I agree there needs to be a decrease. Family needs to be involved. I support guidance counselors as along as they first contact the home to get written permission from the parent(s) or legal guardian before speaking to the child. Transparency is essential.

To the patrons of this bill, I think that it is very important to protect the rights of parents to be sure of the instructional materials that their children are exposed to. In this bill and bills where references are made to parents examining instructional materials I think that it should be added that the student Not be given any materials to be examined until after the parents have approved. Once the child’s been exposed it would be too late. I would not vote for any bill where they specification was not made. Please consider this change. Teresa Langille

HB958 - A minor who can't act for themselves doesn't belong on a school board. SB positions should be positions of honor not putting up a minors who's brains haven't matured yet (by medical science). HB1528 - Unless you think forced relations are ok, this is needed. Stat occurs when someone having relations is under a certain age. HB571 - Move to report.

HB571: AGAINST: The Bill is redundant; it is already in the Code of Virginia and already says that it shall not be construed to permit the censoring of books in any public or elementary school. It is redundant. HB654: NO POSITION: I Commend the idea, but as a data analyst and a parent, I am concerned about how the data will be kept safe and if it will be sold or provided to 3rd party vendors without parental consent. The cost concerns me as well - initial and ongoing – will it mean higher taxes at some point? Especially if the Ed Department passes on the responsibility to local school divisions. Local school divisions, especially the smaller ones cannot afford this price tag and will have to raise taxes to pay for this. I ask that you consider these concerns and pass it by for further discussion and consideration. HB659: FOR 1. The bill is permissive: Uses ‘May’, not ‘shall’. 2. Helps students not be stuck into the zip code they were born into. 3. Makes it easier for families to find out prior to school starting or ahead of the spring semester if there are any open seats and be informed on waitlists or lottery with the schools they are interested in. 4. Ensures families will not be charged additional tuition within their own school division if there is an open seat in a school outside zoned attendance, as they are already paying taxes for the use of their division’s public schools. 5. This is common sense. If you advocate for equity, vote Yes for this bill. HB670: FOR: Anyone who claims to care about children and their physical and mental health should be voting for Yes on this bill. If you Vote No, and one more child ends up going through what Sage went through, then that will be on you! HB757: FOR: This is a no-brainer. If you vote No, then you are anti-parents and anti-children. HB1120: NO Positions/FOR: Please PBI this bill and Vote Yes for HB1229 instead. HB1229: FOR: If you vote against this bill then you are undoing all the years, sweat, and tears that went into making Title IX a reality. You are anti-woman; you are aiding and abetting men by occupying female spaces and snatching female achievements. If you vote no, you are also a science denier. Males are born with increased lung capacity and higher muscle mass, and regardless of how many puberty blockers and cross-gender hormones they take, they will always have physical advantages.

As a former early childhood educator and current children's librarian, I strongly urge the passing of this bill, which would clarify SB656 to prevent its use for censorship of school libraries.

The Virginia Coalition for Fine Arts Education supports this bill with its current wording and would request similar protections for other instructional materials, including play scripts, short stories, poems, and artworks.

Please pass HB571. This bill will prevent misapplication of SB656, which is being used to censor school library collections.

I urge you to pass HB571. This bill will bring clarity to the law by codifying the enactment clause of 2022's SB656, "That the provisions of this act shall not be construed as requiring or providing for the censoring of books in public elementary and secondary schools." This enactment clause was not published in the online version of the Code of Virginia and thus has been ignored by a number of school boards. Misunderstanding and misapplication of the law has consumed school board meetings, frightened students, divided communities, censored books, and driven teachers to change careers.

My name is Michael Payne and I am a CTE teacher at Powhatan High School. I teach electricity and building trades to over 100 students. I am in support of HB 632 for a couple of reasons. Finding quality teaching candidates to teach CTE courses has been cumbersome at best with the current licensure and certification of teachers. There are many qualified individuals with content-specific knowledge who have experience through their employment. Opening opportunities for these individuals is crucial if we want to address the CTE teacher shortage. I also believe that giving the locality the control to make decisions is always the best option. Who knows better than the locality on what is needed to staff their classrooms?

Distinguished members of the k-12 Subcommittee, My name is John Aughenbaugh and I have been a full time CTE educator in the Commonwealth for twelve years. I am writing to you today to congratulate all who have contributed to HB 632 and to encourage all members of the General Assembly to support this bill. The provisions included are long overdue and greatly increase the ability of school systems to staff their classrooms. I am excited about the modifications to licensure and re-licensure for all Virginia educators and I believe that reciprocity with additional supports for educators joining the Commonwealth's classrooms is vital. While there are many excellent provisions included in this bill, there is but one crucial element which is missing. Industry and career professionals, subject matter experts, and others interested in entering the classroom for the first time MUST be provided with a period of teaching internship with a fully certified Virginia teacher who has a minimum of five years of experience. I urge you to think of this teaching internship experience in the same way as the requirement for tandem skydiving. If you are unfamiliar, there is a requirement that first time skydivers must jump in tandem with a seasoned professional. Please remember that the lesson here is that bravery and a parachute is not enough - a first experience must be conducted within the guidance of a seasoned professional.

As a retired administrator of a Regional CTE Center, I support HB 632. On Virginia’s list of critical teacher shortage areas, Career and Technical Education teachers rank 4th in Virginia. This bill would go a long way in reducing teacher shortages in the Commonwealth by allow flexibility in the hiring process and licensure. In addition the flexibility would provide our business and industry partners an easier transition into the teaching profession

As the President-Elect for The Virginia Association for Career and Technical Education, I support HB632. The VA ACTE public policy committee has reviewed the bill as well offering support from the organization. Career and Technical Education teachers ranked fourth in Virginia’s 2023-2024 top-10 list of critical teacher shortage areas. Virginia continues to experience a critical shortage of qualified teachers, especially in its most challenged schools and in career & technical subject areas. School divisions increasingly have difficulty finding qualified CTE teachers; the shortage is predicted to expand over the next five years. This bill would allow school divisions flexibility in hiring highly qualified teachers from business and industry into the teaching profession.

We currently have 8 open AgEd teaching positions across the commonwealth and schools have not been able to find qualified candidates to fill them. This bill will provide broader access to high-quality candidates interested in applying. Out of the 330 AgEd teachers in VA, 187 have less than 3 years of experience and 70 are eligible to retire at any point in time. At this time, there are not enough traditional graduates in AgEd coming out of the qualifying universities (VT, VSU, Ferrum) to fill these positions. Addressing licensure and certification provisions as outlined in HB632 is necessary in closing this gap.

Support. Access to timely student data and the ability for students and parents to view their assessment performance compared to the student's school, the student's school division, and the Commonwealth provides a valuable tool for students, parents, and teachers to make data-informed decisions to guide future instruction. Virginia has the largest population of military connected students in the nation and having access to a central Parent Data Portal would provide continued access to assessment data for our military connected youth through moves to other school divisions. Virginia PTA supports solutions that leverage existing local school divisions’ parent portals and integrated into a central Virginia reporting system as well as improved resources and tools that enable parents to interpret and use student assessment data to support student learning.

HB571: AGAINST: The Bill is redundant; it is already in the Code of Virginia and already says that it shall not be construed to permit the censoring of books in any public or elementary school. It is redundant. HB654: NO POSITION: I Commend the idea, but as a data analyst and a parent, I am concerned about how the data will be kept safe and if it will be sold or provided to 3rd party vendors without parental consent. The cost concerns me as well - initial and ongoing – will it mean higher taxes at some point? Especially if the Ed Department passes on the responsibility to local school divisions. Local school divisions, especially the smaller ones cannot afford this price tag and will have to raise taxes to pay for this. I ask that you consider these concerns and pass it by for further discussion and consideration. HB659: FOR 1. The bill is permissive: Uses ‘May’, not ‘shall’. 2. Helps students not be stuck into the zip code they were born into. 3. Makes it easier for families to find out prior to school starting or ahead of the spring semester if there are any open seats and be informed on waitlists or lottery with the schools they are interested in. 4. Ensures families will not be charged additional tuition within their own school division if there is an open seat in a school outside zoned attendance, as they are already paying taxes for the use of their division’s public schools. 5. This is common sense. If you advocate for equity, vote Yes for this bill. HB670: FOR: Anyone who claims to care about children and their physical and mental health should be voting for Yes on this bill. If you Vote No, and one more child ends up going through what Sage went through, then that will be on you! HB757: FOR: This is a no-brainer. If you vote No, then you are anti-parents and anti-children. HB1120: NO Positions/FOR: Please PBI this bill and Vote Yes for HB1229 instead. HB1229: FOR: If you vote against this bill then you are undoing all the years, sweat, and tears that went into making Title IX a reality. You are anti-woman; you are aiding and abetting men by occupying female spaces and snatching female achievements. If you vote no, you are also a science denier. Males are born with increased lung capacity and higher muscle mass, and regardless of how many puberty blockers and cross-gender hormones they take, they will always have physical advantages.

I am an advocate for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). This subject has previously been addressed in the 2023 general assembly; however, the previous bill HB 1512 did not cover the communication needs for members that suffer in restricted places of service, such as Nursing Facilities and Skilled Nursing Facilities. Attached is a bill addressed to the Committee Chair, further outlining my request. Thank you.

Open enrollment policies in K-12 education refer to the practice of allowing students to enroll in a public school outside of their designated, or zoned, school. These policies are designed to provide families with more flexibility in selecting a public school that best fits their child’s needs and preferences. While not all school buildings can house every student who wishes to attend, we do believe, by state policy, every public school should be open to every student who lives in that state. The creation of a model policy to guide local divisions as they navigate policy decisions around open enrollment is a positive step, ensuring that flexibility and transparency are paramount.

NA

Please support HB 659. This bill will provide all students equal opportunity and not limit opportunity based on zip code.

HB571: AGAINST: The Bill is redundant; it is already in the Code of Virginia and already says that it shall not be construed to permit the censoring of books in any public or elementary school. It is redundant. HB654: NO POSITION: I Commend the idea, but as a data analyst and a parent, I am concerned about how the data will be kept safe and if it will be sold or provided to 3rd party vendors without parental consent. The cost concerns me as well - initial and ongoing – will it mean higher taxes at some point? Especially if the Ed Department passes on the responsibility to local school divisions. Local school divisions, especially the smaller ones cannot afford this price tag and will have to raise taxes to pay for this. I ask that you consider these concerns and pass it by for further discussion and consideration. HB659: FOR 1. The bill is permissive: Uses ‘May’, not ‘shall’. 2. Helps students not be stuck into the zip code they were born into. 3. Makes it easier for families to find out prior to school starting or ahead of the spring semester if there are any open seats and be informed on waitlists or lottery with the schools they are interested in. 4. Ensures families will not be charged additional tuition within their own school division if there is an open seat in a school outside zoned attendance, as they are already paying taxes for the use of their division’s public schools. 5. This is common sense. If you advocate for equity, vote Yes for this bill. HB670: FOR: Anyone who claims to care about children and their physical and mental health should be voting for Yes on this bill. If you Vote No, and one more child ends up going through what Sage went through, then that will be on you! HB757: FOR: This is a no-brainer. If you vote No, then you are anti-parents and anti-children. HB1120: NO Positions/FOR: Please PBI this bill and Vote Yes for HB1229 instead. HB1229: FOR: If you vote against this bill then you are undoing all the years, sweat, and tears that went into making Title IX a reality. You are anti-woman; you are aiding and abetting men by occupying female spaces and snatching female achievements. If you vote no, you are also a science denier. Males are born with increased lung capacity and higher muscle mass, and regardless of how many puberty blockers and cross-gender hormones they take, they will always have physical advantages.

Im a senior at a Virginia Beach city public school , I support this bill because it give students of lower income communities opportunities to go to schools that can better suit there needs. If this bill existed when I was a lower class men I could only imagine the struggles I wouldn’t have had to go through and the cool things I could have done in school. education is a right and shouldn’t be limited by tax bracket !!

I am product of Richmond Public Schools and now a RPS assistant teacher in Richmond. I support HB 659 bill. Having observed the challenges and potential in our public school system, I believe this bill is a step forward. It gives families more options and many could benefit based on needs.

Hello, I'm a mother of two in Chesapeake, and I support HB 659, the Out of Zone Attendance / Open school enrollment bill. As a Democrat, I believe in the power of inclusive policies that promote equity and empower families. This bill, despite its potential to benefit all communities, unfortunately hasn't enjoyed the bipartisan support it deserves. Providing families, especially in our minority communities, with choices within the public school system shouldn't be a divisive issue. While many legislators (on both sides) have pledged full funding for education, we're still waiting, and HB 659 can assist in bridging that equity gap by offering more educational opportunities. We need to come together to prioritize our children's futures and recognize there is more than 1 way to solve the education issues.

I, Sheryl Young, retired educator/administrator support HB659 giving access and opportunity for school CHOICE with no extra fees assigned! Sheryl Young

My name is Brenda King, and I am a former school administrator. Having experienced various schools and how they are run, my hope is that whichever bills are passed , the school administrator will make decisions based not on WHO is asking for admittance to his/her school, but on ALL students who apply. As long as those in decision- making positions have INTEGRITY, I feel comfortable that this bill has a chance at success. The other part of this situation is OVERSIGHT. You have to INSPECT what you EXPECT to make sure the process is EQUITABLE and successful.

children should be free to optimize their possibilities, not be limited by their zip codes

School Choice puts this prospective law in the hands of the local parents & not in hands of the beauacrats. Parents & guardians know which is best for children’s educational goals & objectives not the good folks in the Richmond commonwealth capital buildings. Respectfully Submitted Thomas Sansoni

Parents and children deserve the right to utilize money that best supports the educationsl needs or custom desires for their education. Government has wasted more money each year as quality of education goes down. Social experiments in school seem to abuse and exploit children to greater extents each year.

As a resident of Prince Edward County whose public schools have been below par for years, it is imperative that you approve HB659. This bill will: - Give expanded access to educational opportunities such as AP classes and learning resources. - Provide all students equal opportunity. Allowing out of zone enrollment gives low income students equal access to the quality education as their peers from wealthier neighborhoods. - Put parents – not government bureaucrats – in the driver's seat. This allows them to pick the school that is best for their child. - Ensure Virginia moves on from redlining. Underperforming public schools in the 21st century are too often located in the areas “redlined” in the 20th century. This would ensure today’s students educational opportunities are no longer determined by previous generations housing policies. Again I urge you to vote for HB 659. Our children deserve no less. Very truly yours, Michele N Schumacher

Comments Document

This testimony identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal, indicating how it can be improved and how it could benefit Virginia's K-12 students.

Dear Members of the General Assembly, I support HB 659 because parents need to access good education for their children. It’s as simple as that! Many states do this already. Why is Virginia so far behind? I hope you will all vote for it. Let’s get Virginia back to high quality education by providing choice! Thank you so much. Sincerely, Mrs. Mary Cresswell

HB571: AGAINST: The Bill is redundant; it is already in the Code of Virginia and already says that it shall not be construed to permit the censoring of books in any public or elementary school. It is redundant. HB654: NO POSITION: I Commend the idea, but as a data analyst and a parent, I am concerned about how the data will be kept safe and if it will be sold or provided to 3rd party vendors without parental consent. The cost concerns me as well - initial and ongoing – will it mean higher taxes at some point? Especially if the Ed Department passes on the responsibility to local school divisions. Local school divisions, especially the smaller ones cannot afford this price tag and will have to raise taxes to pay for this. I ask that you consider these concerns and pass it by for further discussion and consideration. HB659: FOR 1. The bill is permissive: Uses ‘May’, not ‘shall’. 2. Helps students not be stuck into the zip code they were born into. 3. Makes it easier for families to find out prior to school starting or ahead of the spring semester if there are any open seats and be informed on waitlists or lottery with the schools they are interested in. 4. Ensures families will not be charged additional tuition within their own school division if there is an open seat in a school outside zoned attendance, as they are already paying taxes for the use of their division’s public schools. 5. This is common sense. If you advocate for equity, vote Yes for this bill. HB670: FOR: Anyone who claims to care about children and their physical and mental health should be voting for Yes on this bill. If you Vote No, and one more child ends up going through what Sage went through, then that will be on you! HB757: FOR: This is a no-brainer. If you vote No, then you are anti-parents and anti-children. HB1120: NO Positions/FOR: Please PBI this bill and Vote Yes for HB1229 instead. HB1229: FOR: If you vote against this bill then you are undoing all the years, sweat, and tears that went into making Title IX a reality. You are anti-woman; you are aiding and abetting men by occupying female spaces and snatching female achievements. If you vote no, you are also a science denier. Males are born with increased lung capacity and higher muscle mass, and regardless of how many puberty blockers and cross-gender hormones they take, they will always have physical advantages.

To the members of the House Education K-12 Subcommittee, On the related topics of parental notification of a minor child’s expression of gender confusion, I urge you to explore the amount of internet-based influence directed at children with respect to ‘transition.’ I also urge you to consider the amount of money and pressure emanating from wealthy individuals and institutions in support of ‘gender-affirming care.’ I urge you to think about the lifelong path of medical and surgical treatment that the gender industry puts young people on. I urge you to question whether puberty blockers are reversible, and if they are, then please ask why so many European countries have chosen to reverse their advocacy on such medication. I urge you to think critically about the role of the teacher and the meaning of *in loco parentis*. A teacher is not the

I urge you to support this bill. I've been a school counselor for over 6 years and I've seen the detrimental effects firsthand of how harmful it is to students when schools socially transition kids behind the backs of parents. It drives wedges between families and the effects are devastating on both students and families. These are absolutely critical decisions parents must be involved with. Schools are grossly unqualified to make decisions for accommodations on these issues without parent involvement. I'm sorry so many in my profession seem to be on the side of hiding information from parents. Just remember, it's not all of us.

I am a victim of unsupportive, anti-transgender adoptive parents and their actions and was hospitalized 12 times starting in the 8th grade for suicide attempts and bouts of depression. My adoptive mother went so far as writing the adoption agency to see if they could "return" me when i started exhibiting "concerning behaviors", to which the agency of course said no. I found this correspondence after my parents had both died and even as an adult finding this this was extremely damaging to my mental health. I was constantly bullied at a local diner where I worked as a young adult with death threats from several of the cooks. They would slam their fist into their palms when I would go into the kitchen, yell epithets and tell me they would kill me. My mom's response to this was, "It's your fault because you look the way you do. If you didn't look how you do, people would leave you alone." That was in reference to my gender presentation, which as a teenager they severely controlled with forced makeup, forced purses, forced hair perms, etc. I found some refuge in some teachers and coaches at school to whom I was able to discuss my depression. This bill is horrible. It: 1. Puts kids at risk of "being returned to the adoption agency" and other abuse from bullying from their parents who are anti-transgender 2. If a person doesn't feel comfortable confiding in their parents about their gender identity then there's probably a good reason -- fear of verbal abuse, fear of violence, fear of forced conversion therapy, fear of being kicked out of the house, fear of being forced to drop out of school and be "homeschooled" 3. Disallowing children to receive appropriate mental health care IS child abuse -- it's neglect and it leads to suicide attempts. 4. I was kicked out of the house as a young adult for identifying as gay and was then hospitalized and when I asked to come home, my Mom refused. She even refused to speak to me on the phone while I was in the hospital. 4. If you pass this bill, you have the blood of children on your hands who commit suicide. It's 100% and directly your fault and you should be ashamed of yourself because you are acting on your ignorance and intolerance of people who are different than yourself. The onslaught of cruel and hostile anti-transgender legislation around the country and rhetoric like "we need to exterminate transgenderism" shows true intent. And if intent isn't to curtail human rights and exterminate transgenderism, then stop introducing these bills targeting transgender people and instead protect us. When I was constantly hospitalized, I could not hold a steady job and was in need of public social services. My hospitalizations and suicide attempts stopped 25 years ago, which is when I started my transition. I am now a productive member of society who contributes to this state a lot of tax dollars.

I write in opposition to HB670 (Corrected for bill number). As a Unitarian Universalist, we affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all people. We believe that youth have worth and dignity beyond that which may or may not be condoned or accepted by their parents. We also believe that trained school staff have the ability to fill the role of trusted counselor to youth who are questioning. This law would create a circumstance that is harmful to students and stressful for school staff by eliminating a natural avenue for seeking guidance.

I write in opposition to SB670. As a Unitarian Universalist, we affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all people. We believe that youth have worth and dignity beyond that which may or may not be condoned or accepted by their parents. We also believe that trained school staff have the ability to fill the role of trusted counselor to youth who are questioning. This law would create a circumstance that is harmful to students and stressful for school staff by eliminating a natural avenue for seeking guidance.

Strongly oppose this bill. As a social worker, I am very concerned about blanket language that protects parents from any presumption of child abuse. Parents have the right to make choices, not abuse their children. If a child is being emotionally abused due to gender identity this will lead to self-harm and suicide. Please think of the most vulnerable among us, protect the children and strike this bill in committee. Children deserve to live free from harm and that includes harm from their parents. Being a parent does not make you a good person- that is why CPS and social workers are needed. Child abuse is dangerous and real. Protect the children and do not give any form of a blanket protection from abuse!

I am writing in opposition to HB670. I am a high school counselor and I am appalled at the framing of ‘parent’s rights’ to forcibly out students without their consent. Parents already have a choice - to accept and love their children for who they are, or not to do so. For students whose parents choose not to support them, school may be the only place they can experience some level of empathy and acceptance, which all students deserve. Empowering parents to discriminate against their own children is NOT essential to improving outcomes for children. Not a single piece of research supports requiring educators to discuss students’ gender identity/sexuality with parents without the students’ consent. A report from the CDC regarding school connectedness, states that "School connectedness is beneficial to all students, but not all students benefit equally. Youth who report experiencing racism, youth from racial and ethnic minority groups, and youth who identify as LGBTQ+ often feel less connected at school." This report blatantly advocates for creating inclusive policies for LGBTQ youth, not policies that further exclude and alienate them. When a student comes to my office to talk about making it to graduation but cannot share with me that part of their struggle is transphobic bullying because they are afraid I will be required to call their parents, I cannot effectively support their success. LGBTQ+ youth who asserted that there was no adult in the school they could talk to about a problem were more likely than others to have made multiple suicide attempts in the previous year. Do not allow this bill to move forward. It will harm students.

I support HB670.

This probably is the worst legislation dealing with school safety ever written. I am assuming now law enforcement professional or teach was consulted about this bill. This bill puts our children and our teachers lives at risk. It makes no sense and should not be supported by any decent human being.

I am with Virginia Moms for Change and oppose this bill.

I am a member of Virginia Moms for Change - a gun violence prevention organization. I support HB498 and oppose: HB222 & HB676. Please do something to prevent innocent children from dying just so people think they have the right to hunt at a moments notice.

I am a volunteer with Virginia Moms for Change, and I oppose this bill.

I expect Virginia public schools to be staffed by qualified, competent individuals. Prohibiting the establishment of minimum employment qualifications for school resource officers is a dangerous idea that could lead to misconduct and mistakes made due to inexperience.

Our children deserve to be taken care of at licensed institutions and by those who have proper employment requirements.

Support. Student laptops, digital learning in K-12 classrooms, on-line research sources, and prevalent cell phone and social media use raises new concerns about youth data privacy, on-line safety, and youth mental health. Virginia PTA supports the inclusion of the listed internet safety education objectives in the relevant Standards of Learning and/or appropriate career and technical education program.

I urge you to vote FOR the proposed amendment to HB 757. It is important for parents to have full access to know and inspect what educational materials (curriculum, books, resources, digital platforms, etc.) are being used to educate their children. Claiming the published resources cannot be seen because of copyright protections is nothing more than blocking that review access to prevent full disclosure. Reviewing these material in person or digitally does not violate copyright protections as the materials are not being transferred permanently to the reviewing parties. This amendment is necessary to make sure parents have full and complete access to know exactly what is being presented to their children as the law states they have a fundamental right to direct their child’s education. They must have full knowledge of the educational materials to make any opt-out or opt-in decisions for their children’s education. This open review access is important for tax payers, also, since they are paying for these education materials for the children in their communities and have the right to know what their hard-earned tax dollars are buying. Please vote FOR the proposed amendment in HB 757. Thank you.

HB571: AGAINST: The Bill is redundant; it is already in the Code of Virginia and already says that it shall not be construed to permit the censoring of books in any public or elementary school. It is redundant. HB654: NO POSITION: I Commend the idea, but as a data analyst and a parent, I am concerned about how the data will be kept safe and if it will be sold or provided to 3rd party vendors without parental consent. The cost concerns me as well - initial and ongoing – will it mean higher taxes at some point? Especially if the Ed Department passes on the responsibility to local school divisions. Local school divisions, especially the smaller ones cannot afford this price tag and will have to raise taxes to pay for this. I ask that you consider these concerns and pass it by for further discussion and consideration. HB659: FOR 1. The bill is permissive: Uses ‘May’, not ‘shall’. 2. Helps students not be stuck into the zip code they were born into. 3. Makes it easier for families to find out prior to school starting or ahead of the spring semester if there are any open seats and be informed on waitlists or lottery with the schools they are interested in. 4. Ensures families will not be charged additional tuition within their own school division if there is an open seat in a school outside zoned attendance, as they are already paying taxes for the use of their division’s public schools. 5. This is common sense. If you advocate for equity, vote Yes for this bill. HB670: FOR: Anyone who claims to care about children and their physical and mental health should be voting for Yes on this bill. If you Vote No, and one more child ends up going through what Sage went through, then that will be on you! HB757: FOR: This is a no-brainer. If you vote No, then you are anti-parents and anti-children. HB1120: NO Positions/FOR: Please PBI this bill and Vote Yes for HB1229 instead. HB1229: FOR: If you vote against this bill then you are undoing all the years, sweat, and tears that went into making Title IX a reality. You are anti-woman; you are aiding and abetting men by occupying female spaces and snatching female achievements. If you vote no, you are also a science denier. Males are born with increased lung capacity and higher muscle mass, and regardless of how many puberty blockers and cross-gender hormones they take, they will always have physical advantages.

HB958 - A minor who can't act for themselves doesn't belong on a school board. SB positions should be positions of honor not putting up a minors who's brains haven't matured yet (by medical science). HB1528 - Unless you think forced relations are ok, this is needed. Stat occurs when someone having relations is under a certain age. HB571 - Move to report.

Support! Each School Board should consist of one student member.

Aaron Zevin-Lopez - Co-President, Virginia Chapter - Voters of Tomorrow In an era where heated debates over the state of our schools are all too common, an important voice is being drowned out: the voice of students. While many school boards have some forum for student input - like Student Advisory Boards, others do not or are perhaps not engaging in the optional process. Even more localities lack a student representative on their school boards, despite the benefits of doing so. We believe that having student representatives on school boards would make a positive difference in students’ lives in the Commonwealth. According to the National School Boards Association, the practice can help strengthen democratic values in students by showing that school boards value students’ opinions and wish to hear students’ thoughts on issues affecting students. It helps to create a direct link between students and the elected officials that govern them. Arguments that students are not mature or experienced enough to participate as members in school boards ignore the reality of Virginia’s young people being among the most civically engaged cohorts today. In truth, giving us a voice on school boards can create a useful outlet for students who wish to be involved in the decision-making process that impacts our daily lives. Voters of Tomorrow’s Virginia Chapter have testified before School Boards. We have testified before County Boards and City Councils. We have organized and led protests across the Commonwealth on issues ranging from environmental protection to abortion to book banning and whitewashing history. We’ve conceived, advocated for, and led efforts to pass legislation in the General Assembly… including 1) giving high school students at least one excused day per year for civic engagement and 2) creating a voter pre-registration system for 16- and 17-year-old students. We hope you will pass this bill that is important to Virginia’s GenZ community and the Virginia Chapter of Voters of Tomorrow as well!

I support high expectations in all classrooms and for all students. I believe students are capable of achieving their goals with hardworking and support from home and the school. It has been upsetting and heartbreaking to hear and see certain school lower the bar for some schools and students. I refused to settle when it came to my students because I knew they were able to follow the rules, complete the courses, and rise to the occasion. Democrats need to stop lowering the expectations and standards. This is one of the reasons public schools are not successful. I have seen it over and over.

This bill has my full support. We are seeing the results of "dumbed down" educational standards in the workforce and in colleges nationwide. Why on earth would we continue to lower the standards? If we expect America's workforce to be competitive, we cannot sacrifice educational rigor.

The Virginia Coalition for Fine Arts Education (VCFAE) is concerned about the number of bills (HB 1345, HB 1009/SB 199, SB 161, SB 139, SB 380, HB 1051/SB 563) that propose to change graduation requirements and substitute workforce credentials or “alternative educational opportunities” for lab science, world language, electives and in one case, a pathway which substitutes advanced coursework in world language for workforce credentials. Despite SB 161, SB 139, and SB 380 having been passed by indefinitely, the essential concern remains. It appears, looking at these bills as a whole, that their patrons are attempting to give students additional options and pathways to complete high school coursework as college and/or career ready citizens, something that, in general, the VCFAE certainly supports. If this is the intent, then the VCFAE requests that, instead of doing this legislation in a piecemeal way, the General Assembly ask that the VA Board of Education initiate a study and report on multiple pathways and course substitutions. This study would allow a look at graduation requirements as a whole and permit public input through the usual processes. Approaching these graduation requirement exceptions in legislation that does not look at the overall context is likely to cause unintended consequences and narrow choice in other areas. Additionally, as part of that study we would urge consideration of a pathway or pathways and a diploma seal for advanced coursework in the fine arts.

Though most states possess some type of longitudinal data system, functionality, access and data quality vary greatly. Quality systems combine data from across multiple agencies spanning early childhood to the workforce to create linked data and an understanding of outcomes. Stakeholders in turn must use this data to develop strategies to improve quality, ensure equity and maximize return on investment across systems. HB 1083 rightly seeks to ensure the state’s cross-agency data system collects and reports on data needed to evaluate education workforce programs against shared metrics for quality and success, and that the data included in the system spans agencies and education systems and into the workforce to inform decision-making and drive outcomes.

HB571: AGAINST: The Bill is redundant; it is already in the Code of Virginia and already says that it shall not be construed to permit the censoring of books in any public or elementary school. It is redundant. HB654: NO POSITION: I Commend the idea, but as a data analyst and a parent, I am concerned about how the data will be kept safe and if it will be sold or provided to 3rd party vendors without parental consent. The cost concerns me as well - initial and ongoing – will it mean higher taxes at some point? Especially if the Ed Department passes on the responsibility to local school divisions. Local school divisions, especially the smaller ones cannot afford this price tag and will have to raise taxes to pay for this. I ask that you consider these concerns and pass it by for further discussion and consideration. HB659: FOR 1. The bill is permissive: Uses ‘May’, not ‘shall’. 2. Helps students not be stuck into the zip code they were born into. 3. Makes it easier for families to find out prior to school starting or ahead of the spring semester if there are any open seats and be informed on waitlists or lottery with the schools they are interested in. 4. Ensures families will not be charged additional tuition within their own school division if there is an open seat in a school outside zoned attendance, as they are already paying taxes for the use of their division’s public schools. 5. This is common sense. If you advocate for equity, vote Yes for this bill. HB670: FOR: Anyone who claims to care about children and their physical and mental health should be voting for Yes on this bill. If you Vote No, and one more child ends up going through what Sage went through, then that will be on you! HB757: FOR: This is a no-brainer. If you vote No, then you are anti-parents and anti-children. HB1120: NO Positions/FOR: Please PBI this bill and Vote Yes for HB1229 instead. HB1229: FOR: If you vote against this bill then you are undoing all the years, sweat, and tears that went into making Title IX a reality. You are anti-woman; you are aiding and abetting men by occupying female spaces and snatching female achievements. If you vote no, you are also a science denier. Males are born with increased lung capacity and higher muscle mass, and regardless of how many puberty blockers and cross-gender hormones they take, they will always have physical advantages.

My name is Carter Satterfield and I am a sophomore on the Roanoke College women's swim team. We are headed to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship Meet in Greensboro tomorrow but I felt I needed to make the time to write in favor of a Women’s Sports Bill. The NCAA and USA Swimming, organizations that were put in place to protect the integrity of swimming competition – have failed to protect women. But Virginia legislators have a chance to right that wrong and protect women’s sports in this great state. While this issue is no longer a direct threat to my team - if I can save even one women's team from going through what we have been put through, it is worth it for us to share our story and journey. It seems absurd to even have to debate whether there is a biological difference between males and females and whether males have an advantage over us in the water. It is the entire reason why we have men’s and women’s teams. It is why we have different time standards for males and females to be able to participate in certain meets. But here we are. I ask for you to do the right thing and protect women’s sports. Having a man on deck in a women's suit, competing against me as if they were biologically female, is simply unfair. Please stand up today so that your daughters and grand-daughters don’t have to go through what my team, and hundreds of other teams and girls are having to go through. My team, and this entire group, are fighting not just for ourselves, but for generations of women now and in the future who will face this unfairness if we don't win. They deserve a change. They deserve to be protected against biological males in their locker rooms and in their races. It is possible to respect others choices, but also demand fairness and respect as women. This is about the fact that women cannot continue to live in fear and hide behind what might happen if we speak out. So I am standing with Riley Gaines in the fight to make a change for the women and girls who will come after me. We are calling on our state and federal representatives to make sure Virginia is a state where female athletes are respected enough to have fair sports. USA Swimming and the NCAA have failed us thus far, but Virginia has a change to right those wrongs. Thank you.

My name is Katie Blankinship, and I am a sophomore on the Roanoke College Women’s Swim Team. I began swimming at the age of five, immediately finding joy within the sport. My parents taught me that if I worked hard, I could do anything I put my mind to. I began setting goals and felt satisfied with my achievements. However, learning that men were allowed to compete in women’s sports made these previously inspiring goals feel small, insignificant, and unattainable. Knowing there was nothing I could physically do to change the outcomes of this changed what swimming meant to me. Prior to this, I loved the sport; I swam throughout high school and wanted to swim for my collegiate years. However, what was once a sanctuary became a prison; I felt trapped in the sport I had loved for so long. Throughout this experience and even still, swimming felt pointless, because the goals I achieved were overshadowed by males who would dominate no matter how hard I swam. Seeing this firsthand only amplified this unrelenting feeling of defeat, as it was proven yet again that I was fighting a battle I could not win. Working hard to become better seemed to be a thing of the past, as nothing would even the playing field that had once been fair. I wanted to quit, frustrated at these facts that were unchangeable by nature. The joy surrounding the sport was replaced by anxious phone calls home and long talks about what would happen to our team. I called my parents more this semester than before because I needed someone to tell me that it was going to be okay and that everything would work out. This experience, one that should have never occurred in the first place, brought on stress that began to spill over into other areas of our lives, consuming everyday living. I do not wish this experience on anyone else, which is why changes must be made. No other female athlete or team should go through this. When will it be enough? When will the facts become so evident that they can no longer be ignored?

Hello, my name is Julianna Morrow and I’m a sophomore on the Roanoke College women’s swim team. I shouldn’t have to accept being treated as if my participation isn’t important enough to warrant fair sport. We were told to set aside our feelings, our competitions, and our team because it would be the nice thing to do. Every school is in a terrible position where they are having to choose to tell their female athletes to step aside. The NCAA is demanding that athletic departments and presidents cannot defend the rights of their female students. During those 4 weeks it felt as if there was no concern for the mental health and well being of me or my teammates. We’ve felt as if we don’t deserve to be heard or cared about. No one on any side of this discussion about women’s sports should have to go through what we’ve been through. I am asking for your help in making sure policies do not put women, girls, men, schools and families in a position where they have to cast aside the fair treatment of women. No female athlete should have to ask their school administration for fairness or question if they have a voice.

My name is Kate Pearson, and I am a captain of the Roanoke College Swim Team, alongside Lily Mullens and Bailey Gallagher. Last year our women’s swim team ended the season with a 2nd place finish in the ODAC conference. This was attainable due to the hard work, motivation, and grit we collectively put in all season long, and we were approaching this year hoping to achieve this again or more. But when the team was informed that a biological male would be swimming on the women's swim team, all those motivational factors went right down the drain. Our experience was an emotional rollercoaster that I never want any young girl or woman to ever experience. The team was put through demoralizing and exhausting meetings day after day for the result to be that we were not heard. We were either shoved aside or expected to deal with all our concerns ourselves, and our feelings and comfortability were neglected. We were instructed at one point to have a meeting with everyone to attempt to peacefully discuss our feelings about the issue. The meeting time, as well as almost every decision made throughout this long stressful process, was set and determined by the male athlete who wanted to join our team. When the meeting time was chosen, I was going to be the only captain fully present at this meeting due to travel commitments of the other captains. I voiced my concerns multiple times and simply asked if we could postpone the meeting until all captains could be there. We wanted to stand up for our team together in such an intimidating environment. But our comfort did not matter. My feelings, our team's feelings, were blatantly ignored, and only one athlete was prioritized. I felt unheard and unseen. Our comfort was undervalued and discarded. We tried numerous times to ask the school for support, but never received it. The school refused to send out any information to our parents, and we were informed that even if our entire women’s team decided to stand together and not swim and emphasize the unfairness that was happening, our coach would be allowed to have a one athlete swim team. A one person swim team…that information alone was the most discouraging and disheartening of all. Our school was prioritizing 1 individual swimmer over 17 women who’s only request was fairness. It was clear that the only way we would ever be heard was if we stood up. It was time to advocate for ourselves. Our government is not protecting women. They had a legal obligation to protect fair athletic opportunities for our female athletes but instead, we were forced to practice and race against a biological male who removes fair sport for all of us. No athlete, coach, or school should have to go through what we went through. I urge you to help put back the fairness in all sports that women have worked so hard to get where they have become. Thank you.

To the members of the House Education K-12 Subcommittee, On the related topics of parental notification of a minor child’s expression of gender confusion, I urge you to explore the amount of internet-based influence directed at children with respect to ‘transition.’ I also urge you to consider the amount of money and pressure emanating from wealthy individuals and institutions in support of ‘gender-affirming care.’ I urge you to think about the lifelong path of medical and surgical treatment that the gender industry puts young people on. I urge you to question whether puberty blockers are reversible, and if they are, then please ask why so many European countries have chosen to reverse their advocacy on such medication. I urge you to think critically about the role of the teacher and the meaning of *in loco parentis*. A teacher is not the

I support this bill, which seems a common sense approach that takes all parties into account fairly and provides necessary protections for females. It has been proven that biological male physical advantage exists, and this bill acknowledges that. Thank you for protecting biological female sports.

HB1120 and HB1229 are unnecessary, divisive, and harmful to the welfare of transgender people. I write in opposition to these bills. The extremely rare instances of transgender athletes participating in scholastic sports is well and appropriately addressed by the statewide athletic governing body and by localities on a case by case basis. The othering of any transgender person harms all transgender people by messaging that any transgender person is a target for this type of legislative bullying and exclusion.

HB1120 and HB1229 are unnecessary, divisive, and harmful to the welfare of transgender people. I write in opposition to these bills. The extremely rare instances of transgender athletes participating in scholastic sports is well and appropriately addressed by the statewide athletic governing body and by localities on a case by case basis. The othering of any transgender person harms all transgender people by messaging that any transgender person is a target for this type of legislative bullying and exclusion.

Madame chair and members of the subcommittee, thank you for giving me the time to speak on this bill. Madame chair, currently, appointed school board members do not enjoy all the benefits elected school board members have in the Commonwealth. While one is elected by the people and the other body is appointed by City Council or Board of Supervisors, both have the same roles and responsibilities, to create policy. There are times when legal opinions or other legal services the Attorney Generals office offers to elected school boards that would better assist and equip appointed school boards. In the City of Poquoson, there have been several occasions where my colleagues and I would have been better served to receive a second opinion from the Attorney General’s office to provide clarification of laws and if our policy conflicts with said law. Voting aye for this bill would assist appointed school boards in making the most accurate and confident decision on behalf of their school division. I respectfully ask each delegate to please vote aye on reporting this bill. Thank you.

Voting aye for this bill would assist appointed school boards in making the most accurate and confident decision on behalf of their school division. I respectfully ask each delegate to please vote aye on this bill.

HB571: AGAINST: The Bill is redundant; it is already in the Code of Virginia and already says that it shall not be construed to permit the censoring of books in any public or elementary school. It is redundant. HB654: NO POSITION: I Commend the idea, but as a data analyst and a parent, I am concerned about how the data will be kept safe and if it will be sold or provided to 3rd party vendors without parental consent. The cost concerns me as well - initial and ongoing – will it mean higher taxes at some point? Especially if the Ed Department passes on the responsibility to local school divisions. Local school divisions, especially the smaller ones cannot afford this price tag and will have to raise taxes to pay for this. I ask that you consider these concerns and pass it by for further discussion and consideration. HB659: FOR 1. The bill is permissive: Uses ‘May’, not ‘shall’. 2. Helps students not be stuck into the zip code they were born into. 3. Makes it easier for families to find out prior to school starting or ahead of the spring semester if there are any open seats and be informed on waitlists or lottery with the schools they are interested in. 4. Ensures families will not be charged additional tuition within their own school division if there is an open seat in a school outside zoned attendance, as they are already paying taxes for the use of their division’s public schools. 5. This is common sense. If you advocate for equity, vote Yes for this bill. HB670: FOR: Anyone who claims to care about children and their physical and mental health should be voting for Yes on this bill. If you Vote No, and one more child ends up going through what Sage went through, then that will be on you! HB757: FOR: This is a no-brainer. If you vote No, then you are anti-parents and anti-children. HB1120: NO Positions/FOR: Please PBI this bill and Vote Yes for HB1229 instead. HB1229: FOR: If you vote against this bill then you are undoing all the years, sweat, and tears that went into making Title IX a reality. You are anti-woman; you are aiding and abetting men by occupying female spaces and snatching female achievements. If you vote no, you are also a science denier. Males are born with increased lung capacity and higher muscle mass, and regardless of how many puberty blockers and cross-gender hormones they take, they will always have physical advantages.

To the members of the House Education K-12 Subcommittee, On the related topics of parental notification of a minor child’s expression of gender confusion, I urge you to explore the amount of internet-based influence directed at children with respect to ‘transition.’ I also urge you to consider the amount of money and pressure emanating from wealthy individuals and institutions in support of ‘gender-affirming care.’ I urge you to think about the lifelong path of medical and surgical treatment that the gender industry puts young people on. I urge you to question whether puberty blockers are reversible, and if they are, then please ask why so many European countries have chosen to reverse their advocacy on such medication. I urge you to think critically about the role of the teacher and the meaning of *in loco parentis*. A teacher is not the

I support this bill which seems to provide common sense solutions for all involved.

HB1120 and HB1229 are unnecessary, divisive, and harmful to the welfare of transgender people. I write in opposition to these bills. The extremely rare instances of transgender athletes participating in scholastic sports is well and appropriately addressed by the statewide athletic governing body and by localities on a case by case basis. The othering of any transgender person harms all transgender people by messaging that any transgender person is a target for this type of legislative bullying and exclusion.

HB1120 and HB1229 are unnecessary, divisive, and harmful to the welfare of transgender people. I write in opposition to these bills. The extremely rare instances of transgender athletes participating in scholastic sports is well and appropriately addressed by the statewide athletic governing body and by localities on a case by case basis. The othering of any transgender person harms all transgender people by messaging that any transgender person is a target for this type of legislative bullying and exclusion.

Thank you, Delegate Willet, for this bill. Fairfax County Special Education PTA supports this bill, and we urge you to pass it as well. Students with disabilities who require accommodations to access emergency procedures *can* have such a plan written in the IEP, but currently it is not part of expected protocols or agendas created by schools to cover this topic. It requires families to raise the issue and therefore requires families to know that they *need* to raise the issue. Many, if not most, families do not know that this is something that an IEP can - and should - address. This is a critical need, as such a protocol would by design result in school districts informing families as to what their child's emergency plan is if, for ex, they have a mobility impairment. Does the school have the means to evacuate the child with the rest of the school, or will the child be sent to an area of refuge in the school building to wait for the fire department? Families are often not informed of these procedures that directly impact their student. If - or hopefully when - this bill passes, the protocol should also ensure that accommodations that students require for emergency procedures are available in every classroom in which a student has a class. This way when a class has a substitute and drills (or an actual emergency) happen, substitutes have access to the accommodations necessary for the children in their classroom (as substitutes do *not* have access to IEP documents). Please support increasing the accessibility of schools' emergency procedures for students with disabilities. Thank you.

The Virginia Coalition for Fine Arts Education (VCFAE) is concerned about the number of bills (HB 1345, HB 1009/SB 199, SB 161, SB 139, SB 380, HB 1051/SB 563) that propose to change graduation requirements and substitute workforce credentials or “alternative educational opportunities” for lab science, world language, electives and in one case, a pathway which substitutes advanced coursework in world language for workforce credentials. Despite SB 161, SB 139, and SB 380 having been passed by indefinitely, the essential concern remains. It appears, looking at these bills as a whole, that their patrons are attempting to give students additional options and pathways to complete high school coursework as college and/or career ready citizens, something that, in general, the VCFAE certainly supports. If this is the intent, then the VCFAE requests that, instead of doing this legislation in a piecemeal way, the General Assembly ask that the VA Board of Education initiate a study and report on multiple pathways and course substitutions. This study would allow a look at graduation requirements as a whole and permit public input through the usual processes. Approaching these graduation requirement exceptions in legislation that does not look at the overall context is likely to cause unintended consequences and narrow choice in other areas. Additionally, as part of that study we would urge consideration of a pathway or pathways and a diploma seal for advanced coursework in the fine arts.