On Pensacola Speaks, we will talk about the PATS Center. PATS stands for Program for Academically Talented Students.
For nearly 50 years, gifted students have been bused to the PATS Center one day a week to work with specially-trained teachers and other gifted students on subjects not covered during a normal school day.
Escambia County Superintendent of School Malcolm Thomas wants to shutdown the PATS Center at Brown-Barge Middle School and spread the program out among individual schools. And parents are upset. He says the center needs to be closed because of its declining enrollment. But as is so often the case in the Escambia County School District that is not the whole story.
Call in – 850-478-3116 and weigh-in on this important topic.
Pensacola Today has covered this issue thoroughly:
Feb. 3: PATS Center debate is heating up
Feb. 13: Superintendent discusses changes to Escambia’s gifted program
Feb. 16: Escambia’s PATS program by the numbers
Feb. 19: Dozens speak on changes to Escambia’s gifted services