Why Triple Funding to $39PPU? As we began this effort we recognized that the $13 PPU had not incentivized districts to embrace the “May-Must” requirement.  Too few districts had chosen to bring their gifted programs into reality.  We recognized that programming for an effective gifted program requires resources not always available in schools.  The $13 PPU is not sufficient.  $39 PPU will incentivize districts to bring gifted programming back. With only a 11% of the districts in the state have had gifted programs over the last two decades, a fully funded program, with some accountability,  would expect all districts in the state to have gifted programs.  That change is long overdue.  But these dollars serve another purpose.  Those dollars would impact all students.   Because the school age population is changing and the workplace is changing, our students need a different type of preparation.  Since we have been operating schools the same way for over 100 years with the teacher as the sole holder of knowledge.  This legislation would expect all students, K-12,  to be taught, with fidelity, the advanced thinking skills of this legislation. The legislation requires all students to be taught critical and creative thinking, inquiry learning and problem based learning, along with how to work collaboratively. These skills and practices, if taught with consistency and fidelity, would result in all students, K-12, in the achievement gap being narrowed, the excellence gap being broadened and all students would be  being better prepared to participate in more rigorous coursework in high school  and be on a pathway toward more rigorous coursework in high school on that pathway to trade schools or college.