There is a wide-ranging assumption that gifted children will just “get it” without strategic planning, specific programs or effort. Everything we have learned over the past decades about gifted education indicates that this is not always so; that schools sometimes fail gifted students; and that programs tailored to the specific needs of gifted students often produce meaningful results.

As a concerned citizen and parent of a gifted child, I am concerned about the proposed changes because of the far-reaching and devastating effect they can have.  For example, elimination of the provision that state funds for gifted students shall be used to support only those activities identified in the school division's plan for gifted also eliminates the protection against such funds being rolled into block grants to districts, and thus not directed to support gifted students. This proposed change seems to have, at best,  the potential to put state funds for gifted education at risk, and at worst, to take Virginia out of the gifted education business.

Another proposed change eliminates the five-year planning process and suggests that a new plan be developed each year and the responsibility for oversight should lie with the local school board. Long-range planning for any enterprise is critical.  Most desired improvements simply cannot be realized within a year. Yearly planning amounts to tactics without strategy. Further, local school boards, while both hard-working and competent, may simply lack the expertise needed to meaningfully evaluate the district’s plan. These changes are unwise.

At a time when Virginia’s Standards of Learning consistent benchmarks applicable throughout the commonwealth, why would we embrace a strategy of “every locality for itself” when it comes to the gifted?

Please restore the original language or its equivalent to the appropriate regulations, and retain specific funded for gifted programs, external oversight and five year planning. Thank you for your consideration.

David Ferraro

Parent member, Past Chair

Norfolk Gifted Education Advisory Council