues, Gifted And Talented, Gifted And Talented Education, Rantoul, Rantoul City Schools, Rantoul Illinois, Rantoul School District, School Policies, Unfair School Policies
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