I support revising 8 VAC 20-40-20 to critically assess mechanisms of increasing the number of minority and low income students in gifted education programs within Virginia public schools. These programs are the pipeline to top universities and graduate programs which produce leaders in myriad professions.   Often, the discourse surrounding socio-economic diversity focuses on the undergraduate, graduate, and career levels.  However, the number of diverse students in gifted education programs clearly affects the number of students enrolled in top universities and those entering competitive careers.   Therefore, we must take a careful look at how we can work together to remedy the issue of disproportionate minority represenation at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

As a Virginia resident, I am invested in fostering and supporting the next generation of our Commonwealth’s leaders. I look forward to collaborating with our current Virginia leaders to find innovative ways to increase the level of diverse students enrolled in gifted programs within our state’s public education system.