Virginia Public Schools will take a step backward if the revisions of the following regulations are passed:  8VAC20-40-60 and 8VAC20-40-70.   We must absolutely and unequivocally NOT allow these regulations to pass, as they will allow local school boards to determine the future of Gifted Education in our communities.  A political entity will not look out for the best interests of a school district’s gifted population.  A political entity, such as the local school board, will end up eradicating our gifted programs for practical and financial reasons.  It will, in short, politicize Gifted Education.  Another concern is the proposal to have annual plans as opposed to our current five-year plans.  Gifted programs need time to grow, and the writers of these plans need time to discuss, research, and reflect.  One-year plans will be more time-consuming and less effective. Finally, the regulations suggest yearly assessments.  What criteria will be used?  These regulations are the death knell for Gifted Education in Virginia.  Please do not hinder the progress that has been made in this state.  Virginia’s citizens deserve better.   I write to you as a parent of gifted children, as a Gifted Resource Teacher, and as a citizen of Stafford County, Virginia.  Please do not pass the revisions to these regulations.