The proposed changes leave me concerned deeply. To follow through with the changes would under serve the children who have great potential in our schools. I fear removing the DOE peer review would hinder quality control and diminish program criteria.   In addition, I believe it would open “Pandora’s box” to have local programs criticized and questioned involving quality and content. To limit the steps taken to ensure a quality education would most assuredly have negative repercussions. Maintaining rigors in the curriculum as a means to appropriately challenge gifted students takes discipline and collaboration among state officials and peers. Effective change takes time and the 5-year plan with annual progress reports allows for short and long term goals. Also eliminating crucial components such as specific funding parameters for gifted education would lessen program credibility and potentially under serve the area of gifted education financially.