West Madison gifted students present resolution to McCutcheon

Rep. Mac McCutcheon, at center, will deliver a resolution to Gov. Robert Bentley that gifted students prepared at West Madison Elementary School. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Some students at West Madison Elementary School held a politician to his word … and he followed through as promised.

Rep. Mac McCutcheon (R-Huntsville), who represents Alabama District 25, visited the West Madison campus in early 2014. At that time, he learned that students in the gifted program were planning a campaign for increased funding for gifted studies.

For this effort, fourth-grader Dylan Harbour designed neon yellow T-shirts emblazoned with the message, “FUND Gifted Education.”

The gifted students wore their message shirts on a field trip in April to Montgomery to visit the Alabama State Legislature. Their visit correlated with study in government and Alabama state history, gifted specialist Wendy Tibbs said.

Students who ‘lobbied’ in Montgomery were Harbour, Adam Baer, Aubteen pour Biazar, Joshua Cagle, Ben Jones, Lauren Martin, Jack Satcher and Mike Zhang.

As promised, McCutcheon returned to West Madison on May 15 for a resolution that gifted students had written about the need for additional funding for educational programs. McCutcheon promised to personally deliver the resolution and a photograph of the students to Gov. Robert Bentley.

The resolution states, “The students at West Madison Elementary became aware of the lack of adequate funding for the gifted program. As a result of their awareness, they began the process of writing the resolution and making preparations to present the request.”

These proactive students are waiting confidently now to see if their efforts and McCutcheon’s gesture will result in increased funding.