Thank you for the opportunity to comment. It's good to know you value resident feedback when making decisions that affect our children and our communities.

Regarding 8VAC20-40-60. Local plans. I ask that you do not change the current oversight system. School board members are not considered experts in the field of gifted education and will not be able to provide feedback for program plans. School Board members are politicians and are not trained in providing education. I have seen bad decisions made by school board members who are trying to please voters and not doing what's educationally appropriate.

Regarding 8VAC20-40-70: I ask that you do not reduce gift funding. We need to support and encourage these children to learn as much as they can absorb and in the ways that they learn, which often varies from standard classroom learning.  In the absence of this regulatory language protecting the funding for gifted program services, funds could be used for other purposes which could reduce the quality of gifted programming in many school divisions. 
 

Therefore, I request the following changes:
(1) Each local school division shall submit to the Department of Education for approval a plan, developed on a five-year basis, for the education of gifted students to ensure that the regulations are being followed.

(2) State funds administered by the Department of Education for the education of gifted students shall be used only to support thos e activities identified in the school division's plan as approved by the Board of Education.
 

Thank you.