First hour: What should be included in a future High Falls State Park?
Second hour: How can schools better meet the needs of high-ability students?
What would you like to see in a future High Falls State Park? According to reporting from WXXI’s Brian Sharp, state officials are working to secure a design firm that would create a blueprint for the space. When officials last solicited proposals in 2022, they received a bigger response than expected. The process was halted for procedural reasons, but now it’s back up and running. Designs are expected to include trails, overlooks, an ecology center, a play area, and more. Greentopia and the Community Design Center of Rochester are hosting a design workshop on May 4; members of the public are invited to share their ideas. We discuss preview the workshop and discuss the latest with the park project with our guests:
- Lisa Baron, executive board chair for Greentopia
- William Price, board member and acting executive director for the Community Design Center of Rochester
Then in our second hour, are public schools doing enough to challenge high-ability students? A group of parents across numerous local districts says the answer is no. The group has welcomed Johns Hopkins professor Jonathan Plucker to Rochester to speak about the issue. Plucker has studied and written about the needs of gifted students. This hour, we discuss his research and what parents are hoping to change in New York State. In studio:
- Jonathan Plucker, Ph.D., professor of education, and associate dean for faculty affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Education
- Nina DeVivo Schaffer, co-chair of Pittsford PTSA QUEST, and advocate for high-ability learners
