Michael Swanson recipient of 2006 Senator Person Advocacy Award

Memphis, TN, September 20, 2006: At the TAG conference held in Memphis September 7 and 8, Tennessee Initiative for Gifted Education Reform (TIGER) presented its annual Senator Curtis Person Advocacy Award to Michael Swanson, founder of Swanson Consulting (http://www.swansonconsulting.net/). “Mr. Swanson has consistently demonstrated his commitment to help ensure that high-ability students in Tennessee receive an appropriate education,” said Sally Endler, current TIGER President. “Mr. Swanson, with David Carleton, began TIGER in 2001 to protect gifted education in Tennessee and works tirelessly on behalf of our children.”

The award was created in honor of Curtis S. Person, Jr., for his child advocacy and legislative leadership supporting the vision that all Tennessee children should receive an education appropriate to their needs. Person is the Judge of the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County and served in the Tennessee Senate for over 40 years. He was the Senate sponsor of the 1972 Weldon Act, which gave Tennessee gifted students their right to a free and appropriate education. The Weldon Act predated, and served as a model for, federal special education law. Senator Person is a devoted supporter of disability and gifted education, and recently sponsored legislation creating a state-level study committee on gifted education.

TIGER and TAG work together advancing and protecting public policy at the state or local level, help create and enhance advanced academic programs, create and work to expand teacher training as well as parent information programs and work to remove barriers and increase access to appropriate learning environments.

Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act

The U.S. Congress will return to Washington D.C. after the 2006 elections to complete action on the fiscal year 2007 appropriations bills. In spite of advocates' best efforts, funding for the Javits program is in jeopardy. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have now approved separate versions of the fiscal year 2007 education funding bill. After the House committee allocated $0 for the Javits program back in mid June (H.Rept. 109-515), our attention turned to the Senate. Thanks to the support of several key Senators, the Javits program was not eliminated in the Senate, but the funding level was reduced. On July 20 the Senate Appropriations Committee allocated only $5.025 million for the program -- enough to continue funding all of the current grants and the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, but not enough money to make any new grant awards in 2007 (S.Rept. 109-287).

Please write to your U.S. Congresspersons encouraging them to support the Javits Act and gifted education grants.

Beth O’Shea receives the 2005 Senator Person Advocacy Award

Beth O’Shea received the the 2005 Senator Curtis Person Advocacy Award in recognition of her dedicated service as a teacher of the gifted, a district coordinator of gifted education in Metro-Nashville Public Schools, an educational advocate to parents and children, and her community activism. She was presented the award by TIGER board member Carrie Gleaves during the annual Tennessee Association for the Gifted Conference luncheon on September 30, 2005 at the Sheraton Read House Hotel in Chattanooga.

TIGER distributes literature at the TAG conference

TIGER distributed literature at the 2005 TAG conference in Chattanooga, on September 30. Pictured at the TIGER booth are Carrie Gleaves, who presented the Person Award at the luncheon, and Michael Swanson.