Please DO NOT accept this proposal. 

VA Department of Education needs to remain the overseer of educational services for our gifted students.  Many school divisions and school boards will be not be effective for our gifted children.  They are already being "left behind" as their numbers are not great .  There will be no accountability that our gifted children receive the services they deserve and currently receive so little funding.   As a parent of a gifted student I have advocated for years from elementary through high school for my child to recieve differentated teaching, thought provoking studies, instruction that demonstrates accelerated and advanced content within all programs and  classes.  Our school systems as a whole need to raise the educational bar for all students who have become stagnated within the classroom.  Each year we seem to make slight progerss.  I would hate to think where we would be without the Department of Education .  Our children are special needs too, and do not have Individual Education Plans to guarantee they receive the necessary and needed services.

Please do not pass this legislation.

Thank you.