Mr. Palcuzzi, Principal of the Jefferson Elementary School, once got tired of hearing objections to special provisions for gifted children so he decided to spice an otherwise mild PTA meeting with his proposal for gifted children. The elements of the Palcuzzi program were as follows:

1. Children should be grouped by ability.

2. Part of the school day should be given over to special instruction.

3. Talented students should be allowed time to share their talents with children of other schools in the area or even of other schools throughout the state. (We will pay transportation costs.)

4. A child should be advanced according to his talents, rather than according to his age.

5. These children should have special teachers, specially trained and high salaried.

As might be expected, the Palcuzzi program was subjected to a barrage of criticism: "What about the youngster who isn't able to fit into the special group; won't his ego be damaged?" "How about the special cost; how would you justify transportation costs that would have to be paid by moving a special group of students from one school to another?" "Mightn't we be endangering the child by having him interact with children who are much more mature than he is?" "Wouldn't the other teachers complain if we gave more money to the instructors of this group?"

After listening for ten or fifteen minutes, Mr. Palcuzzi dropped his bomb. He said he wasn't describing a new program for the intellectually gifted, but a program the school system had been enthusiastically supporting for a number of years - the program for "gifted basketball players."

This is a gentle reminder to those who are advocates. Many of you enjoyed the Palcuzzi Ploy which ended up talking about "basketball players" instead of "gifted students". As I sent this I could just hear those heads shaking, hand ringing and people saying, "Boy I'd love to do that to my superintendent/school board/whomever! I'll show them!"

Please before you utilize the Palcuzzi Ploy...think through how you can utilize this as a POSITIVE approach.

"Now that we have your attention, we just wanted you to realize that our district does already do things for our students who have special skills and abilities [thank them for what g/t programs they already have in place]. Our children who are highly able or gifted in the academics also have special skills and abilities that need nurturing from where they are to where their potential leads them. They learn differently and think differently and so they need classrooms and opportunities that can accommodate this--teachers who "differentiate", classes that "stretch" them. They need to be with others like them so that they will feel like they are "on the right team" with challenging team mates."

Do that sandwich technique--turn it into a positive--don't just throw the story in their face and say, Now do something for us! Say something good, say something they OUGHT to be doing and more thank yous. So what do you do ask for while you have their attention? You probably have a long list--narrow it down to one or two. Ask for them to study, or research possibilities..and get back to you in writing in one/two weeks. With this story you are asking that they look at the program from a different perspective, not as an adversary. You will offer to help in anyway that you can (and get a parent group to help if they are not organized yet)

Remember the advocate's motto: Be there, Be positive, Be cooperative, and Don't go away.

These words of caution from the e-mail editor of "staying connected," the e-mail fanout of the Michigan Alliance for Gifted Education, Marie Brucker.