Gifted program to experience major changes

Jasper Winterton
Feature/Video Editor

“I think all students deserve a class that supports their brain and their heart,” Gwyndolyn Savens, Gifted English teacher, said via email.

The Gifted program will undergo changes during the 2025-2026 school year, making it less English focused by separating from the English department and getting rid of the Gifted English classes, according to Savens.

“Over the course of the next three years, there will no longer be any Gifted English classes. Instead, there will be an AP Seminar and an AP Research class taught by a Gifted teacher. These classes will be open to anyone, and they will count towards an AP Capstone,” Savens added.

Kate Spellecy, junior, said she has “known all of the people in the gifted program since at least fifth grade. I always know that if I’m taking a gifted class there’s going to be people that I like and get along with, and I’m going to lose that community my senior year, and it’s really sad.”

Along with students being impacted socially, Spellecy said since the curriculum for Gifted English is different from other AP English classes; she is worried about having to adjust to a new learning style when taking an English class next year.

Kate Bruner, junior, is also in the Gifted program, and she said the Gifted program allows her to be more interested in what is being taught.

“If we’re doing nothing in the class, or if it’s super easy or boring, then I don’t care about the class, so my grade will go down. The Gifted program really allows me to be more interested and put in more effort,” Bruner said.

Spellecy added another issue with the changes being made is that seniors might not have the space to take a Gifted class as an elective, and the program as a whole might suffer because of it.

Savens said her “biggest fear is that making the Gifted classes an elective credit will essentially end the program, and it has been a good, successful program for many decades.”

Savens added, “Gifted was housed in the English Department for many reasons. The first is that math and science classes can be accelerated for students that are ready to move ahead making gifted math or science classes unnecessary. The second is that Gifted students (sometimes) need a different level of social and emotional support due to predictable sensitivities, and the final reason is that English has the most flexibility.”

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