As the CEO of Virginia529, a former Board member of Junior Achievement of Central Virginia (JACV) and a Board member of the Virginia Council on Economic Education, as well as a former educator, I have seen the positive impacts flowing from knowledge of basic principles of economics and personal finance (EPF) and am so proud that Virginia was one of the first states to mandate a course in EPF for high school graduation.  That the teachers of those courses should have a demonstrable foundation in those principles seems intuitive to me - and the majority of teachers agree that they would benefit from professional development in EPF. I have had the honor for many years of working with Virginia educators and students through the partnerships Virginia529 has with VCEE and JACV.  Through those relationships, it is easy to see what a difference dedicated, trained and engaged teachers make in the lives of their students - and we are fortunate already to have many such teachers across the Commonwealth.  The Add-on Endorsement has been fully vetted and the proposal is reasonable and attainable for those interested.  The proposal has a grandfather provision for those already teaching, a two year transition period to provide time to obtain the necessary training, and a flexible requirement which relies on completion of either college level coursework in EPF OR non-college credit institutes in EPF like those already provided by VCEE.  I wholeheartedly support approving the add-on endorsement in EPF.