As an educator and parent of children who have participated in gifted education, I oppose the changes being considered to Gifted Education.  I have three primary concerns:

1.  Requiring an annual report will not benefit schools, parents, or students.  There should be a 5-year planning process to allow schools to develop and refine their educational programs for gifted children.  This would promote excellence and consistency within districts and the state.

2.  Reports should be submitted to the VA DOE for review.  This will help insure that ALL gifted programs meet certain standards and are held accountable for improvements.

3.  Funding needs to be reinstated for gifted programs and used ONLY for gifted education. 

Thank you.