The gifted program should be expanded, and testing increased to identify whether a child is gifted. Children who have been identified as gifted should be transferred to their local gifted school (Kilgore in Hampton). Although appreciated, one hour a week of gifted services is not enough to develop a child's academic or personal growth. They need to be consistently intellectually challenged while being guided in their socio-emotional development. They should be allowed the opportunity to engage with other children who are also eager to learn and teachers who are better trained to support and stimulate their development.

With most curriculums designed to "teach the test" gifted students need more lessons targeted to develop thinking, metacognitive skills, and differentiated teaching. Most teachers are not trained to do this. This need is understood and met in other countries. If we are to stay competitive, internationally, we need to address the above. Lastly, it was very concerning to learn that schools aren't scheduling weekly time for students in the library. The practice of expecting children to read passages, only, and develop their reading comprehension skills is ill-considered. Yes, parents should be encouraging and supporting their kids with reading at home. However, reading and the love of reading should be encouraged at school as well. Why are we paying librarians (whom we need) and purchasing books if we aren't allowing children to visit and check out books?