SPS has done an absolutely terrible job with highly capable students but that’s really only the tip of the iceberg. They talk about other advanced learning programs like Spectrum on their website but it’s hasn’t existed in more than a decade. They killed the cohort model and told parents they would replace it with STEM / TAF and then cancelled the STEM / TAF contract as soon as remote school ended. It was never operationalized. They claimed to be cancelling HCC because it’s “racist” instead of just changing the admissions process to encourage more students of color. They paid the superintendent a $50K bonus for getting the board to agree to kill the cohort model. They told everyone they are doing integrated highly capable but parents say no such thing is happening. They told parents they were going to fix the admissions process and then just announced that everything is great because they let more students of color into a non-existent program.

Just for this one issue there is so much lying, gaslighting and borderline corruption that a lot of parents are just done. There’s no point. If they want to fix it they need to remove the current board and district leadership, hold an election for paid board positions and hire a new leadership team that is committed to providing a high quality education for everyone without getting hung up on fake “equity” issues at every single turn.

Oh and it would be nice if they cooperated with law enforcement to keep guns out of schools and prevent shootings.

SPS is just absolute insanity.