To Whom It May Concern, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on HB 1034. As a public high school school teacher and parent of two young children (ages 5 and 2) in Virginia, I have serious concerns that this bill will wind up doing more harm than good for the children of our state. I have worked in two different public school systems in Virginia over 13 years, and I have seen first hand how beneficial counseling services can be to a wide variety of students. If parents are allowed to prohibit their students from accessing counseling services in the school, these students may be cut off from not only critical mental health support, but but also the academic, career, and community support that school counselors and mental health team members provide. All members of a school mental health team must undergo rigorous education before obtaining their licenses, and as such they should be trusted as the professionals they are to provide only services that they deem necessary for students well-being. I strongly urge you to let the trained mental health professionals do their jobs. Don't make students get tied in the mire of adult squibbles. Thank you, Sara Watkins Mother Teacher Concerned Virginia Citizen

To Whom It May Concern, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on HB HB1032. As a public high school school teacher and parent of two young children (ages 5 and 2) in Virginia, I have serious concerns that this bill will wind up doing more harm than good for the children of our state. As VA Senator Peterson said on January 27 of this year, regarding a similar bill, "I don't think we should be involved in micromanaging school libraries...The problem is that you’re going to sweep up books that you don’t intend to sweep up" (Matthew Barakat, abcnews.go.com). I strongly urge you to leave the books in the libraries for the kids. They deserve to have the opportunity to decide with their own parents and personal support systems what books to read. Thank you, Sara Watkins Mother Teacher Concerned Virginia Citizen

Your bills regarding vouchers, and savings accounts are going to cost the public school system exponentially. Not only is this unethical, it is against what the Governor ran on (promises of NOT depleting public school spending). Our public schools are struggling to maintain staff and work under extraordinary circumstances, with these bills you are undermining what the public school system stands on. With students already struggling and facing deficits this would be catastrophic. Please DO NOT approve vouches.

As has always been the case, if a parent doesn’t like something about public school, whether it be closure due to pandemic (and virtual option) that parent has the right to find a private school of choice and pay for that. This has never changed and should remain the case. Taking monies from public school only deteriorates schooling for those kids continuing there.

I am a resident and a teacher in Loudoun County, and I feel strongly that we need to keep masks in place in order to keep in-person instruction. My second graders have done a great job with masking, and in fact, don't even realize they have one on in most cases. I am lucky that the majority of my parents recognize the need to keep these masks in place while Covid is still at unacceptably high numbers. I also feel that our local School Board is in the best position to judge what is needed in our County, and that decisions like these are best left to the Counties, and not to the state. There are a minority of loud voices in Loudoun that would have everyone believe that they represent the parents. This is simply not the case. Loudoun has over 85,000 students, and there are less than 200 who are refusing to wear masks. This group is now trying to get a reward (private school voucher) for disregarding the law in Virginia. Some would question if this was the goal all along? Certainly, Governor Youngkin has been a huge proponent of vouchers, and implementing his Executive Order on masking has brought this issue to a head. Simply put, private vouchers will decimate public education. Even with vouchers, lower income students will not be able to afford this option, and only the upper middle class and the wealthy will be able to take advantage of it. Meanwhile, those funds will be taken from public education. This is not an equitable solution. Parents absolutely should have the right to send their kids to private school - but not at the expense of those less fortunate. Please do not reward those who are disregarding public health and breaking the law, to be monetarily rewarded. Thank you!

The Conservative Teenagers of Virginia strongly support HB201. If a student isn’t being served by the public education system, then we need to make sure that they have the choice to attend schools that do provide us with a real education.

Education vouchers are desperately needed in Virginia. We should not be punishing parents who wish to educate their children outside the public school system. Currently, Virginia is withholding state tax funds for purchasing curriculum to homeschooling children or for enrolling them in private schools. The public school system has been overrun with social justice warriors and liberal indoctrination instructors. Parents who do not want their children groomed to be the next generation of freedom-hating socialist-worshiping liberal mouthpieces have the right to be monetarily compensated. If the public school system insists on supplementing educational curriculum with social emotional learning and critical race theory, making children feel ashamed for the color of their skin or where their ancestors came from, the state has a moral obligation to provide vouchers and funding to parents who are against this type of abuse.

I respectfully ask that you support HB649. This legislation is vital to changing the devastating statistics regarding language deprivation among d/Deaf, DeafBlind and hard-of-hearing children. Having access to language, ensuring resources are provided for parents and tracking their language acquisition to measure their language acquisition from ages 0-5 against that of their hearing peers are all key components for kindergarten readiness and towards a happy, productive future. Thank you for you support and voting YES for HB649.

I am writing to urge you to vote no on HB 201, HB 333, and HB 1024. These bills divert public money out of public schools and into charter and private schools. It is the state’s responsibility to ensure that our public schools are fully-funded. Please protect public school funding by voting no on these bills.

This bill appears to be using the pandemic to divert public schools funds into private schools. I strongly disagree with any diversion of public education funding to fund private schools.

Stop trying to divert public school funding to private schools! We have one of the best school systems in the country, but certain politicians will look for any excuse to use public money to fund private religious schools. Not only does that directly oppose the founders’ intention of separation of church and state, but private schools are relatively unaccountable and can discriminate against certain students based on many factors including religion, economic background, and English language ability. Public funds should pay only for schools that are open to all children and accountable to the general public. Parents are welcome to choose to send their children to private religious schools, but that should not be subsidized by taxpayers.

I am a student at a Virginia Middle school and I support public schools and don't think you should take money away from them. It was hard to have virtual learning, but my teachers were great and I know we won't go back to virtual unless it is absoltely necessary. You should not use the pandemic as an excuse to take away money from my school.

Stop the assault on public schools! Stop trying to divert funds away from public education. Stop trying to crush morale in public education. Stop hurting trans children in public education. Stop failing students by teaching them a whitewashed version of the past. Stop using child-on-child rape as a tool for political gain. Stop banning books. Stop legislating curriculum, particularly events that never happened such as the Abe Lincoln-Frederick Douglass debates. We owe our children a fighting chance. We owe them a great education, which cannot happen without the truth being taught. Every child is better off when every child is set up for success.

I object in the strongest possible terms to not only the specific wording of this bill but also its spirit. Opening the door to vouchers in this way will beggar our public school systems, rendering them unable to provide services for those students most in need, particularly those students who are not required by law to be accepted into private or charter schools (or to receive appropriate education if accepted).

It is absolutely disgusting that politicians are using the pandemic as an excuse to try to get voucher programs passed. Local schools are doing the best that they can to educate all students. These attacks on the school for political gain are dispicable. We see them for exactly what they are.

Please move to report HB201, HB333, HB649, HB873, HB1024.

These bills are OPPOSED by the Virginia Education Association and myself, a public school teacher in Fairfax County.

I categorically reject the use of vouchers to suck the money out of public education and the schools we care so much about. My children are as different as they can be: one has been in AAP and advanced classes while the other is bright but has learning challenges and therefore has an IEP. Neither would be better educated at a private school. Private schools do not need to provide education to all who wish to enter, nor do they have to provide: special education services, transportation, mental health services, speech therapy, extracurricular activities (band, football, science olympiad, etc.) and so many other services provide by all public schools to all children who need it. Vouchers will gut these programs and gut the local elementary schools and their pyramids. Teachers are not required to be certified and private schools can discriminate based on so many factors including economic, gender, gender identity, sexuality, and religion. Speaking of discrimination, sucking money out of public schools and sending it to private schools is exactly what was done during Massive Resistance where rather than educate in unified integrated schools, white only schools were created with public money. We cannot go back. We should move forward to continue to work to make our schools the best places for our students to learn and our teachers to teach. We are Virginia. Businesses move here for our amazing public schools.

I oppose HB201 and any other bill that would send public money to private schools. We saw this same bill last year, and I am hopeful we can reject it on the spot in the subcommittee just like we did in 2021. There are more pressing matters related to education that deserve to be addressed by this session of the General Assembly.

Greetings legislators, I categorically oppose HB201 and any bill that is pushing vouchers. We should be pushing to fund all school in all communities to ensure equitable opportunities for all students. Students should be able to attend their neighborhood/community school and their parents/guardians/family adults should expect the same quality public education and public services across their school district or county. Championing vouchers is a way to create enrollment and staffing problems already exacerbated by the pandemic. Vouchers are a way to siphon money from our public schools and to charters and private schools. Virginia is already 4th in the nation for public education. Privatization efforts will run us into the ground and hurt public education which will ultimately hurt our students and their families futures. Please oppose this bill. Thank you for taking the time to read my comment.

I oppose HB201. School/education vouchers play a vital role in Virginia's sordid history of segregation and Massive Resistance. They were introduced after Brown V Board of Education passed so that white families had an option to keep their children from integrating with black children. Legislators needs to be doing everything they can to bridge the divide between the races, not create a wider.

Please pass HB217. Moe can be done to encourage and educate students about opportunities in STEM-C fields and to make sure that educational opportunities in our schools are adequately supporting students pursuing these goals. Identifying the full range of employment opportunities in these areas and the education needed to succeed in them can only be a benefit. Please pass HB221. Please oppose HB344. The establishment of charter schools should remain with local school boards who are accountable to their constituents. Members of the State Board of Education are appointed and consequently are accountable only to those who appointed them. Also, this bill provides that there is no longer the opportunity to revisit the decisions of this State or local boards in granting or continuing such charter. The public should not lose a mechanism of redress already in place. Please oppose HB346. The establishment of charter schools should remain with local school boards who are accountable to their constituents. Extending the establishment of charter and lab schools to private institutions of higher ed and private businesses further removes the oversight of such schools to boards that have no accountability to the public that they serve. Please oppose HB356. The establishment of charter schools should remain with local school boards who are accountable to their constituents. Please oppose HB486. Governor's School admissions should not be constricted by an arbitrary quota of students from one district. Please oppose HB563. While assisting local districts in funding construction where school buildings are in disrepair is a desirable goal, the diversion of funds allocated for instruction should not be institutionalized as a regular mechanism to accomplish this. Please pass HB585. Standardized testing has become the tail that wags the dog in education. Increasing amounts of time are dedicated to teaching towards the test and administering tests to the detriment of education tailored to the needs of students and localities. Reducing such testing the minimum required for federal accountability would free time and resources to more fully meet the needs of students. Please oppose 789. Family life education should remain an opt out program instead of an opt in program. The latter puts an onerous burden on schools for the delivery of this important curriculum. Please oppose HB988. Transgender students deserve equal protection in schools across the Commonwealth. All school districts should maintain certain expectations in this regard. Please pass HB994 Please pass HB1005. This bill stipulates that teachers under continuing contract can resign within the school year but must do so providing 2 weeks of notice. Such a provision provides more time for local school districts to make arrangements for staffing adjustments. Please pass HB1023. Human trafficking is increasingly a problem in the Commonwealth and beyond. Our students should be alert to its threats and educated as to how to protect themselves from it. Please pass HB1026. With technology and the internet playing an increasing role in every aspect of our lives, expanding our understanding of this role and improving education surrounding it can only be a good thing. Please pass HB1299. Our students need as much information as possible about their opportunities after graduating from our public school system.

Please pass HB217. Moe can be done to encourage and educate students about opportunities in STEM-C fields and to make sure that educational opportunities in our schools are adequately supporting students pursuing these goals. Identifying the full range of employment opportunities in these areas and the education needed to succeed in them can only be a benefit. Please pass HB221. Please oppose HB344. The establishment of charter schools should remain with local school boards who are accountable to their constituents. Members of the State Board of Education are appointed and consequently are accountable only to those who appointed them. Also, this bill provides that there is no longer the opportunity to revisit the decisions of this State or local boards in granting or continuing such charter. The public should not lose a mechanism of redress already in place. Please oppose HB346. The establishment of charter schools should remain with local school boards who are accountable to their constituents. Extending the establishment of charter and lab schools to private institutions of higher ed and private businesses further removes the oversight of such schools to boards that have no accountability to the public that they serve. Please oppose HB356. The establishment of charter schools should remain with local school boards who are accountable to their constituents. Please oppose HB486. Governor's School admissions should not be constricted by an arbitrary quota of students from one district. Please oppose HB563. While assisting local districts in funding construction where school buildings are in disrepair is a desirable goal, the diversion of funds allocated for instruction should not be institutionalized as a regular mechanism to accomplish this. Please pass HB585. Standardized testing has become the tail that wags the dog in education. Increasing amounts of time are dedicated to teaching towards the test and administering tests to the detriment of education tailored to the needs of students and localities. Reducing such testing the minimum required for federal accountability would free time and resources to more fully meet the needs of students. Please oppose 789. Family life education should remain an opt out program instead of an opt in program. The latter puts an onerous burden on schools for the delivery of this important curriculum. Please oppose HB988. Transgender students deserve equal protection in schools across the Commonwealth. All school districts should maintain certain expectations in this regard. Please pass HB994 Please pass HB1005. This bill stipulates that teachers under continuing contract can resign within the school year but must do so providing 2 weeks of notice. Such a provision provides more time for local school districts to make arrangements for staffing adjustments. Please pass HB1023. Human trafficking is increasingly a problem in the Commonwealth and beyond. Our students should be alert to its threats and educated as to how to protect themselves from it. Please pass HB1026. With technology and the internet playing an increasing role in every aspect of our lives, expanding our understanding of this role and improving education surrounding it can only be a good thing. Please pass HB1299. Our students need as much information as possible about their opportunities after graduating from our public school system.

Please move to report HB344, HB346, HB356, HB789, HB1188, HB221, HB340, HB1125, HB1215, HB988, HB1023, HB1093. Please gently PBI HB486 so that academic merits ONLY decide who gets in.

Please move to report HB221, 340, 533, 873, 1032, 1100, 1125, 1347. Thank you.

Comments Document

As a computer programmer who graduated from a liberal arts college, at least in the younger grades it is not STEAM/STEM/computing that we need. Instead we need systematic instruction in history from the earliest primary grades (instead of the scattershot version we have now that goes over basically holidays only for kindergarten through second grade). We need structured literacy in the primary grades and beautiful literary in the upper elementary grades and beyond. We need the liberal arts as our guiding framework, not STEAM, industry, and computing. Even for students who will go on to applied careers and the trades, we need cultural literacy to be a coherent people. And even for students who will go on to computing, it's formal logic that gives the understanding needed for discrete math and boolean logic later. Rather than striking out widely after buzzwords, it's a classical liberal arts education that would best suit the Commonwealth's kids. Don't just take my word for it - please read the attached op-ed on the importance of liberal arts even in STEM fields.

Please vote no. Thank you.

Your bills regarding vouchers, and savings accounts are going to cost the public school system exponentially. Not only is this unethical, it is against what the Governor ran on (promises of NOT depleting public school spending). Our public schools are struggling to maintain staff and work under extraordinary circumstances, with these bills you are undermining what the public school system stands on. With students already struggling and facing deficits this would be catastrophic. Please DO NOT approve vouches.

As has always been the case, if a parent doesn’t like something about public school, whether it be closure due to pandemic (and virtual option) that parent has the right to find a private school of choice and pay for that. This has never changed and should remain the case. Taking monies from public school only deteriorates schooling for those kids continuing there.

Please oppose HB333. Local school boards are charged with the mission of delivering public education in their districts. Time and resources should not be spent administering savings plans for any purpose. Please pass HB649. The provisions of this bill would be real assets to students and families of the deaf and hard of hearing. Please oppose HB873. While improved school security is certainly a desirable goal, school districts should not be bound as to how best to achieve this in their districts. The disparity in funding across Virginia school districts means that many smaller, rural districts have severely limited funding sources and consequently should not be hampered with staffing micro-management that may not meet their needs. Further, other school districts may find that the presence of local law enforcement in their schools does more to create tension and erode trust than alternative security measures may depending on the dynamics within their population. Please oppose HB1024. The state and local school boards are in the business of providing a high quality education to ALL of its children. Neither the state nor local school boards should dilute funding from this mission by diverting tax resources toward the pursuit of private alternatives. If localities would not divert public safety funding to citizens who pursue private security services, why would they consider doing something similar for education? Please pass HB1179. Asian American, Pacific Islander, Latino, and Indigenous peoples are only marginally represented within social studies curricula. The establishment of an advisory committee to the executive branch in improving the representation of these populations can only be helpful in closing this gap.

Education vouchers are desperately needed in Virginia. We should not be punishing parents who wish to educate their children outside the public school system. Currently, Virginia is withholding state tax funds for purchasing curriculum to homeschooling children or for enrolling them in private schools. The public school system has been overrun with social justice warriors and liberal indoctrination instructors. Parents who do not want their children groomed to be the next generation of freedom-hating socialist-worshiping liberal mouthpieces have the right to be monetarily compensated. If the public school system insists on supplementing educational curriculum with social emotional learning and critical race theory, making children feel ashamed for the color of their skin or where their ancestors came from, the state has a moral obligation to provide vouchers and funding to parents who are against this type of abuse.

I respectfully ask that you support HB649. This legislation is vital to changing the devastating statistics regarding language deprivation among d/Deaf, DeafBlind and hard-of-hearing children. Having access to language, ensuring resources are provided for parents and tracking their language acquisition to measure their language acquisition from ages 0-5 against that of their hearing peers are all key components for kindergarten readiness and towards a happy, productive future. Thank you for you support and voting YES for HB649.

I am writing to urge you to vote no on HB 201, HB 333, and HB 1024. These bills divert public money out of public schools and into charter and private schools. It is the state’s responsibility to ensure that our public schools are fully-funded. Please protect public school funding by voting no on these bills.

I strongly disagree with diverting government funds into private schools.

Stop trying to divert public school funding to private schools! We have one of the best school systems in the country, but certain politicians will look for any excuse to use public money to fund private religious schools. Not only does that directly oppose the founders’ intention of separation of church and state, but private schools are relatively unaccountable and can discriminate against certain students based on many factors including religion, economic background, and English language ability. Public funds should pay only for schools that are open to all children and accountable to the general public. Parents are welcome to choose to send their children to private religious schools, but that should not be subsidized by taxpayers.

Stop the assault on public schools! Stop trying to divert funds away from public education. Stop trying to crush morale in public education. Stop hurting trans children in public education. Stop failing students by teaching them a whitewashed version of the past. Stop using child-on-child rape as a tool for political gain. Stop banning books. Stop legislating curriculum, particularly events that never happened such as the Abe Lincoln-Frederick Douglass debates. We owe our children a fighting chance. We owe them a great education, which cannot happen without the truth being taught. Every child is better off when every child is set up for success.

Another attempt to take government funds away from public schooling and funnel them to religious and private schools. Government does not exist for the rich to steal from the poor. Just stop. Our public schools are our best investment in building adults who can contribute meaningfully to society. We need to fund our public schools and work to make them better, not funnel funding away to the rich.

I oppose the following bills : 346, 344, 356, 784, 788, 1024, 1025, 982. The Virginia Constitution provides for state funding and state support for public schools. Any state monies, tax credits, scholarships that go to private schools, lab schools, charter schools are taking away from the State’s duty to fund public education. We have never been able to fully meet the need for funds for public school renovation, a desperate need in many school districts. Now is the wrong time to take on state funding of private education.

Please move to report HB201, HB333, HB649, HB873, HB1024.

Home School Legal Defense Association opposes HB 333 because it will authorize government money to flow to home school families. Where government money goes, government control will eventually follow. This bill is a long-term threat to the continued freedom to homeschool. A similar bill is pending in another state, and the state's superintendent of public instruction said: "If we start giving homeschoolers state money, there’s got to be state accountability.” Source: https://www.alreporter.com/2022/02/03/parents-choice-bill-passes-committee-over-concerns-from-critics/

I am a wife, mother, educator and resident of the city of Suffolk and I oppose these bills (including HB788, which was not on the list) because k-12 vouchers do not improve student outcomes. They take much needed money from public education. Virginia needs to put more money into public education, not less. We are current ranked 41st for per student spending. Our teacher salaries are nowhere near where they should be and we are currently suffering from a teacher shortage. There are numerous studies (Brookings Institute, National Bureau of Economic Research, University of Virginia) that show vouchers do not improve student outcomes. Investing in public schools improves outcomes, graduation and post secondary enrollment. Vote no on these bills. Thank you. Mrs. D. Waddell

I oppose HB8. It appears to be another effort to introduced "armed mentors" into our public schools. This is a terrible idea. Many children are frightened of guns and don't feel safe when they are around. Virginia's schools don't need to be made into a police state.

I oppose HB356 because it would divert resources from our existing public schools, including teachers and funds that would be needed for additional administration, building maintenance, transportation and educational supplies. Funding quality public schools is necessary for the future of our students and for the economy of the state of Virginia.

HB 1024... OPPOSE... Diverts public funds to private entities ... sounds like vouchers/tax shelter HB 344/356 OPPOSE... Local School Boards already have the authority to review applications for charters, etc.. once again looks like a method of diverting public funds to private entities .. Virginia underfunds it public schools as it is. We need to keep the public funds where it would do the most good and if the Va. Leg had not tied the hands of public education with all the SOQ/SOL requirements and was able to allow the educators more flexibility to implement programs tailored to the needs of their district more freely and would FUND these public programs things would be even better. I noted that all the Ed representatives opposed this at committee hearing. Who is going pay for that regional board mentioned in 356?? that will just siphon more public money for another layer of admin. HB346. I noted in the committee meeting that only the colleges who already have the capability to create lab schools now spoke FOR this bill because it would bring more of the public k-12 funds to their doorstep. Opens door for corporate/for profits to operate as well.

To Whom It May Concern, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on HB 1034. As a public high school school teacher and parent of two young children (ages 5 and 2) in Virginia, I have serious concerns that this bill will wind up doing more harm than good for the children of our state. I have worked in two different public school systems in Virginia over 13 years, and I have seen first hand how beneficial counseling services can be to a wide variety of students. If parents are allowed to prohibit their students from accessing counseling services in the school, these students may be cut off from not only critical mental health support, but but also the academic, career, and community support that school counselors and mental health team members provide. All members of a school mental health team must undergo rigorous education before obtaining their licenses, and as such they should be trusted as the professionals they are to provide only services that they deem necessary for students well-being. I strongly urge you to let the trained mental health professionals do their jobs. Don't make students get tied in the mire of adult squibbles. Thank you, Sara Watkins Mother Teacher Concerned Virginia Citizen

To Whom It May Concern, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on HB HB1032. As a public high school school teacher and parent of two young children (ages 5 and 2) in Virginia, I have serious concerns that this bill will wind up doing more harm than good for the children of our state. As VA Senator Peterson said on January 27 of this year, regarding a similar bill, "I don't think we should be involved in micromanaging school libraries...The problem is that you’re going to sweep up books that you don’t intend to sweep up" (Matthew Barakat, abcnews.go.com). I strongly urge you to leave the books in the libraries for the kids. They deserve to have the opportunity to decide with their own parents and personal support systems what books to read. Thank you, Sara Watkins Mother Teacher Concerned Virginia Citizen

I OPPOSE HB346 because I think local school boards are best positioned to determine what students need. This legislation would set up schools that are outside of the local school board purview and outside of accountability to local voters. Further, this bill would allow private institutions and businesses to establish schools.

Please oppose HB344 and HB356. Our public schools need attention and are the best places for our tax dollars. Charter schools will not lessen the financial burden of education and would compete with funding for existing public schools. Another level of administration, teachers, libraries, and food services, for example, would have a significant impact on funding our public schools. The public schools are still not funded at the 2008 level when funds were diverted due to the recession. Public schools first and foremost.

Dear Members of the Education Committee, I respectfully wish to oppose HR356. I am a retired Virginia K12 teacher and I have seen first hand what lack of funding and support for our public schools has done to the quality of education and the morale of both students and staff. The schools I served and loved have never recovered from the decrease in funding that began in 2008 and has continued on into the present. Please do not destroy or dilute our public schools effectiveness by further taking needed funding away and giving it to duplicate and divisive systems. I support all available funding be used to renew America's public school system.

Dear Members of the Education Committee, I respectfully wish to oppose HR356. I am a retired Virginia K12 teacher and I have seen first hand what lack of funding and support for our public schools has done to the quality of education and the morale of both students and staff. The schools I served and loved have never recovered from the decrease in funding that began in 2008 and has continued on into the present. Please do not destroy or dilute our public schools effectiveness by further taking needed funding away and giving it to a duplicate and divisive system. I support all available funding be used to renew America's public school system.

HB 356 "Public schools; regional charter school divisions" creates a complicated, additional, expensive layer of bureaucracy, apparently just to thwart oversight by local elected school boards and the voters that elected them. Instead of wasting my tax dollars on this scheme, put the money into our public schools. Funding cuts over a decade ago have not been fully restored. That's where our tax dollars should be going, not diverted to schools where taxpayers have no voice. My taxes educate other people's children and I'm fine with that as long as I have a vote on electing the governing school board and the opportunity to speak at that board's public meetings. HB356 takes away my voice as a voter and taxpayer. Please do not pass HB356.

Please oppose all bills which give taxpayer money to charter schools or university lab schools. These schools are not accountable to local parents or voters, and their support takes money away from public schools, which are essential to our democracy.

HB344 (Davis) Public charter schools; applications; review and approval and HB356 (Tata) Authorizes the Board of Education to establish regional charter school divisions Our current schools should be our priority. The charter schools would compete with our public schools for our current tight and limited resources. Another level of administration at a regional level would have a major fiscal impact. Significant personnel for administration, teachers, maintenance, health, safety, and food services would be required even if it is a school with a smaller number of students. It is already difficult to staff our public schools. Funds would be needed for transportation, libraries and books. These standard educational supplies, alone, carry high costs. Our public schools are still not funded at the 2008 level when funds were diverted due to the recession. HB346 (Davis) College partnership laboratory schools; application and establishment Local school boards are best positioned to determine what their students need. The proposed legislation would set up schools that are outside of the local school board purview and therefore outside of accountability to local parents and voters. The bill would allow private institutions and businesses to establish schools.

We need to prioritize energies and money for our current schools and their students. Our public schools are still not funded at the 2008 levels when funds were diverted due to the recession. Charter schools will compete for these limited funds: additional teachers, administrators, educational supplies, maintenance and health, safety and food services. Charter schools do not equitably serve the needs of all students. I oppose any legislation supporting charter schools.

Hello esteemed committee members, I am a parent of a current Chesterfield County Public school child as well as a 2019 graduate of CCPS schools. I am a STRONG supporter of public schools. I oppose any proposed bills, including HB344, HB346, and HB356, that take away control from locally elected school boards and give it to privately operated boards that have the real potential for cronyism, grift, corruption, and fraud. Charter schools also siphon taxpayer money from Virginia's already severely underfunded public schools and fling open doors to businesses/people that profit off of public education. Virginia's current College partnership laboratory schools are public, nonsectarian, nonreligious schools established by a public or private institutions of higher education that operate a teacher education program approved by the Board of Education. The language in HB 346 would allow ANY public or private institution of higher ed OR private business to apply to the BOE to establish a college partnership laboratory school. This would open doors for for-profit schools like EPI, religious schools like Regent, or businesses like Amazon or McDonalds to establish teacher training programs. This is another attempt at education privatization. Please keep in mind that Virginia is currently ranked 4th by Wallet Hub for best schools in the US. This is WITHOUT a proliferation of charter schools and attained during the Covid-19 pandemic. Why do we need charter schools? Who REALLY wants them? https://wallethub.com/edu/e/states-with-the-best-schools/5335 Public education is the foundation of a democratic society. It is open to all students, regardless of color, disability, income level, religious belief (or lack of one), gender identity, or national origin. Please say no to HB 344, HB346, and HB356. Thank you.

I oppose HB1024, HB344, HB356, and HB346. These bills divert funds from public schools, reduce transparency with respect to public interest in the education of its citizens, remove/reduce influence of local school boards, potentially introduce religious bias into instruction, and/or disproportionally benefit the wealthy. We need to invest in our public education system and encourage parents to participate in public education. We do not need to divert funds to private schools from an already underfunded public education system or reduce the tax base for public schools. Our society requires a quality education system for all of its citizens for its continued growth and stability. The public has as much interest in the education of children as parents. Focus on funding and promoting public education not trying to fund private and particularly, private for-profit schools, which are NOT in the best interests of the public.

OPPOSE HB356 Charter schools would compete with our public schools for limited resources and personnel at a time when public schools are struggling. The General Assembly does not fund the SOQ, and our public schools are still not funded at the 2008 level when funds were diverted due to the recession.

I am opposed to the bill and other bills that establish or support public charter schools. They decrease funds available for existing public schools.

I oppose HB344, HB346 and HB356. Our current schools should be our priority. The charter schools would compete with our public schools for our current tight and limited resources. Another level of administration at a regional level would have a major fiscal impact. Significant personnel for administration, teachers, maintenance, health, safety, and food services would be required even if it is a school with a smaller number of students. It is already difficult to staff our public schools. Funds would be needed for transportation, libraries and books. These standard educational supplies, alone, carry high costs. Our public schools are still not funded at the 2008 level when funds were diverted due to the recession.

Please do not support house bills 1024, 344,346, or 356. These bills divert resources from public schools. There is not interest in charter schools in Virginia, creating new schools is highly inefficient especially when there is a shortage of teachers and staff.

Oppose HB344 and HB356 Current schools should be the priority.

HB356 - Our public schools should remain under local control as stated in the Virginia Constitution. This needs to be our priority. Establishing charter schools in a process outside of a local school board is not a solution to improve education. School divisions need more funding - not less funding. Creating charter schools outside of oversight of local school boards reduces funding for public schools and does not ensure equal access for all students.

Good morning, esteemed members of Virginia's House of Delegates, I’m a parent who lives several hours away from Richmond and DC and I believe it’s imperative that local control in education decision making should remain just that; local. I currently have easy access to the locally elected, public school leaders and school system administrators in my county and am able to see their budgets, provide input on income and expenditures, and ensure our tax dollars are being spent wisely. Please don’t remove citizens’ rights to do this by opening the flood gates to charter school operators, outsiders who aren’t invested in our communities. I’ve chronicled the problems other states have with their charter schools since 2015. Each day in the headlines I see fraud, waste, embezzlement, and mismanagement of funds by charter school operators in those states. We don’t need those problems for Virginia. Charter schools often use selective enrollment tactics, can’t accommodate children with special needs, and don’t provide transportation and meals. These would be very big issues for countless students and their families here in SW Virginia. If communities would like to open charter schools, they may do so now under Virginia’s Constitution, and that’s the way it should remain. Virginia’s public schools are ranked 4th in the nation. They’re valuable, not because they’re money-makers, but because they’re responsible citizen makers. Please don’t undermine them and further under-fund them through unwise charter school legislation. Instead, please better support our neighborhood public schools through full and fair funding. Please look at the Community Schools model as a way to provide services for children in need of supports that will help them succeed in the classroom. Sincerely, Laura Bowman

Respected Committee Members, The push to create charters in Virginia via a variety of methods in HB346, HB356, and HB344 is a deeply flawed idea. Across Virginia we have over 44 International Baccaulareate schools which are the most respected advanced acacemic program in the world. Those districts are all across the Commonwealth, including 2 in Virginia Beach, Danville, York, Hanover, and Fauquier. Most students can access Dual Enrollment classes in virtually any subject at our community colleges while still in high school, and over 640K students have accessed a range of career courses over 17 career categories that encompass many fields. CNBC ranked Virginia 1st in the nation on 85 different metrics aross 10 categories. We have school choice built into our system. To disrupt the system by siphoning money and resources to privately managed or regional schools that many students cannot reach will negatively disrupt what is already highly successful and more readily available buffet of choices. Please vote no on HB346, HB356, and HB344. Thank you.

We oppose the above listed bills

Please pass HB217. Moe can be done to encourage and educate students about opportunities in STEM-C fields and to make sure that educational opportunities in our schools are adequately supporting students pursuing these goals. Identifying the full range of employment opportunities in these areas and the education needed to succeed in them can only be a benefit. Please pass HB221. Please oppose HB344. The establishment of charter schools should remain with local school boards who are accountable to their constituents. Members of the State Board of Education are appointed and consequently are accountable only to those who appointed them. Also, this bill provides that there is no longer the opportunity to revisit the decisions of this State or local boards in granting or continuing such charter. The public should not lose a mechanism of redress already in place. Please oppose HB346. The establishment of charter schools should remain with local school boards who are accountable to their constituents. Extending the establishment of charter and lab schools to private institutions of higher ed and private businesses further removes the oversight of such schools to boards that have no accountability to the public that they serve. Please oppose HB356. The establishment of charter schools should remain with local school boards who are accountable to their constituents. Please oppose HB486. Governor's School admissions should not be constricted by an arbitrary quota of students from one district. Please oppose HB563. While assisting local districts in funding construction where school buildings are in disrepair is a desirable goal, the diversion of funds allocated for instruction should not be institutionalized as a regular mechanism to accomplish this. Please pass HB585. Standardized testing has become the tail that wags the dog in education. Increasing amounts of time are dedicated to teaching towards the test and administering tests to the detriment of education tailored to the needs of students and localities. Reducing such testing the minimum required for federal accountability would free time and resources to more fully meet the needs of students. Please oppose 789. Family life education should remain an opt out program instead of an opt in program. The latter puts an onerous burden on schools for the delivery of this important curriculum. Please oppose HB988. Transgender students deserve equal protection in schools across the Commonwealth. All school districts should maintain certain expectations in this regard. Please pass HB994 Please pass HB1005. This bill stipulates that teachers under continuing contract can resign within the school year but must do so providing 2 weeks of notice. Such a provision provides more time for local school districts to make arrangements for staffing adjustments. Please pass HB1023. Human trafficking is increasingly a problem in the Commonwealth and beyond. Our students should be alert to its threats and educated as to how to protect themselves from it. Please pass HB1026. With technology and the internet playing an increasing role in every aspect of our lives, expanding our understanding of this role and improving education surrounding it can only be a good thing. Please pass HB1299. Our students need as much information as possible about their opportunities after graduating from our public school system.

Our current schools should be our priority. The charter schools would compete with our public schools for our current tight and limited resources. Another level of administration at a regional level would have a major fiscal impact. Significant personnel for administration, teachers, maintenance, health, safety, and food services would be required even if it is a school with a smaller number of students. It is already difficult to staff our public schools. Funds would be needed for transportation, libraries and books. These standard educational supplies, alone, carry high costs. Our public schools are still not funded at the 2008 level when funds were diverted due to the recession.

I am a public school teacher in Fairfax County and I am writing to urge you to vote no on HB 344, HB 346, and HB 356. These bills divert public money out of our existing public schools and into creating new charter and “laboratory” schools. It is the state’s responsibility to ensure that our public schools are fully-funded. Up until this point, the General Assembly has not even funded the Virginia Board of Education’s Standards of Quality for minimum staffing standards in our public schools (relatedly, I ask that you please vote in favor of HB1135/SB490 so that we can finally fund these minimum recommended staffing standards). The argument in past years has been that fully funding our public schools would be too costly, and yet there are over a dozen bills this session seeking to further deplete state public school funding to divert into private and charter schools. Please protect public school funding by voting no on these bills.

My name is Dr. Rachel Levy and I live in Ashland, Virginia (23005), in the 55th House of Delegates District and the 9th State Senate District. I am a mother of three--I have one child in Hanover County Public Schools as well as two who are just graduated in 2021. I am also a teacher who has a PhD in Educational Leadership & Policy from VCU. I was a candidate for the 55th District seat in 2021. I oppose HB344, HB346, and HB356 because I support our public schools, because they are impractical and unnecessary, and because this legislation would disenfranchise local communities. We already have good laws that allow establishing charter and lab schools, in ways that preserve local democratic control and don’t rob funding from our public school students. All of these bills would strip power away from our locally elected school boards and hand it over to un-elected regional boards stocked with gubernatorial appointees. These regional charter school boards could override our locally elected school boards and their constituents (us!), duplicating services and forcing taxpayers to fund schools run by national and global for-profit companies that are focused on profits, not education. Allowing these companies to force their schools on us would be harmful across our Commonwealth, especially in rural areas such as where I live. Our public schools are beloved shared public and community institutions. Even if we don’t agree on what should be taught or on masking policies, we can all agree that the parents and citizens who fund our public schools should get to determine how they’re run and by whom. We want fully funded public schools, fairly compensated teachers and staff, and modernized school buildings. Corporate charter schools would drain the resources needed to achieve these goals. Many public school teachers and staff are of their communities, especially in rural areas, with deep knowledge and relationships. Outside charter school operators will bring in non-professional teaching staff and a “we know better” attitude. They pay reduced wages, salaries, and benefits. I hope you will join me in opposing this legislation that will bypass local communities and defund our education-centered public schools.

I am against these three bills and against any tax payer funds going to anything other than our public schools that are already underfunded in some areas of the Commonwealth. Our public schools are still not funded at the 2008 level when funds were diverted due to the recession. If parents want to send their children to private, religious, or charter schools, fine, but at their own expense. Our public schools offer extremely good educations in Virginia and we should be supporting our educators and facilities with our tax dollars. We do not need another level of administration at a regional level to run a parallel set of schools, many that would have a small number of students.

I oppose HB344 & HB356 - please vote no for the following reasons: Our current schools should be our priority. The charter schools would compete with our public schools for our current tight and limited resources. Another level of administration at a regional level would have a major fiscal impact. Significant personnel for administration, teachers, maintenance, health, safety, and food services would be required even if it is a school with a smaller number of students. It is already difficult to staff our public schools. Funds would be needed for transportation, libraries and books. These standard educational supplies, alone, carry high costs. Our public schools are still not funded at the 2008 level when funds were diverted due to the recession.

Our current schools should be our priority. The charter schools would compete with our public schools for our current tight and limited resources. Another level of administration at a regional level would have a major fiscal impact. Significant personnel for administration, teachers, maintenance, health, safety, and food services would be required even if it is a school with a smaller number of students. It is already difficult to staff our public schools. Funds would be needed for transportation, libraries and books. These standard educational supplies, alone, carry high costs. Our public schools are still not funded at the 2008 level when funds were diverted due to the recession.

I am writing in opposition to HB344, HB346, HB356. HB344 - It shows the complete dishonesty of the argument, that you want local governing bodies to have expanded rights, except where it serves your purpose. HB346 - Local school boards are best positioned to determine what their students need. The proposed legislation would set up schools that are outside of the local school board purview and therefore outside of accountability to local parents and voters. The bill would allow private institutions and businesses to establish schools. HB356 - Our current schools should be our priority. The charter schools would compete with our public schools for our current tight and limited resources. Another level of administration at a regional level would have a major fiscal impact. Significant personnel for administration, teachers, maintenance, health, safety, and food services would be required even if it is a school with a smaller number of students. It is already difficult to staff our public schools. Funds would be needed for transportation, libraries, and books. These standard educational supplies, alone, carry high costs. Our public schools are still not funded at the 2008 level when funds were diverted due to the recession.

I am writing to oppose any bill that would divert tax dollars from our public schools. Charter schools compete with our existing schools and reduce their ability to meet the needs of the students in their community. Our public schools are underfunded. We need to use our tax dollars to support our existing schools, to pay teachers a living wage, and to provide safe and up to date educational facilities. My sister has taught in Virginia's public schools for 35 years, and her salary is an insult to her professionalism and commitment to her students. Regional charter school divisions and laboratory schools would take control away from local school boards. Private institutions and businesses should not receive tax dollars for education. Thank you.

Please move to report HB344, HB346, HB356, HB789, HB1188, HB221, HB340, HB1125, HB1215, HB988, HB1023, HB1093. Please gently PBI HB486 so that academic merits ONLY decide who gets in.

Both I, an public school teacher in Fairfax County, and the Virginia Education Association oppose HB 344, 346, and 356. Programs that drain public school budgets, such as vouchers, are a very bad idea. These programs hurt kids, schools, and communities.

I am a public school teacher in Fairfax County and I urge you to vote no on HB 356. Public funding should go to supporting public schools and not charters that will only serve a small portion of students. I ask you to please vote against all the bills this session that seek to redirect funds from public schools to build additional charter schools in the commonwealth. Please vote no on this bill.

Please vote "No" on HB356. Increasing Charter Schools whether via a current local school division or expanding to a Regional Division would negatively impact our present schools. There would be competition for our current limited resources. Another level of Administration at a Regional level would have a major fiscal impact. Significant personnel for administration, teachers, maintenance, health care, safety, and food services even if it is a school with a small number of students. Transportation? Library? Books? Computers? Just standard supplies for education have high costs. Funds for those are already scarce today. How could we ADD schools, or even find adequate personnel today? Our current schools need priority. Please vote "No" on HB356.

Dear Education Committee Members: My name is Frank Morgan. I am a retired educator who spent 43 years working in public school districts in Virginia and South Carolina, including 16 years as a superintendent I have a fair amount of experience with charter schools. I was very involved in Albemarle County in the development of one of the first local charter school policies in Virginia around 2000 and in the establishment of one of the first charter schools in the state shortly thereafter. I also worked with a charter school in the district in South Carolina where I served as superintendent. That said, there is no research out there that indicates that charter schools are overall any more or less successful than regular public schools. There are good ones and not-so-good ones, just like with regular public schools. The front-page publicity on January 28 in The Richmond Times-Dispatch about Governor Youngkin’s charter school proposal requires, I believe, some cautionary caveats. Governor Youngkin asserts that his advocacy for charter schools is connected to increased ‘choice”. Consequently, any expansion of charter schools in Virginia must reflect legitimate and realistic “choice” for families. This means that charter schools must be subject to fully open or lottery-based enrollment and be required to serve economically disadvantaged, special needs, and non-English-speaking students. Publicly funded charter schools must also be required to provide no-cost transportation given that transportation is often a barrier to economically disadvantaged students attending “schools of choice”. In the absence of these requirements, charter schools will simply be “choice” for charter schools to cherry-pick the students they want and exclude the ones they don’t. I would hope this is not the vision involved. Further, charter schools must be subject to the same academic accountability and state testing requirements as regular public schools. Otherwise, how will measurable and valid comparisons be drawn? Parent satisfaction and teacher grades should not be the sole accountability barometers for charter schools unless regular public schools can also be judged solely by these measures. Finally, charter schools must be subject to the same due process requirements as regular public schools. Especially given that they would be publicly funded, charter schools must not be permitted to exclude a student because of low achievement or minor behavioral issues. Regular public schools can’t exclude students for these reasons. In addition, charter schools must be subject to the same stringent financial (auditing) oversight as regular public school divisions in Virginia. I googled “charter schools/financial mismanagement/scandal” and got almost 5 million hits, which clearly indicates the nationwide seriousness of this issue. Such oversight is particularly important if corporate interests become involved in managing charter schools. The private sector has some history of financial missteps when involved with charter schools. Thank you for the opportunity to provide this feedback. Dr, Frank E. Morgan 2002 Deep Ridge Court Henrico, VA 23233 (803) 572-2591

Both I (a public school teacher in Fairfax County) and the Virginia Education Association OPPOSE HB346 and HB356. VEA is against the creation of any type of charter schools. Charter schools are bad for students and community, because they are so unregulated, and they take needed dollars away from our public schools.

HB319 | Coyner | Virginia Literacy Act; early student literacy, evidence-based literacy instruction, etc.--YES! YES! YES! Long overdue! Thank you from a Teacher/Reading Interventionist! HB356 | Tata | Public schools; regional charter school divisions.--YES! YES! YES! Long overdue! Thank you from a teacher with experience in a magnet school in Texas and a charter school in Maryland!

Greetings legislators, I categorically oppose HB356 and any bill that is pushing vouchers, charters, and the privatization of our public schools. We should be pushing to fund all public schools (and public schools only) in all communities to ensure equitable opportunities for all students. Students should be able to attend their neighborhood/community school and their parents/guardians/family adults should expect the same quality public education and public services across their school district/county and throughout this great commonwealth. Championing vouchers is a way to create enrollment and staffing problems already exacerbated by the pandemic. Vouchers are a way to siphon money from our public schools and to charters and private schools. Virginia is already 4th in the nation for public education. Privatization efforts will run us into the ground and hurt public education which will ultimately hurt our students and their families futures. Look no further than the District of Columbia to see how charter schools have negatively impacted the public schools. I am afraid this will create a new Massive Resistance here in Virginia. This is just another way to segregate our schools. Please oppose this bill. Thank you for taking the time to read my comment.

I oppose HB8. It appears to be another effort to introduced "armed mentors" into our public schools. This is a terrible idea. Many children are frightened of guns and don't feel safe when they are around. Virginia's schools don't need to be made into a police state.

To Whom It May Concern, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on HB 1034. As a public high school school teacher and parent of two young children (ages 5 and 2) in Virginia, I have serious concerns that this bill will wind up doing more harm than good for the children of our state. I have worked in two different public school systems in Virginia over 13 years, and I have seen first hand how beneficial counseling services can be to a wide variety of students. If parents are allowed to prohibit their students from accessing counseling services in the school, these students may be cut off from not only critical mental health support, but but also the academic, career, and community support that school counselors and mental health team members provide. All members of a school mental health team must undergo rigorous education before obtaining their licenses, and as such they should be trusted as the professionals they are to provide only services that they deem necessary for students well-being. I strongly urge you to let the trained mental health professionals do their jobs. Don't make students get tied in the mire of adult squibbles. Thank you, Sara Watkins Mother Teacher Concerned Virginia Citizen

To Whom It May Concern, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on HB HB1032. As a public high school school teacher and parent of two young children (ages 5 and 2) in Virginia, I have serious concerns that this bill will wind up doing more harm than good for the children of our state. As VA Senator Peterson said on January 27 of this year, regarding a similar bill, "I don't think we should be involved in micromanaging school libraries...The problem is that you’re going to sweep up books that you don’t intend to sweep up" (Matthew Barakat, abcnews.go.com). I strongly urge you to leave the books in the libraries for the kids. They deserve to have the opportunity to decide with their own parents and personal support systems what books to read. Thank you, Sara Watkins Mother Teacher Concerned Virginia Citizen

Please pass HB217. Moe can be done to encourage and educate students about opportunities in STEM-C fields and to make sure that educational opportunities in our schools are adequately supporting students pursuing these goals. Identifying the full range of employment opportunities in these areas and the education needed to succeed in them can only be a benefit. Please pass HB221. Please oppose HB344. The establishment of charter schools should remain with local school boards who are accountable to their constituents. Members of the State Board of Education are appointed and consequently are accountable only to those who appointed them. Also, this bill provides that there is no longer the opportunity to revisit the decisions of this State or local boards in granting or continuing such charter. The public should not lose a mechanism of redress already in place. Please oppose HB346. The establishment of charter schools should remain with local school boards who are accountable to their constituents. Extending the establishment of charter and lab schools to private institutions of higher ed and private businesses further removes the oversight of such schools to boards that have no accountability to the public that they serve. Please oppose HB356. The establishment of charter schools should remain with local school boards who are accountable to their constituents. Please oppose HB486. Governor's School admissions should not be constricted by an arbitrary quota of students from one district. Please oppose HB563. While assisting local districts in funding construction where school buildings are in disrepair is a desirable goal, the diversion of funds allocated for instruction should not be institutionalized as a regular mechanism to accomplish this. Please pass HB585. Standardized testing has become the tail that wags the dog in education. Increasing amounts of time are dedicated to teaching towards the test and administering tests to the detriment of education tailored to the needs of students and localities. Reducing such testing the minimum required for federal accountability would free time and resources to more fully meet the needs of students. Please oppose 789. Family life education should remain an opt out program instead of an opt in program. The latter puts an onerous burden on schools for the delivery of this important curriculum. Please oppose HB988. Transgender students deserve equal protection in schools across the Commonwealth. All school districts should maintain certain expectations in this regard. Please pass HB994 Please pass HB1005. This bill stipulates that teachers under continuing contract can resign within the school year but must do so providing 2 weeks of notice. Such a provision provides more time for local school districts to make arrangements for staffing adjustments. Please pass HB1023. Human trafficking is increasingly a problem in the Commonwealth and beyond. Our students should be alert to its threats and educated as to how to protect themselves from it. Please pass HB1026. With technology and the internet playing an increasing role in every aspect of our lives, expanding our understanding of this role and improving education surrounding it can only be a good thing. Please pass HB1299. Our students need as much information as possible about their opportunities after graduating from our public school system.

Please seriously consider passing HB649 for the educational success of Deaf/Hard of Hearing children in our country. They deserve to have a foundation for language on which to build there education. As an interpreter in the public school system, I have seen too many students come through the system without visual language support which is readily understood by the Deaf. Many Deaf/Hard of Hearing are born to hearing families that do not sign. We need proper assessment for equity and equality purposes. Young people who are Deaf/hard of Hearing have much to contribute to their country.

Please vote support SB 265 and HB 649. Virginia's educational system is failing Deaf and Hard of Hearing and their families that choose to use visual communication in the form of American Sign Language. From VA DOE website: (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/disabilities/sensory_disabilities/hearing_impairment/guidelines_working_with_deaf.docx) Revised 2019 page 15, paragraph 5 . "Formal standardized measures of ASL proficiency normed on children who are deaf and hard of hearing currently are not available. " This is inaccurate, but accurate for Virginia. There ARE tools available. Our bill ensures they are used and appropriate intervention when delays identified. Listen to the people who have experienced language deprivation firsthand, not the so called school administrators and professionals who do not want to be held accountable for this failure. Nothing about us without us.

I support HB 649.

Please vote in support of HB649, which will ensure accessible communication for d/Deaf children in educational settings. Early exposure to sign language and learning concepts is key to cognitive development for deaf children.

Go for HB 649.

I am standing and support for HB 649. Don't give up.

HB649 would provide for the needed focus on language development of young children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The bill would also improve the resources needed by families of young children who are deaf. The Virginia Association of Centers for Independent Living asks that the Subcommittee support HB649.

I am speaking in favor of HB649, The Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids bill. I am the parent of a Deaf preschooler enrolled in Richmond City Public Schools and also a PhD Candidate at William and Mary where I study disability history. My daughter uses American Sign Language as well as Cochlear Implants, meaning she communicates in both sign language and spoken English. HB649 would ensure that all parents of Deaf children, whether they choose to use sign language, technology, or both, all have access to resources for understanding the linguistic development of our children. My daughter's teachers and doctors have no resources to point them toward where my daughter's sign language and spoken English should be at. They can assess her spoken language against the standard of a hearing child, but they can't measure her progress against her peers, and they have no metric for assessing her American Sign Language development. Also important to this bill is the annual report to be produced on language development in per-kindergarten Deaf children. The state must know whether its serving or failing these children. If children arrive in kindergarten without language skills, the damage has already been done. Tracking and publicly reporting on these developments is an essential mechanism for ensuring accountability of the education system, but also serves to help all parents of Deaf children understand how their child is developing. This bill affects a small part of the Commonwealth, but it affects us greatly, please pass HB649

Vote YES to HB649 - Signed and spoken languages are acquired by babies in the same way, on the same maturational timetable. A child will understand the power of non-verbal communication. Remember, American Sign Language is not just a language used by Deaf people; thousands of Americans use it to communicate (first responders, coaches, health professionals, neighbors, etc.).

Please oppose HB333. Local school boards are charged with the mission of delivering public education in their districts. Time and resources should not be spent administering savings plans for any purpose. Please pass HB649. The provisions of this bill would be real assets to students and families of the deaf and hard of hearing. Please oppose HB873. While improved school security is certainly a desirable goal, school districts should not be bound as to how best to achieve this in their districts. The disparity in funding across Virginia school districts means that many smaller, rural districts have severely limited funding sources and consequently should not be hampered with staffing micro-management that may not meet their needs. Further, other school districts may find that the presence of local law enforcement in their schools does more to create tension and erode trust than alternative security measures may depending on the dynamics within their population. Please oppose HB1024. The state and local school boards are in the business of providing a high quality education to ALL of its children. Neither the state nor local school boards should dilute funding from this mission by diverting tax resources toward the pursuit of private alternatives. If localities would not divert public safety funding to citizens who pursue private security services, why would they consider doing something similar for education? Please pass HB1179. Asian American, Pacific Islander, Latino, and Indigenous peoples are only marginally represented within social studies curricula. The establishment of an advisory committee to the executive branch in improving the representation of these populations can only be helpful in closing this gap.

Education vouchers are desperately needed in Virginia. We should not be punishing parents who wish to educate their children outside the public school system. Currently, Virginia is withholding state tax funds for purchasing curriculum to homeschooling children or for enrolling them in private schools. The public school system has been overrun with social justice warriors and liberal indoctrination instructors. Parents who do not want their children groomed to be the next generation of freedom-hating socialist-worshiping liberal mouthpieces have the right to be monetarily compensated. If the public school system insists on supplementing educational curriculum with social emotional learning and critical race theory, making children feel ashamed for the color of their skin or where their ancestors came from, the state has a moral obligation to provide vouchers and funding to parents who are against this type of abuse.

I respectfully ask that you support HB649. This legislation is vital to changing the devastating statistics regarding language deprivation among d/Deaf, DeafBlind and hard-of-hearing children. Having access to language, ensuring resources are provided for parents and tracking their language acquisition to measure their language acquisition from ages 0-5 against that of their hearing peers are all key components for kindergarten readiness and towards a happy, productive future. Thank you for you support and voting YES for HB649.

Please support these resources to help deaf and hard of hearing students.

Please support this important bill to support out deaf/hard of hearing students.

Dear Delegates My name is Jenny J5 Witteborg of Culpeper County and I am one of the three Deaf women who started LEADK VA grassroot advocacy back in 2016 with blessing of Virginia Association of the Deaf. Three relevant data to know: *0.01% Deaf/HOH at Birth and as that population grows- the generation will have newly Deafened or newly identified Deaf children. When the average generation reaches their twenties, the percentage of Deaf/HOH is around 4%. This percentage increase drastically as the generation becomes older. *95% of Deaf/hoh kids are born to hearing parents and almost 100% of them never met a Deaf person before their own child. *52% of Deaf kids are language deprived at age 5 here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 2017 VDOE Eisenburg presented to the Virginia Disability Commission and said 52% of Deaf kids are language deprived at age 5. Language deprivation impacts is lifelong and irrevocable. Early Intervention and EHDI of Virginia has a strong institutional bias against American Sign Language and thus the services 'available' are only in spoken language. You will see/or have seen Ms Long share her 2022 experiences with her Deaf/Hard of hearing Grandson - That happened here in Henrico where VCU, EHDI, VDOE, VDBHDS, and VDDHH are within an hour's drive. What does it look like in the rest of Virginia? Let me give you some ideas: Local Education Agencies, and CSB who deal with Deaf and hard of hearing children are not required to track that Deaf child's language acquisition. Each locality will make their own decision, and NONE are REQUIRED to report to the state. So Deaf /HOH kids fall through the cracks. HB 649 requires accountability via specific English and specific ASL language acquisition assessments that the AD HOC committee will choose from EXISTING assessments in each ASL and English. HB649 AD HOC temporary for one year - is chosen by the AGENCIES not by us). Hb 649 requires that these Language assessments be offered to the Parents/families of Deaf and Hard of hearing children. ASL and English are languages. Cued speech and Listening/Spoken Language aka LSL are MODES/METHODS of visually showing English. These methods are considered tools for teaching English. Let me make it clear - HB 649 will NOT decide which language the Deaf and Hard of hearing kids are to use. This bill does not force families to do anything. Hb649 only tracks Language acquisition amongst Deaf and Hard of hearing babies until age 5 : THE CRITICAL YEARS for language acquisition. This is the first step to identifying strategies for improving Deaf kids' language acquisition. Please pass HB 649 LEADK Bill.

am a Deaf person who is a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and a parent of a Deaf child. I am encouraging you to support HB 649/SB 265. Language tracking for Deaf and Hard of Hearing kids will enable them to be prepared to enter Kindergarten with the ability to be ready to learn. I have a Deaf daughter who is currently in college and she was fully mainstreamed and she had the same ability to learn as her hearing counterparts - she graduated #6 out of 536 students in her graduating class. The reason for her success is because she had early acquisition to language and was taught both in American Sign Language and English. Language tracking was very beneficial for her and as an educator here in Virginia, my students have come to my campus and they do not nearly have the same benefit to language acquisition as my daughter and this is heartbreaking. As studies show in 2017 that 52% of Deaf children at age 5 were language delayed and were not even prepared for Kindergarten. However, research indicates that Deaf and Hard of Hearing children have the same capacity for language learning as their hearing peers but yet they continue to arrive in Kindergarten with significant language delays. If we can provide tracking of early language acquisition for deaf and hoh children from birth to age 5, it can definitely prevent language delays and afford them the opportunity to be Kindergarten ready!!! In looking at the federal EDHI, they require all states to track language acquisition and by passing HB 649, it will be made available here in the state of Virginia. In passing HB 649/SB 265. it will comply with Individual with Disabilities Act and the Family and Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Language acquisition serves as the fundamental building block for literacy and kindergarten readiness. HB 649 will freely allow parents to choose and support which language to utilize with their child whether it be American Sign Language or English or both modalities simultaneously. The other component involves communication such as Cued Speech and l:istening and spoken language". This bill is about language acquisition as a fundamental building block for literacy and kindergarten readiness. American Sign Language (ASL) and English are both languages. Cued speech and “listening and spoken language” are communication methods for using English. As a parent and an educator, I stand firm with my beliefs in language tracking and ensuring that all Deaf and Hard of Hearing children are afforded the opportunity to be Kindergarten Ready and be able to learn alongside with their hearing peers who are Kindergarten Ready!! Depriving a child of language acquisition will impact them in the long run.. preserve the language that is made available to our Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and they will go above and beyond academically if we provide them with language acquisition from the time they are identified as Deaf or Hard of Hearing throughout their early intervention program, preschool and beyond. Do not deprive them of their opportunity to thrive in life. If my daughter was able to succeed because her parents made the choice to use both American Sign Language and English successfully, Remove that barrier and negativism that happens way too often in our Deaf and Hard of Hearing children in Virginia. You will see more success in Deaf and HOH children from birth to 5 by passing HB 649. Thanks for your time.

This is Jeanne Lavelle and am a Member at Large of Virginia Association of the Deaf. Please vote YES to HB649 bill. The LEAD-K campaign aims to end language deprivation through information to parents about language milestones and assessments that measure language achievements and data collection that holds our current education system accountable. Years of Research proved its finding that reason for illiteracy in Deaf population is the deprivation of language at age 0-5 when children’s brains are rapidly developing, but Deaf children were not given the language acquisition via ASL because parents were misinformed or never knew about the benefits of ASL. We need assessment of language acquisition to get outcomes to prevent language failure. Assessment will help parents get on the right track with their Deaf children’s language acquisition. Please support HB649 for the sake of Deaf children to assure they are Kindergarten-ready by acquiring language at the ages of 0-5.

I am a Deaf person who is a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and a parent of a Deaf child. I am encouraging you to support HB 649. Language tracking for Deaf and Hard of Hearing kids will enable them to be prepared to enter Kindergarten with the ability to be ready to learn. I have a Deaf daughter who is currently in college and she was fully mainstreamed and she had the same ability to learn as her hearing counterparts - she graduated #6 out of 536 students in her graduating class. The reason for her success is because she had early acquistion to language and was taught both in American Sign Language and English. Language tracking was very beneficial for her and as an educator here in Virginia, my students have come to my campus and they do not nearly have the same benefit to language acquistion as my daughter and this is heartbreaking. As studies show in 2018 that 52% of Deaf children at age 5 were language delayed and were not even prepared for Kindergarten. However, research indicates that Deaf and Hard of Hearing children have the same capacity for language learning as their hearing peers but yet they continue to arrive Kindergarten with significant language delays. If we can provide tracking of early language acquistion for deaf and hoh children from birth to age 5, it can definitely prevent language delays and afford them the opportunity to be Kindergarten ready!!! In looking at the federal EDHI, they require all states to track language acquistion and by passing HB 649, it will be made available here in the state of Virginia. In passing HB 649, it will be comply with Individual with Disabilities Act and the Family and Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Language acquition serves as the funabdental building block for literacy and kindergarten readiness. HB 649 will freely allow parents to choose and support which language to utilize with their child whether it be American Sign Language or English or both modalities simultaneously. The other component involves communication such as Cued Speech and l:istening and spoken language". This bill is about language acquisition as a fundamental building block for literacy and kindergarten readiness. American Sign Language (ASL) and English are both languages. Cued speech and “listening and spoken language” are communication methods for using English. As a parent and an educator, I stand firm with my beliefs in language tracking and ensuring that all Deaf and Hard of Hearing chiildren are afforded the opportunity to be Kindergarten Ready and be able to learn alongside with their hearing peers who are Kindergarten Ready!! Depriving a child of language acquisition will impact them in the long run.. preserve the language that is made available to our Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and they will go above and beyond academically if we provide them with language acquisition from the time they are identified as Deaf or Hard of Hearing throughout their early intervention program, preschool and beyond. Do not deprive them of their opportunity to thrive in life. If my daughter was able to succeed because her parents made the choice to use both American Sign Language and English successfully, Removie that barrier and negativism that happens way too often in our Deaf and Hard of Hearing children in Virginia. You will see more success in Deaf and HOH children form birth to 5 by passing SB 649. Thanks for your time.

Hello I m writing to support HB 649 because language deprivation is life long impact. Deaf kids deserve to arrive to kindergarten with a full language .

Please support HB649 as it is time to improve our language access to our young deaf children before enter kindergarten. I am deaf and married to deaf husband .

Please move to report HB201, HB333, HB649, HB873, HB1024.

Please vote YES for HB 649 My name is Lois Herberger and I live in Springfield, Virginia. I am a deaf mother of two deaf adults and a proud grandmother of three deaf granddaughters. I grew up being the only deaf oral child in a hearing family. My daily access to communication was quite limited. I experienced oral education, lip reading and speech during both elementary and high schools in Chicago’s public school system. Interpreters weren’t available in those days. Fortunately, I met some intelligent deaf college graduates who encouraged me to go to Gallaudet. It was where I really enjoyed my classes in a totally accessible environment My two adult children had every opportunity to acquire language since their infancy. They have been exposed to both ASL and spoken language to get the best of both worlds During the early 70’s, some hearing parents and I were concerned about the language acquisition problems with some of the young children. We noticed some children had both emotional and behavioral issues. As a grandmother of three deaf granddaughters, they have been exposed to all modes of communication since birth. They are thriving well both at home and schools. All three have received honors for their academic work. They continue to have full communication access in their deaf home with lots of lively discussions on many different topics. They are able to participate in hearing sport teams Qualified interpreters are provided for them at school and college as well as sports activities The first five years of a deaf child is critical in his / her language development Oral approach is not always effective, not everyone has the same skill like play the piano. More and more hearing parents are teaching their hearing babies ASL and research has proved that they can acquire more vocabulary than the non signers. This is long overdue , the sooner we expose the babies to ASL, they will also develop literacy skills at young ages

Please support the HB 649 bill! It is critical that the bill be passed for the Deaf children to stop language deprivation and to have full access to American Sign Language in the state of Virginia! I agreed 100% with Tom Dowling's comments. I am a living proof of language deprivation. I delayed language acquisition for 13 years until I enrolled at a deaf school. So please support the bill.

Please vote yes to bill HB649 and create an equitable environment for children birth to 5 years of age.

I am in favor of HB 649 Please provide zoom link for tomorrow morning. I am deaf and I am requesting ASL interpreter. Thank you

Hello, I am a 5th grade teacher with a Master’s in Special Education. I have witnessed deaf children showing up to Kindergarten without the language to tell someone they are hungry or that they need to go to the restroom. I would like to see support for HB 649. Virginia needs to take action to make sure every deaf child has a strong language foundation. This bill will help start the process to ensure all deaf children are kindergarten ready! Please support HB649.

American Sign Language (ASL) seems to be the only language in the USA that hearing people who are not part of the Deaf, Hard Of Hearing, and DeafBlind community has control over. Hearing people have passed laws and created policies to restrict and limit the types of people allowed to learn and use ASL. That’s the reason why a large percentage of babies that are born Deaf aren't taught a language between birth and 5 years old and tend to be not kindergarten-ready. This is especially true for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, who are more likely than white children to not have any language acquisition by the age of 5, automatically making them not kindergarten-ready. That also causes them to struggle in school, socially, and with mental health issues. With my experience around currently Deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind children and adults into 2022, the struggles are still there. Vote Yes to HB649

I am in favor of this bill. Please vote YES to HB 649 Language development for children who are deaf or hard of hearing: assessment resources. Thank you for taking this into consideration

Please vote YES for HB649. My name is Melanie Williams. I am president of the Virginia Association of the Deaf (VAD). Deaf children need every opportunity to acquire language as early as possible so they will be ready for kindergarten at the appropriate age and can go on to succeed on their chosen path. They should be given exposure to both spoken language and ASL so as to receive the best of both worlds. I want to present myself as an example. I went to regular public schools. I struggled at first in elementary school, but once I understood what school was all about, I hunkered down and did very well. I went on to graduate second in my high school class. I credit my parents with giving me all the support I needed, and I had an excellent role model in my older hearing brother who was himself an excellent student. I then went to Gallaudet University where I learned ASL for the first time. When I returned home for Christmas the first time, I visited my former high school. One of the librarians I used to work with told me, "you speak much better than before." I was taken aback, but then I thought, that actually makes sense. I was quite timid in high school, which probably made me harder to understand. ASL helped me to come out of my shell and to speak up more than before. You really can't be shy with ASL! It is my strong belief that ASL helps with both spoken and signed language. Once again, I ask, please vote YES for HB649.

Please vote YES to HB649! This is long overdue and our Deaf/Hard of Hearing children need this support. Please do not ignore and begin acting as advocates for these children.

The Deaf and Hard of hearing children should have an early access to sign language such as ASL. Same as any hearing babies have access to hearinf and learn spoken languages. I lost my hearing at age of one and lost a lot of languages for three years. I finally was able to learn sign language, have speech therapy, learning to lip read and be able to be in a class room setting. It was very frustrating for me as a child growing up and missing many of the spoken languages. Please recognize the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children to get the early services and to help them to be able to succeed in life.

Vote YES to HB649. American Sign language is a critical part of our nations culture. Americans who are born Deaf and parents of Deaf children need this type of support to not only progress as individuals for a better future, but as protectors of this vital part of our nation's society.

Comments Document

On behalf of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, I write to express opposition to H.B. 649. This legislation would require the Department of Education and the Department for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing to select language developmental milestones for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH), create a parent resource, and select existing tools for educators to assess language and literacy development of children who are D/HH. The bill would also create an advisory committee to recommend milestones. This legislation aims to ensure that children who are D/HH are ready for kindergarten using either American Sign Language (ASL) or English. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 218,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students. Over 4,700 ASHA members reside in Virginia. ASHA strongly supports the intent of H.B. 649, which is to ensure young children who are D/HH have a strong language foundation for kindergarten readiness and academic success. ASHA also supports a family’s right to decide the most appropriate language(s) (e.g., American Sign Language, spoken language, or both), communication mode(s) (e.g., augmentative and alternative communication), and education plan for their child. However, H.B. 649 includes provisions that undermine these goals and create unnecessary and burdensome requirements that interfere with the decision-making authority of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Current Services for Children Who Are D/HH As it stands now, children who are D/HH can receive services through Virginia's early intervention program, which includes a variety of communication methods that suit the individual child’s needs and the family’s preferences. Those methods could include ASL, but it could also include listening and spoken language (with assistance from a hearing aid or cochlear implant), cued speech or language, or another communication method with appropriate educational support. IDEA requires early intervention programs and schools to administer a comprehensive assessment to students suspected of having a disability. The assessment team must include qualified providers trained to assess the full range of the suspected disability, including communication disorders. Evaluators must administer appropriate assessments and recommend interventions and supports based on the child’s needs and their family’s priorities. ASHA recommends eliminating the proposed advisory committee, which would advise the Department of Education on the selection of appropriate milestones for the parent resource and language assessment program. Creating an advisory committee is burdensome, unnecessary, and costly and may undermine the decision-making authority of the IFSP/IEP team, which must include professionals knowledgeable about the assessment and services needed for children with disabilities, including those children who are D/HH and their parents.

As a deaf person, I grew up first being exposed to oralism and American Sign Language later. Because my parents were invested in my education and were overly involved, my language acquisition was better than most who did not have involved parents. However, as I lost more of my hearing (I was born Hard of Hearing but later became Deaf at 8), it became harder to exist with the oral approach as I was missing out on so much in school, family life and social life. It was not until I learned American Sign Language at the age of 10 where my world opened up. My vocabulary and language improved greatly. By learning American Sign Language, I was able to understand English better. I became more confident in myself and "found myself" by interacting with other deaf peers who communicated in ASL as well in a summer camp. I was one of the lucky ones, with my parents invested in my education and fighting for me. Prior to learning ASL, I had a life where I followed everyone, did not have my own opinion, and just took everything at face value. There was no real personality behind my face as I was closed off to access to all information. Everything was in a robotic fashion and I had headaches every single day. I remember coming home from school, crying, almost on a daily basis. Now, I have been signing ASL for approximately 40 years, give or take. It is my primary means communication. My hearing children sign. I am a licensed clinical social worker, working primarily with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing population. In my line of work, I have seen children and adults who come from all walks of life, and the one common thread I see is that the lack of language acquisition before the age of 5 makes a tremendous negative impact on their psychosocial and mental health. That interferes in the way these individuals navigate life, and contribute to society that is beneficial for everyone involved. Not to mention that there is a shortage of qualified mental health professionals who communicate in ASL, to help them navigate life. Fighting about how to educate Deaf and Hard of Hearing children is taking up a lot of the time that could be focused instead on providing ASL to DHH children first, so that these children can have access to learning what their hearing peers are learning in school. Then, you can focus on adding speech or whathaveyou, as long as they have a valid language, which has years of documents proving that ASL is the real language of deaf people. There are research papers and scientific facts that show the benefit of exposing DHH children to American Sign Language. Like it did for me, it opened doors. These DHH children need their doors opened. As a deaf child growing up isolated before learning American Sign Language,I beg you to sign this bill. There are many DHH adults like me, who have gone through similar experiences. Please know that there are people who claim that one can be successful being oral, without learning ASL and having great language acquisition. That is an exception, a rare exception. We should not focus on that exception, to generalize that it will work for all DHH children. Research and experience show us how learning American Sign Language early on, with parents' involvement (learning ASL too) has the most positive and beneficial impact. With language development, kids have better mental health. Thank you for reading this lengthy comment. Please pass this bill.

I fervently support this bill for language access for Deaf and hard of hearing kids.

PLEASE Vote YES on HB 649!

I am a retired teacher. I came from a hearing family. They took me to a speech school at age of 3 and I learned to lipread. My parents did not k ow anything about sign language but ABC finger spelling only. We communicated by writing pad. I wish they knew sign language had somebody told them. Exposing sign language immediately to babies after birth is a best method because babies watch everything that move and visually. Their language acquisition pick up and as a result reading levels would be on right track, not delayed. Parents think their choice is to teach children speech. If they see data showing sign language is key to language development they would feel better for their children knowing that their children have tools to go out into the world independently . They can talk to hearing population through technology resources like texting. Because their language development is set to a good start. It’s important that sign language or American Sign Language as my preference is available , not just speech.

I ask you to support HB649. Across the Commonwealth, there continue to be high numbers of deaf children at risk for language delays, and far too many deaf children arriving to kindergarten without a language foundation for literacy development. Birth to age five is a critical developmental period for a child’s brain development, and language delays during that critical time lead to poor reading outcomes, lower graduation rates, psychosocial problems, and higher rates of unemployment later in life. The statistics are there. Let this be the General Assembly that can do something about it.

Greetings, My name is Chlo'e Edwards with Voices for Virginia's Children where our mission is to improve the laws of Virginia's children, particularly those at the greatest disadvantage. We are supportive of the following bills: HB1184 (Guzman), HB582 (Roem), HB 629 (Roem), HB583 (Roem), HB 587 (Roem), HB649 (Carr). As of 2020, the number of children (0-17) and young adults (18-24) in Virginia is just above 2.6M, and yet, too many children struggle to meet their basic needs. Poverty rates in Virginia remain unchanged in the past decade. Additionally, barriers to access to services and resources still persist for families of diverse identities and that face unique challenges. Voices believes in creating just and fair futures for Virginia's children as we know that children are the future. In creasing access to services and supports for Virginia's children today to ensure they live, thrive, and survive, we are creating a brighter future tomorrow. We hope that it pleases the member of the committees to support these initiatives as there are

Please vote "yes" to HB649, D/deaf children need language access. If we don't assess milestones, how will we know they are receiving adequate access to language? The situation is a dire one that calls for intervention. Please vote "yes."

Vote YES on this bill! As a deaf person and a recently retired teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for over 30 years, I have seen first hand the effects of language deprivation on my students as well as many of my peers, who were mostly brought up in an oral environment and not exposed to American Sign Language until their adult years . Early exposure to an accessible language will go a long way in giving our deaf children the ability to reach their full potential .

Hello. Please vote YES for HB 649. I am one of the deaf Adult with hearing parents. 95 percent who born deaf with hearing parents. I can not imagine if those who have language deprivation like me. It felt embarrassed. I don't want to see the kids are embarrassed if they are behind their language. When I took SOL test by third grade, I look up the strategy they brought up in the comments. I was struggled with it. It was lower than hearing kids. It should be equal with deaf or hard of hearing kids. It have to be taught earlier so those kids would be better and feel proud themselves. I think of the kids what they needs not just strategies or cost of the money. Again Please vote YES for HB 649.

Language acquisition is definitely essential to lifetime success for ages 0 - 5 who are Deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind. HB649 helps to bridge the gap for them to become successful in kindergarten-ready. Please vote YES for HB649.

To our delegates elected to represent the people of our state, I am writing in support of HB647 regarding language acquisition for deaf and hard of hearing children. As an Educational Interpreter for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in our state’s public school system, this is very near and dear to my heart, and to my profession. Every year I am tasked to work with students, most of whom are significantly behind their grade-level counterparts who have full language access in their homes and in the community. These deaf and hard of hearing students arrive to the public schools and are expected to learn language from their interpreter while being able to learn classroom content. It is unrealistic. It is a broken pathway riddled with added extras that the student who are learning in spoken English do not experience, such as the amount of time absconded from these students’ lives, academic classes, etc… regarding most speech therapy/hearing therapy sessions which, in my observations in over ten years in the schools, appears to set these students even farther behind as they miss content in favor of ‘speech.’ Speech is not equivalent to language, it is merely a modality for expressing language. Academic learning and social learning do not show progress until there is a LANGUAGE foundation to build on. As a community member, tax payer, voter, and professional in the field, I feel that HB647 is an excellent start to developing more equity in the education of the deaf and hard of hearing students in our state; academic education, linguistic education, and social education. Language deprivation has been shown over and again to have strong, negative impacts on overall happiness and success of those impacted. Please vote YES on HB647 and improve access to language, culture, life, education, and overall success of the deaf children in Virginia. Thank you., Debbie North

I want to support legislation providing service to deaf and hard of hearing children, birth to 5 years, so that they can receive both oral and sign language opportunities and be prepared to enter kindergarten ready to learn. Respectfully, Beth Tubbs Ford

I vote a resounding yes in support of HB649. Deaf and Hard of Hearing children need to have all opportunities possible for language acquisition so they can be on par with their peers upon entering Kindergarten.

VOTE YES - Language Deprivation is a serious problem with our Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. With the increase number of cochlear implants, that often discouraging sign language, we are seeing more and more kids 5-10 years behind on language. The first five years of a child's life is THE MOST critical time for them to acquire language. We are working twice as hard to try and catch them up with their peers but often it is too late because there are permanent gaps in their language that cannot be fixed. Please help support our kids and end language deprivation for our students.

Please vote YES on the bill HB649 to support all Deaf and Hard of Hearing kids to have access American Sign Language (ASL) for their education.

Comments Document

Vote YES to HB649

I am in full support of HS 649. For too long we have neglected our Deaf and Hard of Hearing children's language development.

To our delegates elected to represent the people of our state, I am writing in support of HB647 regarding language acquisition for deaf and hard of hearing children. As an Educational Interpreter for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in our state’s public school system, this is very near and dear to my heart, and to my profession. Every year I am tasked to work with students, most of whom are significantly behind their grade-level counterparts who have full language access in their homes and in the community. These deaf and hard of hearing students arrive to the public schools and are expected to learn language from their interpreter while being able to learn classroom content. It is unrealistic. It is a broken pathway riddled with added extras that the student who are learning in spoken English do not experience, such as the amount of time absconded from these students’ lives, academic classes, etc… regarding most speech therapy/hearing therapy sessions which, in my observations in over ten years in the schools, appears to set these students even farther behind as they miss content in favor of ‘speech.’ Speech is not equivalent to language, it is merely a modality for expressing language. Academic learning and social learning do not show progress until there is a LANGUAGE foundation to build on. As a community member, tax payer, voter, and professional in the field, I feel that HB647 is an excellent start to developing more equity in the education of the deaf and hard of hearing students in our state; academic education, linguistic education, and social education. Language deprivation has been shown over and again to have strong, negative impacts on overall happiness and success of those impacted. Please vote YES on HB647 and improve access to language, culture, life, education, and overall success of the deaf children in Virginia. Thank you. Tanya Hardee, Educational Interpreter for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, EIPA 4.3

It is imperative that deaf children be taught to communicate in an appropriate language (sign language and Cued Speech for example before entering Kindergarten. Currently, most are expected to learn lip reading which is rarely successful and then when they enter kindergarten and are expected to start learning academics they must also be learning language because they can’t use lip reading successfully as a means to understand everything that is going on in the classroom. That is not fair to these children. They have just as much a right to have equal access to education which means having the appropriate level of communication in order to start learning academics (aka SOLs). Lip reading can then be taught by the Speech and Language Therapist on a weekly basis.

Language acquisition is essential to lifetime success. Those of all ages who are deaf or hard of hearing are at a disadvantage in an oral society. HB649 helps to bridge the gap for the youngest of those. Please vote YES for HB649.

Please vote for this bill. The training should be optional.

The Virginia Council of Administrators (VCASE) opposes this HB649. We respect the heartfelt and powerful stories that are provided to the committee regarding that challenges attaining language milestones, but the process in this bill is not the avenue that will provide a balance solution to these challenges. Please consider the following and ask that this bill be passed by indefinitely: THE JOINT COMMISSION ON HEALTH CARE IN 2020 STUDIED THESE PROPOSALS IN DEPTH AND THE STUDY SHOULD BE CAREFULLY REVIEWED BEFORE NEW LEGISLATION IS CONSIDERED Here is the FULL REPORT: https://rga.lis.virginia.gov/Published/2020/RD331/PDF THERE ALREADY EXIST ROBUST AND COMPREHENSIVE STANDARDS AND MILESTONES FOR DEVELOPMENT AND LANGUAGE There exist multiple resource regarding language & communication in “Virginia’s Unified Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS) (pp.37-47) provide all early childhood providers (i.e., parents/families, caregivers, educators, and program leaders) with a resource for understanding what children should know and be able to do as they grow and change from birth until they enter kindergarten.” VIRGINIA JUST TOTALLY REORGANIZED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION TO UNIFY, NOT SEGREGATE CARE AND EDUCATION FOR OUR YOUNGEST CHILDREN In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislationThis link takes you out of the Virginia Department of Education website directing the Board of Education (BOE) to establish a unified public-private system for early care and education, administered by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). This included the requirement that the VDOE complete the following actions by July 2021: Move oversight for all early childhood care and education programs to the VDOE, Establish a new Early Childhood Advisory Committee, and Create a Uniform Measurement and Improvement System. The Advisory committee includes representatives from the disability community THERE ALREADY EXIST FORUMS THAT HAVE AND IN THE FUTURE CAN ADDRESS LANGUAGE MILESTONES AND THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN WHO ARE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING> The Disability Commission provides a vehicle for advancing budget proposals and addressing policy issues within a vision for a service system that seeks to maximize the self-sufficiency of Virginians with physical and sensory disabilities. The Dept of Education The Department of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Because there already exist robust language and developmental milestones and because there are existing forums to advocate for children who are deaf and hard of hearing regarding how universal milestones can be attained, VCASE Opposes this bill. Thank you, Dr. Mike Asip

HB 649 is a great first step in combating language deprivation in deaf and hard of hearing kids. I fully support it.

To Whom It May Concern, I am advocating the bill of HB 649 about the deaf children's natural language acquisition of American Sign Language (ASL). The role model of Deaf Adults is very important for a young Deaf child because they can relate to the experience of being Deaf and can easily learn ASL fluently. Who is better to assess the language acquisition of a young Deaf children? The Deaf Adult who can assess and are fluent in how far the child can progress the American Sign Language. Most professionals who are not Deaf and are not always fluent in ASL. It is a common knowledge that non-deaf who works with a deaf children missed several important steps. The first step - It is allowing a child to thrive in a environment that they can SEE and learn American Sign Language from the people they can relate to - the Deaf Adults. The second step - The Deaf children will learn more vocabulary of signs from Deaf Adults than non-Deaf professionals. The third step - The Deaf children will have a Deaf role model to increase their confidence as they become adult. The links below will help you understand the current research on young deaf child learning ASL. Also, it mentioned three discoveries that improves a young deaf children who exposed ASL very young to get a better education they deserve. https://vl2.gallaudet.edu/research Again, I cannot emphasize enough to have a Deaf Adult involve in assessing a young Deaf child language development and acquisition. The Deaf children will thrive in a education environment by watching the Deaf Adult who is fluent in ASL. It is accessible for the Deaf children's future education. Thank you for your time and attention.

Hello Chairman and committee members, I am a sign language interpreter and a member of Virginia Association of the Deaf. I am supporting HB 649 on behalf of the deaf children and young adults that I have met who did not have full access to language acquisition in their early years and as a result have struggles with reading, academics, communication, and self expression. Please vote yes on HB 649 to support early language learning for deaf and hard of hearing children in Virginia, so they can all arrive to kindergarten ready to learn and able to thrive! Thank you. Katherine Malady

My name is Tom Dowling from Fairfax VA. I’m a member of Virginia Association of the Deaf (VAD). I’m a proud parent of two deaf adults. Please support the bill (HB 649) which focuses on deaf and hard of hearing children between birth and age five years old. At a VA Disability Commission meeting in 2017, VA DOE Assistant Supt, Dr. Eisenberg testified that 52% of deaf and hard of hearing children were performing BELOW age expectation in acquisition of knowledge (such as literacy skill). 90% of all deaf and hard of hearing are born to hearing parents. Following the state data, I haven’t seen any progress to improve these outcomes since 2017, by either VA DBHDS or VA DOE. It is a great disappointment. While the majority of deaf and hard of hearing population are victims of language deprivation in early childhood, we see that deaf and hard of hearing children are still being ignored or neglected or abandoned by the school system today. We ask VA DBHDS and VA DOE together to track early language development through support to parents and professionals that work with Deaf/HH children! We will be proud to see if they reach their kindergarten level as their peer group. Show us the new data now!

Dear Delegates My name is Jenny J5 Witteborg of Culpeper County and I am one of the three Deaf women who started LEADK VA grassroot advocacy back in 2016 with blessing of Virginia Association of the Deaf. Three relevant data to know: *0.01% Deaf/HOH at Birth and as that population grows- the generation will have newly Deafened or newly identified Deaf children. When the average generation reaches their twenties, the percentage of Deaf/HOH is around 4%. This percentage increase drastically as the generation becomes older. *95% of Deaf/hoh kids are born to hearing parents and almost 100% of them never met a Deaf person before their own child. *52% of Deaf kids are language deprived at age 5 here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 2017 VDOE Eisenburg presented to the Virginia Disability Commission and said 52% of Deaf kids are language deprived at age 5. Language deprivation impacts is lifelong and irrevocable. Early Intervention and EHDI of Virginia has a strong institutional bias against American Sign Language and thus the services 'available' are only in spoken language. You will see/or have seen Ms Long share her 2022 experiences with her Deaf/Hard of hearing Grandson - That happened here in Henrico where VCU, EHDI, VDOE, VDBHDS, and VDDHH are within an hour's drive. What does it look like in the rest of Virginia? Let me give you some ideas: Local Education Agencies, and CSB who deal with Deaf and hard of hearing children are not required to track that Deaf child's language acquisition. Each locality will make their own decision, and NONE are REQUIRED to report to the state. So Deaf /HOH kids fall through the cracks. SB 265 requires accountability via specific English and specific ASL language acquisition assessments that the AD HOC committee will choose from EXISTING assessments in each ASL and English. SB 265 AD HOC temporary for one year - is chosen by the AGENCIES not by us). SB 265 requires that these Language assessments be offered to the Parents/families of Deaf and Hard of hearing children. ASL and English are languages. Cued speech and Listening/Spoken Language aka LSL are MODES/METHODS of visually showing English. These methods are considered tools for teaching English. Let me make it clear - SB 265 will NOT decide which language the Deaf and Hard of hearing kids are to use. This bill does not force families to do anything. SB 265 only tracks Language acquisition amongst Deaf and Hard of hearing babies until age 5 : THE CRITICAL YEARS for language acquisition. This is the first step to identifying strategies for improving Deaf kids' language acquisition. Please pass SB 260 LEADK Bill.

Help us END language deprivation for all Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind Children in Virginia!

I agree with Ms. Alonzi's comments. In 2019, legislators made the decision to refer a previous but very similar version of this bill to the Joint Commission on Healthcare for a full study. At the conclusion of the extensive study, the Commission recommendation was that NO ACTION be taken. Links here: POWERPOINT: http://jchc.virginia.gov/Young%20Deaf%20Hard%20of%20Hearing%20Children%20Study.%20VDOE%20update.pdf FULL REPORT: https://rga.lis.virginia.gov/Published/2020/RD331/PDF Please vote NO on SB 649

I am a Judy Alonzi and a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing in early intervention. I ask that you vote 'no' on HB 649. I thank you kindly for this opportunity to submit comments as I am working during the day serving this very population of young infants and toddlers with hearing loss with their families. I serve this population along with many other talented colleagues that use ASL and/or spoken English. We DO track the progress of each and every child with hearing loss along with their families at every visit, and are required to document in a child's file. We are also re-evaluating at every visit if adequate progress is being made and what additional supports are needed to help meet goals and outcomes that the families have identified supported by provider input. Hearing loss presents on a spectrum, I serve children with a mild, unilateral hearing loss all the way to bilateral profound hearing loss. This bill has been brought before the general assembly 5 times and each time 'no action' was determined. It was studied by the Joint Commission on Health Care in the summer of 2019, and that lengthy and costly study also determined that no action was needed. We also have 2 wonderful resources at our disposal that are state supported. *The Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind (VSDB) has over a 10 million dollar state operating budget and they are solely dedicated to ASL. They provide not only services, but professional development, webinars, useful resources and *Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. (VDDHH) This agency is also dedicated to serving deaf and hard of hearing individuals that use ASL. Substantial money is already spent in the state of Virginia for ASL support, and for that we are very fortunate. We also have state support with the Partnership for People with Disabilities, The infant and Toddler Connection of Virginia, the Department of Education, and more. Thank you for the opportunity to present in writing and please vote 'no' on HB 649

Vote YES on HB 649

Please oppose HB333. Local school boards are charged with the mission of delivering public education in their districts. Time and resources should not be spent administering savings plans for any purpose. Please pass HB649. The provisions of this bill would be real assets to students and families of the deaf and hard of hearing. Please oppose HB873. While improved school security is certainly a desirable goal, school districts should not be bound as to how best to achieve this in their districts. The disparity in funding across Virginia school districts means that many smaller, rural districts have severely limited funding sources and consequently should not be hampered with staffing micro-management that may not meet their needs. Further, other school districts may find that the presence of local law enforcement in their schools does more to create tension and erode trust than alternative security measures may depending on the dynamics within their population. Please oppose HB1024. The state and local school boards are in the business of providing a high quality education to ALL of its children. Neither the state nor local school boards should dilute funding from this mission by diverting tax resources toward the pursuit of private alternatives. If localities would not divert public safety funding to citizens who pursue private security services, why would they consider doing something similar for education? Please pass HB1179. Asian American, Pacific Islander, Latino, and Indigenous peoples are only marginally represented within social studies curricula. The establishment of an advisory committee to the executive branch in improving the representation of these populations can only be helpful in closing this gap.

Education vouchers are desperately needed in Virginia. We should not be punishing parents who wish to educate their children outside the public school system. Currently, Virginia is withholding state tax funds for purchasing curriculum to homeschooling children or for enrolling them in private schools. The public school system has been overrun with social justice warriors and liberal indoctrination instructors. Parents who do not want their children groomed to be the next generation of freedom-hating socialist-worshiping liberal mouthpieces have the right to be monetarily compensated. If the public school system insists on supplementing educational curriculum with social emotional learning and critical race theory, making children feel ashamed for the color of their skin or where their ancestors came from, the state has a moral obligation to provide vouchers and funding to parents who are against this type of abuse.

I respectfully ask that you support HB649. This legislation is vital to changing the devastating statistics regarding language deprivation among d/Deaf, DeafBlind and hard-of-hearing children. Having access to language, ensuring resources are provided for parents and tracking their language acquisition to measure their language acquisition from ages 0-5 against that of their hearing peers are all key components for kindergarten readiness and towards a happy, productive future. Thank you for you support and voting YES for HB649.

Research has demonstrated that SRO have negative implications for minority students as well as those with disabilities. Ask yourself-why isn’t there a nurse in every school in Virginia?

Decisions on SRO's should be made by the local school systems, not by the state, plain and simple.

Please move to report HB201, HB333, HB649, HB873, HB1024.

These bills are OPPOSED by the Virginia Education Association and myself, a public school teacher in Fairfax County.

Please move to report HB221, 340, 533, 873, 1032, 1100, 1125, 1347. Thank you.

I am a first grade teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools and I urge you to vote no on HB 873. Increasing police presence in public schools is not the way to support students. I urge you instead to fully fund the Virginia Board of Education's SOQs and focus on getting students the support they need by hiring a sufficient number of school counselors, psychologists, and social workers. Please vote no on this bill.

I'm a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and I oppose this bill.

I oppose HB1024 - Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts (ESA) Because: 1. Educational Savings Accounts divert funds from public schools and the bill covers funding for a religious or religious sect education. 3. This bill allows discrimination based upon its creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum. 4. The bill runs counter to our Virginia Constitution which states in Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof.; ...”. The General Assembly may appropriate funds for educational purposes which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate or graduate education of Virginia students in public and private nonsectarian private schools...” 5. An ESA for a student does not reduce a local school’s operating expenses and 6. Our public schools need to have priority for funds.

I oppose HB1024 which is just another way to funnel money away from our public schools. If the public schools have problems it is surely because funding has been withheld from them in recent years. Since 2008, the schools have not been funded at an acceptable level. I love the public schools because they are the premier place where Americans build community. When students from every type of home come together, we learn to value and accept each other. HB1024 is just a way to rob our public schools and weaken their mission to educate all students equally and TOGETHER. Let's make sure ALL students are given the opportunity to be part of an inclusive American community. That is the America I know and love. Fully fund the public schools!

HB 1024... OPPOSE... Diverts public funds to private entities ... sounds like vouchers/tax shelter HB 344/356 OPPOSE... Local School Boards already have the authority to review applications for charters, etc.. once again looks like a method of diverting public funds to private entities .. Virginia underfunds it public schools as it is. We need to keep the public funds where it would do the most good and if the Va. Leg had not tied the hands of public education with all the SOQ/SOL requirements and was able to allow the educators more flexibility to implement programs tailored to the needs of their district more freely and would FUND these public programs things would be even better. I noted that all the Ed representatives opposed this at committee hearing. Who is going pay for that regional board mentioned in 356?? that will just siphon more public money for another layer of admin. HB346. I noted in the committee meeting that only the colleges who already have the capability to create lab schools now spoke FOR this bill because it would bring more of the public k-12 funds to their doorstep. Opens door for corporate/for profits to operate as well.

I support HB1024/1025 because choice creates competition and competition creates constant improvements and higher standards. Gving all parents an account to afford choice in education opens up choice to the poorer who could not afford school choice. This will release the currently trapped competitive demand that is needed to force government schools to improve and to meet the parents' demands. The reason Fed Ex exists is because the then existing government option and UPS may have been cheap but they provided terribly unreliable and slow service. It did not provide a service its customers wanted. Fed Ex filled that service need with a new choice of reliable express deliveries at affordable competitive rates, even overnight express deliveries. To survive USPS and UPS had to compete, and soon all delivery services improved, providing reliable, faster, and competitively priced express and regular services. The reason kids go to Private School or Homeschool is because the existing government option may have been cheap but they provided unsatisfactory service for their kids. Although more families have left the government schools than ever before, unlike FedEx, private school prices and homeschooling costs are not affordable or possible options for enough families to force change upon the government schools. And so the richer are getting better education while the poorer are stuck with a service that is free of competition and so it is getting worse and worse. Especially since it is run by those not caring what Parents want or to involve them. This high injustice of entrapping the poor with lower standards of education, not meeting parental demands must end now. HB1024/1025 will help do that.

Unfortunately, this bill has serious problems that need to be corrected before being brought to the Floor for a vote: 1) It gives local school districts authority over parents' spending of the ESA funds. 2) The funds are not enough to cover even half a year of private school tuition. 3) The income limitations on this bill mean that the vast majority of families with school-age children in Virginia will not qualify for the ESA at all. 4) The families that can qualify for the ESA are unlikely to have enough of their own money to cover the funding gap for private school tuition--and this bill prevents them from accessing help through the Education Improvements Scholarship Tax Credit program. >>> This bill must be amended with ESA language that has NO government strings and provides universal eligibility. The best School Choice bill right now is HB 982, and everyone should be asking Republican leadership why it has never been brought up for a vote. EducationalFreedom.org

Oppose HB1024 Educational Savings Accounts divert funds from our public schools. This bill states that a “Qualified school means a sectarian or nonsectarian private elementary or secondary school.” This bill also says that no such school shall be required to alter its creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum in order to receive moneys from such a savings account. (Line 231, 232) The Virginia Constitution states in Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof.; ...”. The General Assembly may appropriate funds for educational purposes which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate or graduate education of Virginia students in public and private nonsectarian private schools...” An ESA for a student does not reduce a local school’s operating expenses. Our public schools need to have priority for funds. The requirements of the Virginia Constitution need to be honored. Thus, please vote against HB1024.

Thank you for this legislation. There's a reason parents are upset all over the country. Our teachers/school boards/administration have gone offtrack with their leftist indoctrination. This is exactly why homeschooling is skyrocketing. Time to help parents afford to send their children to private school. We have moved one child to private and are working to move another next year. The only way public schools are going to turnaround is if they feel the pain of losing money. We need to go back to teaching to classics.

Vouchers should not be granted in any form to families withdrawing their students from public schools. Withdrawing the funds makes public schools unable to continue quality education. Instead, parents should work with the state and their local schools to change the curriculum. If their objections focus around religious beliefs, curriculum should not be changed at all as the public school should not recognize any religion. Vouchers and school choice do not allow students to have equal access to IEP resources as many are excused from following these. Additionally, not all families have access to an alternate school from public schools, making it even more difficult to state that these educational savings accounts will actually help those needing "safer" schools. Don't defund the public schools.

Please vote no. Thank you.

As a taxpayer and mother of school age children, I support HB1024. The public schools are failing our children and do not want parental involvement. It's time we allow the money to follow the child to an education the parent believes is best for their children. Private schooled and homeschooled children consistently out perform public school children. Colleges actively seek out these students knowing they have received a better education. The idea that allowing the money to follow the child will harm public schools by removing much needed funds is laughable. They will have the funds needed based on the amount of children whose parents choose to keep them in public school. As to those that leave, it equals less funds needed to teach a smaller group of children left in the public schools. It allows parents an opportunity to give their children a better education, especially in urban areas where schools are under performing. Give the parent's a choice and watch the competition create better schools.

Please oppose HB1024 because the bill runs counter to the State Constitution, which states in Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof.; ...”. "The General Assembly may appropriate funds for educational purposes which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate or graduate education of Virginia students in public and private nonsectarian private schools...” Our public schools need to have priority for funds.

We OPPOSE establishing Parental Choice ESAs. Some reasons to oppose are: Educational Savings Accounts divert funds from our public schools. The bill covers funding for a religious or religious sect education. This bill allows discrimination based upon its creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum. The bill runs counter to our Virginia Constitution which states in Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof.; ...”. The General Assembly may appropriate funds for educational purposes which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate or graduate education of Virginia students in public and private nonsectarian private schools...” An ESA for a student does not reduce a local school’s operating expenses. Our public schools need to have priority for funds. Please oppose this bill, James and Dorothy Joslin

Please oppose--a savings account diverts much needed money from our public schools. Given the terrible condition of many of our old school buildings, we need to give our tax money to support schools for ALL our children.

ducational Savings Accounts divert funds from our public schools. The bill covers funding for a religious or religious sect education. This bill allows discrimination based upon its creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum. The bill runs counter to our Virginia Constitution which states in Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof.; ...”. The General Assembly may appropriate funds for educational purposes which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate or graduate education of Virginia students in public and private nonsectarian private schools...” An ESA for a student does not reduce a local school’s operating expenses. Our public schools need to have priority for funds.

I oppose Educational Savings Accounts (ESA). This bill runs counter to Article VIII, Section 10 of Virginia Constitution: "State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision there of." Our public schools need to have priority for funds, and ESA divert funds from our public schools. An ESA for a student does not reduce a local school's operating expenses. Furthermore, this bill allows discrimination based upon its creed, practices, admissions policies or curriculum.

I am against this bill. Educational Savings Accounts divert funds from our public schools and allows for funding for religious or religious sect education which is not in line with the separation of church and state that our founding fathers established. We need full funding for schools, especially in areas that are underfunded and underserved and this will only exacerbate those problems as well as leave our current schools hurting for funds that have been diverted. In addition, this bill runs counter to our Virginia Constitution which states in Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof.; ...”. The General Assembly may appropriate funds for educational purposes which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate or graduate education of Virginia students in public and private nonsectarian private schools...” Please vote NO on HB1024.

I oppose HB1024, HB344, HB356, and HB346. These bills divert funds from public schools, reduce transparency with respect to public interest in the education of its citizens, remove/reduce influence of local school boards, potentially introduce religious bias into instruction, and/or disproportionally benefit the wealthy. We need to invest in our public education system and encourage parents to participate in public education. We do not need to divert funds to private schools from an already underfunded public education system or reduce the tax base for public schools. Our society requires a quality education system for all of its citizens for its continued growth and stability. The public has as much interest in the education of children as parents. Focus on funding and promoting public education not trying to fund private and particularly, private for-profit schools, which are NOT in the best interests of the public.

OPPOSE HB1024 Educational Savings Accounts divert funds from our public schools while funding religious education. The bill runs counter to the Virginia Constitution, which states in Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof….” This bill also allows discrimination based upon creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum.

Dear Members of the K-12 Education Committee, I oppose HB 1024 because it diverts much-needed funds from the public school sector to the private school sector. Public schools have to teach all children in their catchment areas; these have to be counted as if they are attending the public school, even if they are not. The school has to budget for all of them, even if the funds to cover them have been diverted to parents who choose private schools. HB 1024 allows public funds to be diverted to religiously sectarian schools, in contradiction of the Virginia Constitution that prohibits public funding of sectarian schools. Families certainly have a right to choose sectarian education, but their own religious establishments should help them through scholarships. Public schools are supposed to observe the separation of church and state, ever more vital when children come from a variety of religious practices, each of which must be respected. Public schools have faced many expenses during the pandemic, and their staffs need salary increases and funding for better mental health services for students. These needs must be prioritized. Yours sincerely, Sidney Johnson

I oppose HB 1024 and HB1025 Educational Savings Accounts divert funds from our public schools. The bill covers funding for a religious or religious sect education. This bill allows discrimination based upon its creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum. An ESA for a student does not reduce a local school’s operating expenses. Our public schools need to have priority for funds.

I am writing in opposition to HB1024. Such funds divert funds from our public schools which need our support more than ever to education the next generation of Virginians equitably and honestly. They also allow for public funding for religious and discriminatory education, preventing whole groups of Virginian children from receiving the education they are entitled to and deserve. The idea of "Parent Choice" as being promoted in this bill only serves a certain type of Parent and elevates those voices above both minority Parents and the larger population.

Please do not support house bills 1024, 344,346, or 356. These bills divert resources from public schools. There is not interest in charter schools in Virginia, creating new schools is highly inefficient especially when there is a shortage of teachers and staff.

Virginia taxpayer revenue should not be funding private or religious schools. The Virginia Constitution Article VIII clearly states that Virginia citizens can rely on this funding mandate. I oppose actions like HR1024 which is a failure to follow the constitution.

My family and I strongly oppose this bill. We should not be diverting funding from public schools, particularly not to use public money for religious organizations. This runs directly contrary to the Virginia Constitution.

I am strongly opposed to HB 1024 - not only removing funding from public schools but also requiring costs to administer these savings accounts is a plan designed to undermine public education and force students into charter and private options that often are for-profit. I am Catholic and have young children who we may put in Catholic school, but I also recognize that free public education is a critical cornerstone of a healthy and productive society. State money should not be taken from public schools to support religious organizations. Public schools are often the only option for students who are disabled or have high support needs, and private schools are often not required to help them the way public schools are. This reduces accessibility and will widen the gap between students from poor and rich families.

Please do not advance this bill. It will deprive public schools of much needed public funding and, instead, give my public money to religious education. The bill would violate the separation of "church" and State which is enshrined in our Constitution. NO public money for religion sponsored education!!!

Oppose HB1024 Any bills that favor private schools or home schooling is detrimental to the public schools that are already underfunded. Private schools increase segregation, discrimination and exclusion. Studies show private schools do not improve the quality of education for students. The emphasis on religion at many private schools interferes with a well rounded STEAM based education and tax incentives conflict with the separation of church and state.

I am against HB1024. I am a mother in Loudoun County. Recently we moved from the state of Arizona where ESA was an unpopular option for parents. Constituents voted against it regularly, including what became a citizen referendum called Prop 305 where parents voted against ESA 2-1. The reason parents voted against was because it had helped destroy the school system by taking money out of public schools and giving them to private schools. Private schools have a right to discriminate against any student, based on gender, religion, ability, culture. I am against my tax dollars going to these types of schools. Schools should not be able to take tax dollars when they are able to discriminate, especially when the money is being taken away from public schools who have to and should take everyone. Please vote against HB1024.

I oppose HB1024. Educational Savings Accounts divert money from our public school system which in many areas of the state is in dire need of more funding not less. Additionally, HB1024 covers funding for a religious or religious sect education which is not permitted according to our Virginia Constitution. Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof.; ...”. The General Assembly may appropriate funds for educational purposes which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate or graduate education of Virginia students in public and private nonsectarian private schools...” We need to make our public school system stronger not weaker. Please use this money to invest in our crumbling schools and increase pay for teachers.

I am very concerned that Educational Savings Accounts will divert funds from our public schools. I ask you to oppose this bill because it covers funding for a religious or religious sect education. It would allow discrimination based on its creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum, which I cannot support. In addition, the bill runs counter to our Virginia Constitution which states in Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof.; ...”. The General Assembly may appropriate funds for educational purposes which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate or graduate education of Virginia students in public and private nonsectarian private schools...” The General Assembly should not be considering bills that run counter to the Virginia Constitution. Our public schools need to have priority for public funds. For these reasons, I hope you will oppose this bill.

Please oppose HB1024. Montgomery County Public Schools are in need of support to maintain excellence. Do not do anything that takes funding from our schools.

I write to you asking you to oppose this bill. I am very concerned that Educational Savings Accounts will divert funds from our public schools. This bill covers funding for a religious or religious sect education, which I oppose. It allows discrimination based on its creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum. In addition, the bill runs counter to our Virginia Constitution which states in Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof.; ...”. The General Assembly may appropriate funds for educational purposes which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate or graduate education of Virginia students in public and private nonsectarian private schools...” Our public schools need to have priority for public funds. For these reasons, I hope you will oppose this bill.

I'm a high school math teacher and the numbers just aren't adding up here. This bill doesn't make the cost of education for all of our students the priority. HB1024 seeks to syphon funds away from our youth and puts it in the pocket of for profit "education." I was taught by our Virginia public school system that education is the power of the masses and this bill appears to me to try, yet again, to take power away from the many in favor of the few. Don't allow this constitutional injustice to take place.

Your bills regarding vouchers, and savings accounts are going to cost the public school system exponentially. Not only is this unethical, it is against what the Governor ran on (promises of NOT depleting public school spending). Our public schools are struggling to maintain staff and work under extraordinary circumstances, with these bills you are undermining what the public school system stands on. With students already struggling and facing deficits this would be catastrophic. Please DO NOT approve vouches.

As has always been the case, if a parent doesn’t like something about public school, whether it be closure due to pandemic (and virtual option) that parent has the right to find a private school of choice and pay for that. This has never changed and should remain the case. Taking monies from public school only deteriorates schooling for those kids continuing there.

Three reason for school choice Education is the single most important tool to help lift people out of poverty School safety helps students escape communities where bullying, gang related violence is common. Special needs children can get schooling tailored to their needs.

I argue you to vote against HB1024. The evisceration of taxpayer funding for public schools is unacceptable. The US Constitution reserves the power to establish public education to the States under the 19th Amendment and the Virginia Constitution details funding allocation. A vote against this bill is a vote for the children and the future of Virginia.

Educational Savings Accounts divert funds from our public schools. The bill covers funding for a religious or religious sect education. This bill allows discrimination based upon its creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum. The bill runs counter to our Virginia Constitution which states in Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof.; ...”. The General Assembly may appropriate funds for educational purposes which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate or graduate education of Virginia students in public and private nonsectarian private schools...” An ESA for a student does not reduce a local school’s operating expenses. Our public schools need to have priority for funds.

Educational Savings Accounts divert funds from our public schools. The bill covers funding for a religious or religious sect education. This bill allows discrimination based upon its creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum. The bill runs counter to our Virginia Constitution which states in Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof.; ...”. The General Assembly may appropriate funds for educational purposes which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate or graduate education of Virginia students in public and private nonsectarian private schools...” An ESA for a student does not reduce a local school’s operating expenses. Our public schools need to have priority for funds.

Please oppose HB333. Local school boards are charged with the mission of delivering public education in their districts. Time and resources should not be spent administering savings plans for any purpose. Please pass HB649. The provisions of this bill would be real assets to students and families of the deaf and hard of hearing. Please oppose HB873. While improved school security is certainly a desirable goal, school districts should not be bound as to how best to achieve this in their districts. The disparity in funding across Virginia school districts means that many smaller, rural districts have severely limited funding sources and consequently should not be hampered with staffing micro-management that may not meet their needs. Further, other school districts may find that the presence of local law enforcement in their schools does more to create tension and erode trust than alternative security measures may depending on the dynamics within their population. Please oppose HB1024. The state and local school boards are in the business of providing a high quality education to ALL of its children. Neither the state nor local school boards should dilute funding from this mission by diverting tax resources toward the pursuit of private alternatives. If localities would not divert public safety funding to citizens who pursue private security services, why would they consider doing something similar for education? Please pass HB1179. Asian American, Pacific Islander, Latino, and Indigenous peoples are only marginally represented within social studies curricula. The establishment of an advisory committee to the executive branch in improving the representation of these populations can only be helpful in closing this gap.

I oppose HB1024. I willingly pay taxes to support public schools because I believe educating the next generation is the only sure way to grow our economy and preserve our Constitution. Moreover, because I vote for school board members and also, politely, communicate with them on issues, I have a measure of control over how my taxes are spent. Thus I wholeheartedly object to any diversion of public funding from its intended purpose into support for schools for which taxpayers have no oversight. Additionally, many of Virginia's public schools are in dire need of more funding. To propose taking public money away from districts that just voted to raise their taxes so they can begin to fix their crumbling schools is shameful. I urge the committee to reject HB1024.

My name is Dr. Rachel Levy and I live in Ashland, Virginia (23005), in the 55th House of Delegates District and the 9th State Senate District. I am a mother of three--I have one child in Hanover County Public Schools as well as two who are just graduated in 2021. I am also a teacher who has a PhD in Educational Leadership & Policy from VCU. I was a candidate for the 55th District seat in 2021. I oppose HB1024 and HB 1025 because I support our public schools, because they are impractical, because they're unconstitutional, because they will only serve to subsidize affluent parents, and because the people in the districts where I live do not want vouchers, directly or via a back door. Studies of the impact of vouchers on student performance show no difference in performance or show that public school students outperform their voucher-program peers. Our public schools in Virginia are already chronically underfunded--Virginia ranks 41st in per-PK-12 student spending out of all states. Voucher studies also show that vouchers tend to favor students from more affluent families and can drive economic and racial segregation. Most low-income families don't receive enough support to make use of school vouchers and so a bill like this will cause much needed public funding for our public schools to be diverted to affluent parents and their chosen private schools. Private schools that participate in voucher programs are generally free to reject or accept students based on perceived at-risk status, academic ability, religion, sexual orientation or gender-identity which allows private schools to discriminate against certain groups of students while raking in public funds. On average, parents of students who switch to private schools with vouchers are not happier or more satisfied. Voucher schemes are especially harmful to rural communities which can ill afford to lose any funding and with whom local public schools are popular and cherished community centers and gathering places. School vouchers will destroy these cherished institutions in our rural communities--institutions which are already struggling from neglect and under-funding. My campaign in the 55th District, which is largely rural, knocked about 9500 doors in the past campaign cycle. The citizens of the 55th District love their public schools and want them to be stronger and fully funded and staffed. They don't want school vouchers. Thank you for your time and consideration and for your service to our Commonwealth.

Education vouchers are desperately needed in Virginia. We should not be punishing parents who wish to educate their children outside the public school system. Currently, Virginia is withholding state tax funds for purchasing curriculum to homeschooling children or for enrolling them in private schools. The public school system has been overrun with social justice warriors and liberal indoctrination instructors. Parents who do not want their children groomed to be the next generation of freedom-hating socialist-worshiping liberal mouthpieces have the right to be monetarily compensated. If the public school system insists on supplementing educational curriculum with social emotional learning and critical race theory, making children feel ashamed for the color of their skin or where their ancestors came from, the state has a moral obligation to provide vouchers and funding to parents who are against this type of abuse.

I respectfully ask that you support HB649. This legislation is vital to changing the devastating statistics regarding language deprivation among d/Deaf, DeafBlind and hard-of-hearing children. Having access to language, ensuring resources are provided for parents and tracking their language acquisition to measure their language acquisition from ages 0-5 against that of their hearing peers are all key components for kindergarten readiness and towards a happy, productive future. Thank you for you support and voting YES for HB649.

I am writing to urge you to vote no on HB 201, HB 333, and HB 1024. These bills divert public money out of public schools and into charter and private schools. It is the state’s responsibility to ensure that our public schools are fully-funded. Please protect public school funding by voting no on these bills.

I oppose HB1024 for the following reasons - please vote NO! Educational Savings Accounts divert funds from our public schools. The bill covers funding for a religious or religious sect education. This bill allows discrimination based upon its creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum. The bill runs counter to our Virginia Constitution which states in Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof.; ...”. The General Assembly may appropriate funds for educational purposes which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate or graduate education of Virginia students in public and private nonsectarian private schools...” An ESA for a student does not reduce a local school’s operating expenses. Our public schools need to have priority for funds.

I am against this bill and against any tax payer funds going to anything other than our public schools that are already underfunded in some areas of the Commonwealth. If parents want to send their children to private or religious schools, fine, but at their own expense. Our public schools offer extremely good educations in Virginia and we should be supporting our educators and facilities with our tax dollars, not private schools or religious schools.

I am a retired teacher who taught in Fairfax County Public Schools for 20 years. I am also a resident of Arlington County. I urge this committee to reject HB 1024 which would remove monies necessary to fund our public schools. Never has this Commonwealth fully-funded the SOQs (not since I began teaching in 1976) - and yet this bill would steal funds from public schools and allow them to be used to pay for private schools, including parochial (church-funded/affiliated) schools. This would violate the separation of state and church that is engrained in our state and federal Constitutions. NO on HB 1024.

Stop trying to divert public school funding to private schools! We have one of the best school systems in the country, but certain politicians will look for any excuse to use public money to fund private religious schools. Not only does that directly oppose the founders’ intention of separation of church and state, but private schools are relatively unaccountable and can discriminate against certain students based on many factors including religion, economic background, and English language ability. Public funds should pay only for schools that are open to all children and accountable to the general public. Parents are welcome to choose to send their children to private religious schools, but that should not be subsidized by taxpayers.

Please do not vote fpr this bill. A vote for Educational Savings Accounts diverts funds from our public schools. Our public schools need to have priority for all funding.

I am a student at a Virginia Middle school and I support public schools and don't think you should take money away from them.

Stop the assault on public schools! Stop trying to divert funds away from public education. Stop trying to crush morale in public education. Stop hurting trans children in public education. Stop failing students by teaching them a whitewashed version of the past. Stop using child-on-child rape as a tool for political gain. Stop banning books. Stop legislating curriculum, particularly events that never happened such as the Abe Lincoln-Frederick Douglass debates. We owe our children a fighting chance. We owe them a great education, which cannot happen without the truth being taught. Every child is better off when every child is set up for success.

Public schooling is our country's best investment in creating adults who can contibute to society in meaningful ways. Voucher programs that take funding away from public schools should NEVER be implemented. We need to build up and invest in public education. These attempts to gut public education are absolutely disgusting.

6 of the states who currently offer ESAs/Vouchers rank in the bottom 1/2 of the states for the National Education Ranking. do we really want that to happen to Virginia?

Please do not approve HB 1024. Funds for educating Virginia’s students should go to public schools. My daughter graduated from a public high school in Arlington. I appreciate that the cost to educate my daughter and other students in Virginia’s public schools is expensive, and I am grateful that those funds were expended on her behalf. Please do not divert any funds away from public schools, as contemplated in this bill, and continue to focus on making our public school system as strong as possible.

Educational Savings Accounts divert funds from our public schools. The bill covers funding for a religious or religious sect education. This bill allows discrimination based upon its creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum. The bill runs counter to our Virginia Constitution which states in Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof.; ...”. The General Assembly may appropriate funds for educational purposes which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate or graduate education of Virginia students in public and private nonsectarian private schools...” An ESA for a student does not reduce a local school’s operating expenses. Our public schools need to have priority for funds.

I oppose the following bills : 346, 344, 356, 784, 788, 1024, 1025, 982. The Virginia Constitution provides for state funding and state support for public schools. Any state monies, tax credits, scholarships that go to private schools, lab schools, charter schools are taking away from the State’s duty to fund public education. We have never been able to fully meet the need for funds for public school renovation, a desperate need in many school districts. Now is the wrong time to take on state funding of private education.

I am writing to oppose the establishment of Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts. Such accounts would take funding away from our public schools. Public education is fundamental to a functioning democracy. Tax dollars should not be spent on private schools, especially those that promote a specific religious perspective. Any educational program receiving public funds must be non-sectarian, and must not discriminate based on religious views. Please make adequate funding for our public schools a priority. Thank you.

Educational Savings Accounts divert funds from our public schools. The bill covers funding for a religious or religious sect education. This bill allows discrimination based upon its creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum. The bill runs counter to our Virginia Constitution which states in Article VIII, Section 10: “State appropriations are prohibited to schools or institutions of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the State or some subdivision thereof.; ...”. The General Assembly may appropriate funds for educational purposes which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate or graduate education of Virginia students in public and private nonsectarian private schools...” An ESA for a student does not reduce a local school’s operating expenses. Our public schools need to have priority for funds.

SB1024 is a bill that I oppose. Educational Savings Accounts divert funds from our public schools. And also ,this bill covers funding for a religious or religious sect education. That is not how our public education system works. This bill allows discrimination based upon its creed, practices, admissions policies, or curriculum. Cheryl MyersJohnson Midlothian, VA 23112

Please move to report HB201, HB333, HB649, HB873, HB1024.

Long overdue! Improve education through competition. Allow parents to pick the best school for their child's education.

These bills are OPPOSED by the Virginia Education Association and myself, a public school teacher in Fairfax County.

HB 1024 &HB1025.... It is time for the General Assembly to pass legislation that responds to ALL parents. Not just a select few. County schools are failing our students. Teacher's classes are overloaded and our students suffer. It isn't fair to pass students simply because no student should be left behind! Kids aren't learning and parents can't afford to choose another option. Give our children a future!

Home School Legal Defense Association opposes HB 1024 because it will authorize government money to flow to home school families. Where government money goes, government control will eventually follow. This bill is a long-term threat to the continued freedom to homeschool. A similar bill is pending in another state, and the state's superintendent of public instruction said: "If we start giving homeschoolers state money, there’s got to be state accountability.” Source: https://www.alreporter.com/2022/02/03/parents-choice-bill-passes-committee-over-concerns-from-critics/

I do not support Bill HB1025. The allotted amount is a drop in the bucket when using it toward private or charter schools and does not make private schools any more affordable. As well, only public schools are required to adhere to IDEA for special education. Taking away funds from public schools removes needed resources for our special education students. I do not support this bill since it will give nothing to parents in the long run, and take away needed resources for students in the public school setting.

Delegate LaRock, I am writing to let you know that requiring students to wear masks is a safety issue for students, teachers and staff. It is not something that will be required forever, but necessary at this time of high incidents of Covid with students.(HB 1036) You need to go into the schools and see what we see as educators. Until you have been in the schools, you can make this call against masks. Do you wear a seat belt? We follow regulations every day to keep ourselves and others safe. This is not an issue that needs attention, helping our public schools, our students and teachers is a greater need. Prioritize your concerns. If you are doing this just for political support, then you need to not be in a position to lead in our state.

Delegate LaRock, I am writing to ask that you reconsider your view on Parental Choice Education Savings Account. This may sound like a bill most parents would approve, but it is not. This is just another way of circumventing the public education system. Providing these savings accounts is not helping our underprivileged and disadvantaged students, but allowing parents to choose a school that is not diverse and based on inclusion. These private and charter schools pick and choose who they will admit in their schools. Parents who favor these accounts want to segregate our children. Parents who do not want to send their students to public schools (which is their right), should do so and also pay for it themselves. Public schools need the funds more than any parent who wants to segregate their children. I pray for our public schools everyday that these attacks stop.

Delegate LaRock, I am writing to let you know that requiring students to wear masks is a safety issue for students, teachers and staff. It is not something that will be required forever, but necessary at this time of high incidents of Covid with students. You need to go into the schools and see what we see as educators. Until you have been in the schools, you can make this call against masks. Do you wear a seat belt? We follow regulations every day to keep ourselves and others safe. This is not an issue that needs attention, helping our public schools, our students and teachers is a greater need. Prioritize your concerns. If you are doing this just for political support, then you need to not be in a position to lead in our state.

I am a wife, mother, educator and resident of the city of Suffolk and I oppose these bills (including HB788, which was not on the list) because k-12 vouchers do not improve student outcomes. They take much needed money from public education. Virginia needs to put more money into public education, not less. We are current ranked 41st for per student spending. Our teacher salaries are nowhere near where they should be and we are currently suffering from a teacher shortage. There are numerous studies (Brookings Institute, National Bureau of Economic Research, University of Virginia) that show vouchers do not improve student outcomes. Investing in public schools improves outcomes, graduation and post secondary enrollment. Vote no on these bills. Thank you. Mrs. D. Waddell

Vote NO on HB 1024. This bill is another form of voucher system. As an advocate for students and education, I urge you to vote no. Ultimately, this bill will harm far more students with disabilities than it would help. It will pull money out of public education, where students with disabilities have legal protections under IDEA , and divert public money to private institutions that are not bound by the same laws as public education. Additionally, private special education school tuition is exorbitantly expensive, even with some state funding credit, it is largely unaffordable to the vast majority of Virginia residents. The outcome is worse services for the majority of students with disabilities in VA. Please vote no. A better effort would be to increase public school funding for students with disabilities and to make laws improving public school disability programming.

Hello, I would like to comment in support of HB1024, which provides Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts. My would like to propose a change to the definition of "qualified student." The definitions provided in points 3 and 4 are not inclusive to include special education students whose parents have chosen to remove them from the public schools and teach them at home. Our local public schools fails to provide adequate, evidence-based dyslexia services, thus our dyslexic and dysgraphic 2nd-grader has been schooled at home, supplemented by very costly tutoring and occupational therapy services. He has been evaluated through the public schools and has an ISP, which is the IEP equivalent for home-schooled and private school students. Thus, I propose that the qualifications be amended to allow students with ISPs who were not enrolled in public elementary or secondary schools to be included in the qualifications for the Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts. Special education students are not adequately being served in the public schools, and thus these students should not have to spend two semesters languishing back in the public schools in order to access these funds.

To Whom It May Concern, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on HB 1034. As a public high school school teacher and parent of two young children (ages 5 and 2) in Virginia, I have serious concerns that this bill will wind up doing more harm than good for the children of our state. I have worked in two different public school systems in Virginia over 13 years, and I have seen first hand how beneficial counseling services can be to a wide variety of students. If parents are allowed to prohibit their students from accessing counseling services in the school, these students may be cut off from not only critical mental health support, but but also the academic, career, and community support that school counselors and mental health team members provide. All members of a school mental health team must undergo rigorous education before obtaining their licenses, and as such they should be trusted as the professionals they are to provide only services that they deem necessary for students well-being. I strongly urge you to let the trained mental health professionals do their jobs. Don't make students get tied in the mire of adult squibbles. Thank you, Sara Watkins Mother Teacher Concerned Virginia Citizen

To Whom It May Concern, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on HB HB1032. As a public high school school teacher and parent of two young children (ages 5 and 2) in Virginia, I have serious concerns that this bill will wind up doing more harm than good for the children of our state. As VA Senator Peterson said on January 27 of this year, regarding a similar bill, "I don't think we should be involved in micromanaging school libraries...The problem is that you’re going to sweep up books that you don’t intend to sweep up" (Matthew Barakat, abcnews.go.com). I strongly urge you to leave the books in the libraries for the kids. They deserve to have the opportunity to decide with their own parents and personal support systems what books to read. Thank you, Sara Watkins Mother Teacher Concerned Virginia Citizen

Please move to report HB221, 340, 533, 873, 1032, 1100, 1125, 1347. Thank you.

To Whom It May Concern, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on HB 1034. As a public high school school teacher and parent of two young children (ages 5 and 2) in Virginia, I have serious concerns that this bill will wind up doing more harm than good for the children of our state. I have worked in two different public school systems in Virginia over 13 years, and I have seen first hand how beneficial counseling services can be to a wide variety of students. If parents are allowed to prohibit their students from accessing counseling services in the school, these students may be cut off from not only critical mental health support, but but also the academic, career, and community support that school counselors and mental health team members provide. All members of a school mental health team must undergo rigorous education before obtaining their licenses, and as such they should be trusted as the professionals they are to provide only services that they deem necessary for students well-being. I strongly urge you to let the trained mental health professionals do their jobs. Don't make students get tied in the mire of adult squibbles. Thank you, Sara Watkins Mother Teacher Concerned Virginia Citizen

To Whom It May Concern, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on HB HB1032. As a public high school school teacher and parent of two young children (ages 5 and 2) in Virginia, I have serious concerns that this bill will wind up doing more harm than good for the children of our state. As VA Senator Peterson said on January 27 of this year, regarding a similar bill, "I don't think we should be involved in micromanaging school libraries...The problem is that you’re going to sweep up books that you don’t intend to sweep up" (Matthew Barakat, abcnews.go.com). I strongly urge you to leave the books in the libraries for the kids. They deserve to have the opportunity to decide with their own parents and personal support systems what books to read. Thank you, Sara Watkins Mother Teacher Concerned Virginia Citizen

Comments Document

Summary of submitted document: On Feb. 8, 2022, the Rappahannock County School Board and Board of Supervisors jointly voted to pass the attached resolution. Thank you for considering passing HB 1164.

Education vouchers are desperately needed in Virginia. We should not be punishing parents who wish to educate their children outside the public school system. Currently, Virginia is withholding state tax funds for purchasing curriculum to homeschooling children or for enrolling them in private schools. The public school system has been overrun with social justice warriors and liberal indoctrination instructors. Parents who do not want their children groomed to be the next generation of freedom-hating socialist-worshiping liberal mouthpieces have the right to be monetarily compensated. If the public school system insists on supplementing educational curriculum with social emotional learning and critical race theory, making children feel ashamed for the color of their skin or where their ancestors came from, the state has a moral obligation to provide vouchers and funding to parents who are against this type of abuse.

I respectfully ask that you support HB649. This legislation is vital to changing the devastating statistics regarding language deprivation among d/Deaf, DeafBlind and hard-of-hearing children. Having access to language, ensuring resources are provided for parents and tracking their language acquisition to measure their language acquisition from ages 0-5 against that of their hearing peers are all key components for kindergarten readiness and towards a happy, productive future. Thank you for you support and voting YES for HB649.

Garrey W. Curry, Jr., County Administrator for Rappahannock County. Thank you for the opportunity to provide input to your informed decision-making process. Rappahannock County has supported changes to the LCI formula for years in ways that are similar to those proposed in HB1164. We understand that changes to the formula are far reaching and that it is very difficult to build consensus. We would like the subcommittee to understand how the incorporation of the True Market Value of land rather than the “Land Use” value of land (upon which local taxes are levied) into the LCI formula is very particularly detrimental to Rappahannock County and similar rural/agrarian communities. Our community has studied this topic with great detail and will be formally releasing a study report on the date of your hearing. Land Use taxation is a local option tool that helps rural localities like Rappahannock County preserve our open lands. Levying property taxes at a lower “use” value based on agriculture, horticulture, or forestry (as compared to the True Market Value that would be derived from an arm’s-length sale) does two important things, i) it aligns the tax burden with a property’s need for services (cows and trees do not go to school or call law enforcement), and ii) it reduces the driver for a landowner (who must pay property taxes) to find other ways to monetize their large property holdings to pay taxes based on the true market value, which the prime way that is done is subdivision of land and selling parcels. Our community vision as outlined in our comprehensive plan is one of preservation, not growth. We have worked very hard to keep the northern Virginia development from invading our community. We are proud that our 2020 census count is exactly the same as out 2010 census count (7,373). The implementation of Land Use taxation is integral to this preservation vision. Our preservation vision has saved the state millions of dollars over the decade as compared to school districts that have rapidly increasing school populations (more students = more state funding). With that foundation, the incorporation of True Market Value of land rather than Land Use value of land (again upon which local property taxes are levied) in the LCI formula causes our calculated LCI to max out and be capped at 0.8000. The fact that the land could be sold at an arm’s length transaction for the true market value has no bearing on our ability to provide local funding through our locally levied property tax. Our county is particularly hard hit by the inclusion of true market value of land because 26.6% of all land in the county is in the land use program. Add that to the 20+ percent that is located within the Shenandoah National Park and the 20+ percent in conservation easement. If the goal of the LCI formula is to estimate a locality’s “ability to pay” as it relates to property value, it should mimic how a locality levies tax on property values. Rappahannock County has implemented land use taxation, which has saved the commonwealth millions of dollars in unrealized student growth, and in exchange for that savings we are told that we must pay 80% of all SOQ education costs.

Very import

To Whom It May Concern, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on HB 1034. As a public high school school teacher and parent of two young children (ages 5 and 2) in Virginia, I have serious concerns that this bill will wind up doing more harm than good for the children of our state. I have worked in two different public school systems in Virginia over 13 years, and I have seen first hand how beneficial counseling services can be to a wide variety of students. If parents are allowed to prohibit their students from accessing counseling services in the school, these students may be cut off from not only critical mental health support, but but also the academic, career, and community support that school counselors and mental health team members provide. All members of a school mental health team must undergo rigorous education before obtaining their licenses, and as such they should be trusted as the professionals they are to provide only services that they deem necessary for students well-being. I strongly urge you to let the trained mental health professionals do their jobs. Don't make students get tied in the mire of adult squibbles. Thank you, Sara Watkins Mother Teacher Concerned Virginia Citizen

To Whom It May Concern, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on HB HB1032. As a public high school school teacher and parent of two young children (ages 5 and 2) in Virginia, I have serious concerns that this bill will wind up doing more harm than good for the children of our state. As VA Senator Peterson said on January 27 of this year, regarding a similar bill, "I don't think we should be involved in micromanaging school libraries...The problem is that you’re going to sweep up books that you don’t intend to sweep up" (Matthew Barakat, abcnews.go.com). I strongly urge you to leave the books in the libraries for the kids. They deserve to have the opportunity to decide with their own parents and personal support systems what books to read. Thank you, Sara Watkins Mother Teacher Concerned Virginia Citizen

Students with disabilities use the same education technology as their peers. While there is a robust market for education technology, accessibility for students with disabilities is not a factor in the product selection process by Virginia school boards, despite the existence of widespread accessibility standards for over twenty years. As a result, school boards are purchasing technology that cannot be used by students with disabilities. Since much of a student’s academic experience is tied to technology deployed by schools (including classroom materials, testing, portals for grades, and homework), it is critical for these products to be accessible to students with disabilities. With the recent shift to virtual learning during the pandemic, this access challenge for students with disabilities has increased. Currently, teachers are forced to develop one-off solutions to address systemic challenges with technology acquisitions made at the district level. HB 1247 proposes that the Department of Education convene a work group that would provide input and recommendations on the provision of accessible digital tools in the classroom. The study group will examine the problem and propose solutions to the procurement of accessible technology. Many organizations support this bill, including the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia, the Parents of Blind Children, the Disability Law Center and many others. We would appreciate favorable consideration.

VCASE appreciates Del. Tran connecting with us on this HB1246. VCASE supports the substitute for HB1246 that has a stakeholder workgroup study and recommend policy changes ensuring the accessibility of learning and management educational platforms obtained by local divisions through the procurement process. All platforms used by school divisions for instruction should be accessible in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act, section 508. This has been required federal law with required compliance effective for several years. Amendments to the Virginia Procurement Act could also strengthen statewide accessibility requirements. Thank you!

Comments Document

I’m Ally Kelso, a high school student from Burke. I’m a blind student who uses a screen reader to access online class work during school. Often times, the website or Digital materials I need to access in class are very difficult to navigate or incompatible with my screen reader. One example of this issue is when I had to take the online economics and personal finance class that all Virginia high school students are required to take. The website was quite inaccessible and I ended up needing my mom to read and fill in my dictated answers for quizzes and tests so that I could complete the course. This situation would’ve been avoidable if my county had ensured that the virtual Virginia website, which I used for the class, met all of the website accessibility guidelines. Last year, when my county was doing virtual school, I faced difficulties navigating blackboard collaborate ultra, the county’s virtual meeting platform of choice, because of the platform’s inaccessibility. I couldn’t hear what my classmates were typing in the chat box when I was typing things in the chat box simultaneously and I was not able to navigate to the links that teachers placed inside the chat box either which made it difficult for me to participate in class discussions and obtain class work at the same time as my peers. Once again, these situations would not have occurred in my county if The current website accessibility guidelines and standards we’re implemented. When I am not able to access materials and school just like my classmates, I lose my independence and my drive to work extremely hard. The passage of HB 1246 would fix these challenges for me and other visually impaired Virginia students. All disabled students in Virginia would benefit from this legislation and would be able to thrive in school and beyond. Thank you for your time.

​I am writing in strong support of HB1246 and why ​it's​ passage is so very important to me and to Virginia students. This legislation is vital to the education of children who are blind or have other disabilities. These students use the same education technology as their peers to access their classes, materials, information and grades. While there is a vast market for educational portals, platforms, websites and digital apps, accessibility for students with disabilities is often overlooked or not a factor in the product selection process by Virginia school boards. As a result school boards are purchasing technology that cannot be used by students with disabilities. Since the majority of a student's assignments are done online using digital methods for testing, class​work​ and homework, portals for accessing those materials, grades and school information, it is critical for these products to be accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. The pandemic has simply exacerbated the accessibility challenges and will compound as education and society continues to advance in technology uses in all areas of school, work and life. Sharing a story about my own daughter, who is blind and identifies as a person with Autism​ who will graduate this year with a 4.0 GPA. Prior to taking legal action seven years ago, she would sit in classes confused and lost due to inaccessible digital platforms & materials (even experienced computer users and trainers for the blind could not access them). We had to retain legal assist., eventually settling with the school district (different district than we currently live) who ended up employing extra staff specifically to make all digital materials accessible to her. We still have staff in place to insure accessibility. Once she had accessible materials she is able to complete work independently in classes with ​a​ 4.0 GPA and going to college in the fall. Currently, the responsibility of adapting materials are often being pushed onto classroom teachers and teachers for the visually impaired are spending a considerable amount of time adapting digital materials, coming at a hefty price tag to divisions, let alone the stress and burnout. Other times parents and divisions are spending immeasurable hours through the dispute res. processes, at a hefty price tag and enormous stress to parents​, ​school divisions and staff. ​ Going through dispute resolution and due process is not only financially and emotionally devastating to everyone involved but is costing valuable time​ and undue and extreme distress to the student. Why HB 1246? It shifts accountability to education technology vendors! First, the bill will require local school boards to include accessibility requirements in the procurement process. Second, the bill will require that vendors indemnify the purchaser for costs arising from any lack of product accessibility. Third, the bill will require school boards to prioritize the purchase of education technology that best meets accessibility standards while taking into consideration costs and lack of alternatives. Fourth, the bill will require vendors to remediate inaccessibility issues within 180 days’ notice. Finally, the bill will require that school boards and the Dept. of Ed. track accessibility and remediation efforts and make such information publicly available to all school boards. Your support is vital to the education of blind and disabled children. Thank you.

As a parent and volunteer advocate for other parents, I am writing in SUPPORT OF HB 1246, a bill which promotes accessible design of educational technology. This bill is much needed to provide access for students and adults with disabilities; however, in reality, accessible design benefits everyone. A concrete ramp benefits people in wheelchairs, but parents with strollers rely on the same ramps. Likewise, accessible design of educational technology not only provides access to people with disabilities, but it also provides greater ease of access for nondisabled people who suffer from eye fatigue after reading screen after screen or need a little magnification to see clearly or audio to multitask. Unlike the ADA, IDEA, and 504 which were all passed long before the computer age, this HB 1246 incorporates specific Web Content Accessibility Guidelines that provide much needed direction which helps districts meet the broad goals of established disability rights legislation; while other legislation provides the What, HB 1246 provides the much needed How. Unlike other legislation which requires costly lawsuits, this legislation proactively utilizes the crucial relationship between buyer and vendor, and relies on the natural implications of economics to motivate edtech vendors to create products according to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This bill will also help reduce staffing shortages (a need identified by the JLARC Study) by enabling direct, independent access rather than wasting precious staffing hours on teacher-created/facilitated retrofits which are neither efficient nor effective. While pre-digital era legislation proposes that separate can be equal, this legislation acknowledges the field-leveling potential of technology and establishes the need for accessible design as the default state of educational technology. Please support this important bill. Thank you.

I support HB 1246 Kimberly Drudge I believe that accessible technology is important as a blind high school student. I need access to all materials, whether on the internet or on my computer. When I was in middle school, particularly sixth and seventh grade, materials were almost always given to me in an inaccessible format, particularly on the computer. I have a teacher for the blind and visually impaired, or a TVI for short, who adapts things for me in Braille or accessible documents if the assignments are not on an accessible website, which is a lot of things. When I was in middle school, I had no idea how to access my work. I would sit in class, confused and not able to understand what was going on. The teachers would go at a very fast pace and I would get so frustrated and I always felt behind. Currently I use a website called Schoology to get to my digital assignments once they have been adapted by my TVI or teacher and posted on there. Schoology is somewhat accessible but not completely. When it's time to take a test, however, if the test is on Schoology it is inaccessible. When using the testing on Schoology when I click on the answer I want according to what, a different answer would actually get selected and I would not know until after the test was submitted. This is just one of many examples of why accessible technology is important. There are so many programs that are used in school that are not accessible and it makes it so hard to try and keep up and stay positive in school. Luckily, I have a science teacher and a Spanish teacher who understand my needs and take the time to make tests and assignments accessible for me but I know that my teachers are overwhelmed and so busy. All technology that is used in schools should already be accessible so we all can learn and so the teachers don't have to do so much extra work. Your support to HB 1246 is extremely important to me and the disability community. I believe accessible technology needs to improve not just for blind or visually-impaired people, but for people of all types of disabilities.

Dear Delegates, I am writing in support of HB 1246, which promotes accessibility of educational technology. I am a parent, a volunteer parent advocate, and constituent of Delegate Tran who has graciously allowed me to help write this bill. I have directly witnessed ways in which district-procured digital content, when not designed to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, prevents access for students who could otherwise independently access apps, websites, and other digital content if that content was designed according to standards set forth in Section 508. I have also been contacted directly by fellow parents and educators who have witnessed and experienced similar barriers for students and parents. These barriers existed pre-pandemic, were only exacerbated by distance learning, and continue today in both virtual and in-person settings. Forced to choose between pouring time, money, and energy into a lawsuit or investing those resources directly into my own children, I chose my children, and as a result, my children are fabulous readers and avid learners who have advanced academic and technology skills. Many others are not so lucky. Fortunately, my family, unlike most others, is able to privately provide an appropriate education without the help of the public schools. However, though I thank God for the unexpected route our lives have taken, I know that my child and all students with disabilities have the civil right to a free and appropriate public education alongside friends and neighbors. So I am here. To ask you to pass the first disability rights legislation which is founded on principles of capitalism: simple direction which acknowledges that our economy depends on private owners, including educational technology vendors, who create products for profit according to the specifications of the buyer. Until that buyer specifies the need for accessibility in the procurement process, vendors have little natural motivation to create accessible products. Unfortunately, as evidenced by the stance of the School Board Association, even well-intentioned educators need direction and accountability to do what is right for students with disabilities. Please support this important bill which will communicate and promote our country’s values, not only of capitalism, education, and a system of checks and balances, but of bipartisan collaboration in support of people with disabilities, a population which makes up roughly 25% of our great nation. Thank you. Donna Genelin

Please pass HB 1246. Virtual learning was a mixed bag in our house. In some ways, the lack of distractions and one-on-one support to model our daughter's AAC device really improved her ability to access the curriculum, and she made significant progress. In other ways, virtual learning showcased how utterly inaccessible educational technology is to a student with complex communication and motor needs. Our daughter has a global motor planning disorder, which means her body often does not move the way she wants it to, and it can take years of practice to learn new motor plans. She did not walk until she was 3.5 years old, after years of physical therapy. Her fine motor skills are also impacted significantly, along with her oral speech. Our district has relied heavily on educational programs like ST Math and Imagine Learning - both of which are inaccessible to someone with fine motor deficits. We spent much of virtual learning having to figure out supports on our own, as school staff didn't know how to make these programs accessible either. That onus shouldn't be on school staff or families. It must be on the companies who create the programs. Please support HB 1246 to ensure this responsibility lies with the creators, and not the consumers. Thank you

The Commonwealth of Virginia and the US Federal government have for 15+ years had a commitment to procure accessible information and communication technology to ensure a diverse and inclusive environment. However, this has not been the case of school systems in Virginia. School systems still treat access to technology by students with disabilities as a one-off accommodation. In practical terms this means that students don’t have timely access to the same digital materials as their peers and adaption is costly and time intensive for teachers of the blind and visually impaired. Digital accessibility is readily achievable and there are many applications that are born accessible to people with disabilities. However, there is no process in place to require accessibility be considered during the procurement process and there is no incentive for education tech companies to make their products and services accessible because no one has held them accountable. This bill would increase access and inclusion to children with disabilities and parents with disabilities. I support the bill which does not cost the commonwealth money but will hold vendors accountable for inaccessible and exclusionary software – yet allowing flexibility for purchase of not fully accessible technology based on lack of market availability.

The National Federation of the Blind of Virginia is Virginia’s largest and most active membership organization for people who are blind or low vision. Students (and their parents) from across Virginia are struggling because the technology used for their academic experience does not work with the assistive technology deployed by their schools. These students use the same education technology as their peers. While there is a robust market for education technology, accessibility for students with disabilities is not a factor in the product selection process by Virginia school boards, despite the existence of widespread accessibility standards for over twenty years. As a result, school boards are purchasing technology that cannot be used by students with disabilities. Since much of a student’s academic experience is tied to technology deployed by schools (including classroom materials, testing, portals for grades, and homework), it is critical for these products to be accessible to students with disabilities. With the recent shift to virtual learning during the pandemic, this access challenge for students with disabilities has increased. Currently, teachers are forced to develop one-off solutions to address systemic challenges with technology acquisitions made at the district level. HB 1246 shifts accountability to education technology vendors. First, the bill will require local school boards to include accessibility requirements in the procurement process. Second, the bill will require that vendors indemnify the purchaser for costs arising from any lack of product accessibility. Third, the bill will require school boards to prioritize the purchase of education technology that best meets accessibility standards while taking into consideration costs and lack of alternatives. Fourth, the bill will require vendors to remediate inaccessibility issues within 180 days’ notice. Finally, the bill will require that school boards and the Department of Education track accessibility and remediation efforts and make such information publicly available to all school boards. The National Federation of the Blind of Virginia fully supports HB1246 and urge its passage.

The Arc of Northern Virginia strongly supports Delegate Tran's bill, HB1246. This bill is critical to ensuring technologies used in public school settings are accessible to students with disabilities. The IDEA passed more than 40 years ago but the need for this bill is further proof of how we continue to struggle to adequately include and support students with disabilities. We heard from families during the pandemic where their blind children were only provided written (non-Braille material) and from people whose children had fine motor deficits who couldn't manipulate the apps needed for virtual classrooms. As a result, those students began losing hard won skills and couldn't move forward. We must pass this bill to ensure the eye of equity and inclusion is provided as schools develop and roll out new student technologies.

I am in support of bill HB1246. It must be passed. Thank you.

Washington Speech-Language Pathology Group supports both HB1047 and HB1246 because we believe both bills would provide benefits necessary to the health, safety and welfare of the Virginia disabilities community. HB 1246 would greatly benefit students by providing them with essential tools to further their learning. Our speech-language pathology practice treats many children and adults who would benefit from the passage of HB1047. AAC devices are an essential communication tool for those who are non-verbal and those whose ability to verbalize is significantly impaired. It is our experience that the use of AAC devices can motivate speech acquisition. This is well documented in the literature, On behalf of our patients, their parents or caregivers, we lend our support to both bills and encourage swift passage. Thank you for the opportunity to be heard.

Hello. I want to offer my support for HB 1246. Part of my job is to make sure our resources, publications, and course content is accessible for all users. Due to my job, I have learned that accessibility is and SHOULD be part of all aspects of design and course implementation. Accessibility is not an afterthought or - it can be universally beneficial for all users and should be at the forefront of anyone being a steward of the funds they receive. It is possible to create rich and inclusive content and when bills like BH1246 pass, they show vendors and content designers that accessibility matters. That all users matter. I 100% support for this bill because it extends beyond blind individuals to the greater community of individuals with disabilities. -Jan Shea, North Chesterfield, VA Proud parent of a special needs daughter, accessibility content creator, and advocate.

Thank you for your consideration of this bill. I am the parent of two blind children and a sighted child. My oldest daughter is 14 years old and blind with an orthopedic impairment. She is working in the general education curriculum with nondisabled peers and wants to be a teacher when she grows up. She accesses her curriculum with a variety of assistive technology. She uses a 32 cell braille display with a screen reader called JAWS to access the same work as her nondisabled peers. Because of her orthopedic impairment, which affects her wrists and hands, it is very difficult for her to read braille on paper. Electronic braille on a braille display is much more accessible for her. But she is unable to take the state standardized tests using the same technology that she uses to complete her school work every day. These tests are not accessible using a screen reader and must be read to her by a human reader. Research shows that students do best taking tests in the same format that they learn, but this is not an option for my daughter because the tests are not available in a format accessible to her. Because of this, my child who has been on the A/B honor roll for her entire middle school career, has not yet passed an SOL test. From time to time in class, her teachers will assign online activities, games, and programs that are also not accessible. This forces her to be singled out and given alternate assignments, which must be created by her TVI. She is often embarrassed and feels left out when this happens, and is looking forward to the day when all educational activities will be accessible for students who are blind or who have any type of disability. HB 1246 addresses my daughter's concerns and will help many students with disabilities in schools across the commonwealth. I appreciate your consideration.