Parents urge Brockton School Committee to preserve TAG cohort in middle schools
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Summary
Several parents told the Brockton School Committee they want the district to retain a middle-school TAG (Talented and Gifted) cohort rather than folding advanced learners into a general honors academy that covers only ELA and math.
Parents of current Talented and Gifted (TAG) students urged the Brockton School Committee on Tuesday to preserve a dedicated TAG cohort when students transition to middle school.
"With the TAG program no longer existing at the middle school level, I feel as though these students aren't being given the opportunities that they've worked for," said Melissa Thomas, a parent whose child attends the Angelo School. Thomas said TAG students receive advanced instruction across subject areas and warned that placing them into honors academy classes that cover only English language arts and math would cause repetition and a loss of momentum in science and social studies.
Kim Gibson, president of the Brockton Education Association, thanked the committee for negotiating a successor contract but did not address program structure; other parents framed the issue as academic and social. "The Invention Convention that they held last week is a great example" of the program's enrichment, Erica Gilbert said, describing how exposure to project-based learning increased her son's engagement.
Amy Changarakis said she sees both sides of the district's plan: her daughter thrives in TAG while her son is in honors academy. Still, she urged the district to consider extending the TAG model, saying it provides advanced work in areas her son has not yet experienced. Jackie O'Donnell asked the committee to reinstate three TAG classes at middle school, saying the cohort is about 75 students and equates to three classes.
The public comments came during the hearing-of-visitors portion of the committee meeting. Committee members did not take immediate action during the meeting; parents asked that district leaders formally review options for sustaining acceleration in multiple subjects as students enter middle school.
The superintendent and committee did not present a final decision on program structure during the meeting; any administrative or policy change would require further committee discussion or an agenda item in a future meeting.
