Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

2010 begins with a new light of hope for many families in the Pikes Peak area, because a beautiful thing happened in December 2009.  A group of passionate, dedicated parents and teachers fought a seldom-won fight for the needs of gifted, creative and unique learners.  Around this country there is an astonishing number of these kids and their parents crying out for help, for recognition.  A deep need is going unmet in our schools, and slowly districts are beginning to acknowledge this.  Kudos and thanks to District 11 for taking a leadership role in acknowledging these kids who fall through the cracks and their parents who cry for them.  We now have a chance to pick these kids up, dry our tears, and offer these kids the education they need and deserve.

It is also a beautiful thing when children can see their parents advocate for them, see their parents work, sweat, and struggle for them- and win!  Our kids will take away the message that there are good people out there in the world who are willing to listen to you, to help you, to hear you, if you are willing to take the time and the chance to speak up.  Change is almost always hard-won, but with the resolve and commitment of people like these fine folks at AACL, change can, indeed come.

It reminds me of Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who- when we gather together and cry “We are here, we are here, we are here!” someone will finally notice us.  Families around the country take heart, for if enough schools like AACL and others like it form and are successful, we can help bring a higher-quality educational experience to even more kids. For one, if we create successful model schools and programs, the concept will likely spread.  Additionally, schools like AACL can give back to their wider communities by being learning labs, discovering best practices for working with these unique learners, and we can share that information with the regular schools, creating a ripple effect that will help so many, be they in or out of a unique environment like AACL.

So for 2010 there is much work ahead to meet deadlines, make choices, and race to the finish line.  But for many families, it is already a bright and happy New Year, a year of smiles and relief, and gratitude for a chance to make a difference in the lives of kids.

So let’s roll up our sleeves now that the holidays are past us and work hard to bring this beautiful dream to reality.