I would like to ask that local school division plans be developed on a 5-year basis in order for school divisions to have the opportunity to develop long-term goals, implement changes, and evaluate before updating the plan. Having plans developed on an annual basis is not a sound educational practice.

The plans should be submitted to the Department of Education for approval to ensure compliance to minimum requirements of identification and programming across the Commonwealth. The present system of peer review is not only an accountability measure, but a teaching and learning process for school division coordinators of gifted education. 

Please reinstate gifted funding section which states that funding administered by the DOE for the education of gifted students be used only to support those activities identified in the school division's plan as approved by the Board of Education (BOE). 

While I understand these are changes that are being proposed - I caution that there are many children in our shool systems who really need to be the beneficiaries of these requests. Just as our handicap students need state support, our gifted also need to be challenged and to succeed as well and they often don't when they aren't stimulated. Without the appropriate system in place to ensure all children will learn and grow in our school system - gifted children won't have the structures in place to provide enough learning stimulation which will result in acting out and rebellion. Only our local schools know what is best for their specific area and to take this away from them is doing a disservice to not only the students but to the community at large as well.

Thank you for your consideration.

Royanne Dell