Please reconsider making such drastic changes to funding for gifted education in Virginia. As a society, it is our obligation to invest in our future.  The most logical way to do that is to insure that adequate funding for gifted education programs is available for ALL districts. It is also more effective to encourage districts to work towards long term goals instead of yearly ones, the latter being on the new proposal.  “All means all” in Norfolk Public Schools and we strive to make sure that minority and culturally diverse students are not overlooked in our gifted programs. Adequate funding is important to this academic endeavor.  It is vital to invest in our brightest students. We can not fall victim to the myth that "The smart ones will be OK by themselves and don't need help." These students are our future doctors, scientists, teachers, leaders, and inventors.  Without proper funding, who knows what innovations will never be realized because a student wasn’t given the opportunity to live up to his/her potential. Invest now or we will pay later!