[CrozetEagle] Urgent News from Virginia Association for the Gifted

Wed May 21 13:37:46 EDT 2008

Paula White, Gifted Education Teacher for CES needs to rebuild her contact list. If you would like to be on her parent news list please email her at pwhite at k12albemarle.org . Her original list had been deleted so all parents who are interested should email her.    

- At Risk -   
Gifted Education in Virginia    
You must act now to preserve Gifted Education in the Commonwealth of Virginia!   
Below are two proposed changes and how they will affect gifted students. 

We need your help! 

Sadly, the proposed new regulations governing programs for gifted students in Virginia move services for gifted learners backwards instead of forwards.  There are many concerns about the proposed changes, but there are two proposals that all Virginians must work toward changing if we are to support the needs of gifted learners within public education in the Commonwealth.   (1)    8VAC20-40-60. Local plans. The proposed revision states that the local plan will no longer be submitted to the Department of Education (DOE) for approval, and will instead be approved annually by the local school board. This change is detrimental for several reasons: 

a.  The only quality control and outside review of a division plan is through the approval process by the DOE. Without DOE approval, no central authority will be responsible to confirm that the plan is in compliance with regulations.   
 b.     Educators and community stakeholders invest significant time and effort to  create a 5-year plan and in the process seek peer review from other gifted education colleagues. To shift this process to the local level will eliminate the productive insights that emerge from this peer review. 
c.  It is not productive to develop a plan on an annual basis. The local advisory committee is given the responsibility to review annually the local plan to determine effectiveness and submit recommendations in writing to the superintendent and school board.   

d.      As a whole, school board members are not considered experts in the field of  gifted education and will not be able to provide feedback for gifted program  plans. 

(2)    8VAC20-40-70. The repeal of the funding language which previously stated, "State funds administered by the Department of Education for the education of gifted students shall be used to support only those activities identified in the school division's plan as approved by the Board of Education" is seriously problematic. 
a.    Currently, Standards of Quality (SOQ) Basic Aid Funding for gifted education supports the state share of one full-time equivalent instructional position (FTE) per 1,000 students in adjusted average daily membership (ADM) of a school division.   
b.       What happens to the funds that were intended for gifted program services? 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. 
  Please let your voice be heard and request the following:   (1)    Each local school division shall submit to the Department of Education for approval a plan, developed on a 5-year basis, for the education of gifted students to ensure that the regulations are being followed. 
(2)    State funds administered by the DOE for the education of gifted students shall be used only to support those activities identified in the school division's plan as approved by the Board of Education (BOE). After reading the proposed changes to the Regulations, www.vagifted.org <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017FOUvSwZGxmIigP9yhv8NiQ2CrhoKs7zocwISi41IpV7v3V61ncv_aYVA9XLpLtXnKRUHWrdgL0cR5Oo1eV-pbZgvZJf4RLajU9WfnsZJjyvqjm_7FSugA==> , please post your concerns and comments on the Town Hall website, http://townhall.virginia.gov/ <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017FOUvSwZGxkdl0goUBWRWS0GavTl2aGY74t_7cAjv2omhfngRIT3tjJk9WbOxr0lv9-TaFLavTnIReXo-d9pVoK4YrU8-hPiFFR3q2ldgg-IbgULTf8jUA==> . The public comment period is scheduled to open on June 9, 2008 and close on August 8, 2008.   Send a copy of your concerns and requests to:               Dr. Mark Emblidge President, Board of Education 413 Stuart Circle, Suite 130 Richmond, VA 23220             Dr. Billy Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent of Public Instruction Virginia Department of Education P. O. Box 2120 Richmond, VA 23218-2120   Donna Poland, Specialist, Governor's School and Gifted Education,             donna.poland at doe.virginia.gov <mailto:donna.poland at doe.virginia.gov> .   
You may also want to contact other state board of education members -             http://www.doe.virginia.gov/boe/members/index.shtml <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017FOUvSwZGxlxteTy2aFdig3tk31-pQU-YzaZhhGbWmY721iTBEFc5Zowl8TDV02K7lFG_LMBW7pAy0Ste2jAuwSQdIh9hvIOMGx--ymC792QqXlKWGGm9rD3gSPC-srwH4Njn0SnAwbFjZwSico_IkN5X1QFHBmI> . 

Check the VAG website for updates: www.vagifted.org <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017FOUvSwZGxmIigP9yhv8NiQ2CrhoKs7zocwISi41IpV7v3V61ncv_aYVA9XLpLtXnKRUHWrdgL0cR5Oo1eV-pbZgvZJf4RLajU9WfnsZJjyvqjm_7FSugA==> - click on legislation for additional information about the revision of the regulations.   Forward this email to others who may want to help ensure that the future of gifted education in Virginia will move forward.    

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Virginia Association for the Gifted | P. O. Box 26212 | Richmond | VA | 23260 

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