After reviewing the proposed regulations and speaking with a variety of colleagues and professionals within the Gifted community, I do not believe the proposed changes to the regulations meet the needs of the students served by gifted programs in the state today, nor will they serve the students of tomorrow.

The children served by these regulations are a diverse and valuable asset to our society.  If either  their needs or their talents are ignored we risk  indeterminate costs associated with their care, and possibly their delinquency if their needs are not met in school.  Teachers need the broad support of the entire education community to continue to raise the bar for all learners -- and particularly for gifted students.  As written, the revisions to the regulations appear to remove oversight, loosen definitions and eliminate funding for gifted programs. 

Please carefully consider both the intentional and unintentional consequences of the proposed changes and the recommendations of both Dr. Carol Horn and the Virginia Associaiton of the Gifted in determining the appropriate course of action to preserve oversight of the gifted education program at the state level and  the existing funding allocation.