April 2022 - Volume 1
WATG Mission: To educate about and advocate for the needs of gifted in Wisconsin.
As you may have noticed, WATG’s activities and reach have been growing! To keep you more informed on a more timely basis, our Board of Directors voted to send out news TWICE each month. The first installment will always arrive at the beginning of the month, and the second installment will arrive in the middle of the month. With this change, we hope to keep you more curious, informed, motivated, and engaged.
NEWS
Calling All Exhibitors and Sponsors!
Are you interested in reaching a large number of gifted and talented advocates? Does your product or service apply to educators, administrators, coordinators, parents, or others in the gifted and talented community? Then you will want to be an Exhibitor/Sponsor at our annual fall conference in the Wisconsin Dells October 3-4. Information on our conference and how you can be a part of it can be found in our proposal packet at https://midd.me/t7rw.
Check out the following on the WATG News Page:
WATG welcomes four new partners, call for presenters extended and more!
Cory's latest podcast: Cory and Dr. Matt Zakreski talked gifted! (Dr. Matt is a keynote speaker at WATG 2022 Conference.)
WATG Blogs
News From the Board - Deadlines Loom
Roxane Hagedorn, Executive Director

The past few months have been quite busy as we begin preparations for our fall conference. Though it seems like a long way off, time flies. To help us plan for the conference, and publicize some of our initiatives, I have a couple of action items to talk to you about this month. I hope you will take the time to consider each one and see if you can be a part of any of them.
(WATG would like to extend its deep appreciation to Dr. German Diaz from Milwaukee Public Schools for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can be found on our website blog.)
Legislative Update
From your Government Action Committee
The state legislature passed the gifted education legislation earlier this month, and it will go forward to the governor for his signature (or his veto!) as AB903. It is expected to go to Gov. Evers at least by April 14 (though it's possible that it would move sooner).

This is the bill that would increase transparency, accountability, and equity in gifted education in Wisconsin. (It does not mandate anything about how districts must identify or program for advanced learners.) You can find the bill's full text and its history at
Thanks so much to those of you who contacted your state Senator and/or Assembly Representative! 
Gifted in Perspective: How to Respond When the News is Scary
The news has been scary. It is scary for adults as well as children, and it has also been relentless. For some of us, especially gifted children and adults who may be especially sensitive to the problems of the world, these have been some incredibly difficult times.
Jackie Drummer
WATG Advisory Member and Former WATG President
FREE PARENT MEMBERSHIP
Parenting gifted children can be an exciting, yet challenging journey, and WATG is committed to providing information, resources, and networking opportunities for parents and caregivers of gifted children.

As a service to gifted children and their families, WATG is offering FREE memberships to all parents/caregivers beginning now and extending through September of 2022. Benefits of WATG membership include:

  • Support for educational outreach
  • Support for parents/caregivers and advocates
  • Voting privileges
  • Consultation and coaching
And so much more!

So far, almost 200 parents/caregivers have taken advantage of this outstanding opportunity! We encourage more of you to join us by filling out this Free WATG Parent Membership Form, and look forward to meeting you and growing with you.
Any organization mentioned in this newsletter does not constitute an endorsement by or partnership with WATG. No recommendation regarding the services of these organizations is being made by WATG. Families and educators are urged to perform due diligence in researching all organizations.
watg.org