I am writing to request that you do not pass the proposed changes to gifted regulations in the state of Virginia.  Gifted services are already given short shrift due to the massive spending needs of NCLB.  The assumption is that gifted children will somehow succeed without special support.  Those of us who have worked with and parented gifted children know that this is far from the truth.  Gifted children have quite extraordinary special needs.  Without having their needs met, they turn into unmotivated under-achievers who all too often drop out of school!  As a nation and as a state, we should be doing everything in our power to ensure that gifted programming, with its focus on critical thinking and authentic learning (as opposed to the fill-in-the-bubble tests that characterize NCLB), receives our support and that its methodology be inclusive of every ethnic group.  There is simply too much pressure at the local level, without the oversight of state regulations, to divert scarce funding to meeting the needs of NCLB.  The risk is that, instead of raising the quality of education for all by meeting the needs and potential of gifted learners, we will reduce every learner to the bottom line minimal expectations of the SOLs.

Specifically I am asking that:

1. Local plans continue to be developed on a 5-year basis.  Developing plans on an annual basis is wasteful of time and does not allow for the effective implementation of plans nor for taking a longer term view in terms of goals.

2. Five-year plans continue to be approved by the state Department of Education to ensure minimal and uniform compliance for the provision of gifted services across the State.  The local school board in my school system is a dedicated and hard-working body, but they are not trained in best practices in gifted education and are therefore unqualified to know whether or not a plan truly meets the needs of the gifted.

3.  The language about gifted funds being used only to provide services identified in the approved 5-year plan should be restored to the regulations.  I am only too aware of the phenomenon of trying to spread too few funds to meet too many (legitimate) needs.  Without this language, gifted funds will undoubtedly be diverted to more politically pressing needs, not through bad intention by the locality, but simply due to the fallacious belief that gifted (and potentially gifted) students will take care of themselves.

Thank you for your consideration of my comments.  Please be an advocate for the future of this nation.  Please advocate for effective education of our future!

Anne Geraty, Gifted teacher, parent, and citizen

Cc: Dr. Mark Emblidge; Dr. Billy Cannaday; Dr. Donna Poland