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Witnesses tell committee Massachusetts needs mandatory training to serve gifted and advanced learners
Summary
Parents, teachers and advisory‑council members urged the Joint Committee to favorably report H.658, saying DESE's 2019 report and classroom experience show educators lack training to identify and instruct gifted and advanced learners; witnesses asked for preservice coursework, professional development and reporting requirements.
Supporters of House Bill H.658 told the Joint Committee on Education that mandated educator training is necessary to identify and support gifted and advanced learners across the Commonwealth.
Katarina Albert, who said she serves on the Gifted and Talented Education Advisory Council, urged the committee to "favorably report" H.658, saying the 2019 DESE legislative report recognized a lack of educator preparation and recommended including instruction on advanced‑learner needs in teacher training.
Janice Baron, a former gifted program lead, relayed parents' and teachers' accounts of students losing motivation and teachers calling professional development "transformative." Multiple parents and educators, including Magaly Penny and Patrick Howe, described children doing repetitive classroom work and asked for statewide expectations so districts do not rely on private programs.
Andrew Greenhut said prior bills created a framework for advanced learners but that without H.658 teachers will not be equipped to implement it. "H.658 provides the essential ingredient to make that framework work," he said, arguing the bill would build educator capacity from within public schools.
Witnesses cited differing estimates of the size of the gifted population—state estimates of 6–8 percent versus national advocacy estimates of 15–20 percent needing advanced opportunities—and asked the committee to require preservice training, professional learning for current teachers and annual reporting on gifted‑education training by districts.
No committee action was taken at the end of the testimony; supporters asked the committee to move the bill favorably out of committee so required training and reporting can be implemented.
