Who We Are

Too often it is assumed that highly capable students do not need support or that if they are meeting academic standards then they are doing fine. This is not the case. Highly capable children have unique academic, social and emotional needs. They need advocates. We founded Parent Advocates for Tahoma’s Highly capable (PATH) to fill this need.

PATH is a parent-founded, non-profit advocacy and support group. We advocate for the highly capable students in the Tahoma School District so that they may achieve academic excellence and fulfill their social and emotional needs. We bring parents and students together to learn about the rewards and challenges of being highly capable.

Our mission is to help highly capable students in the Tahoma School District fulfill their social and emotional needs and achieve academic excellence.

Board of Directors

Owen Gabrielson

Board Member

Bryce Smart

PATH President

Kelly Young

Board Member

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to the questions we receive most often.

No.  We are an independent 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization.  We don’t work for the district, but we do work with the district to bring improved services to highly-capable learners in the Tahoma School District.

PATH has provided several services since its inception in 2018:

  1. Advocate for additional gifted services
  2. Fund professional development for teachers and instructional coaches
  3. Host education events for parents of gifted kids
  4. Provide resources and guidance to parents with questions

PATH has several achievements of which we are especially proud:

  • Through our sustained advocacy and district partnerships, PATH is responsible for the implementation of the middle school gifted program.
  • We have sponsored more than twenty teachers and administrators within the district to attend conferences and gain professional development specifically in gifted education.
  • Former PATH President Michelle Smart partnered with Tahoma teachers and administrators to jointly present on how parent groups and districts can partner together to enhance the efficacy of highly capable programs in meeting student needs.

Just send an email to [email protected] to reach us.