While I am thankful for the presence of a gifted program in each VA school district and the flexibility for each district to develop a Gifted & Talented (G&T) program that will best meet its learners' needs, I would love to see an increase in funding for Virginia's G&T programs. At the national level, it has been recommended to have at least one G&T teacher per 1,000 students (TOTAL, not just those identified for G&T services) in the district. Given our district's current enrollment, we have few than half the number of G&T teachers recommended. Each of our G&T teachers is responsible for serving multiple school buildings (services we provide include, but are not limited to: administering all evaluations and leading eligibility meetings, teaching classes for identified learners, and co-planning with/providing resources for general ed teachers). I believe that every student should be able to learn something every day. Investing in G&T programs (including increasing number of G&T staff) would yield more opportunities for all of our children to grow!