HB478 This testimony is in favor of the enactment of a Fine Arts Seal of Excellence on high school diplomas. In considering the Fine Arts Seal of Excellence on a diploma, a lot is to be considered. Guidelines and criteria should reflect the dedication students have given to the Fine Arts Program of their school district to receive such an honor. This honor would be not only an encouragement to the dedication and participation of the programs that really compliment the educational experience students receive academically, This recognition would not only serve to encourage the students participating and dedicating themselves, but also be a lighthouse to beacon prospective students to participate in such programs. We have long known the value of such programs to improve academic improvement, aid in responsibility through punctuality and taking ownership of being a part of team effort. These skills are valuable and carry young people into adulthood and through the rest of their lives. To recognize their significant dedication to such programs for most of their formidable high school years will I believe shape stronger intellect and success in our future graduates. Please deeply consider the positive impact this will have on future graduates when approving this measure. Respectfully, Mrs. O’Neill

Please bear with me as I am a high school drop out with a GED and dyslexia. As a parent of two children with IEP's I do not believe the SOLIS should be any part of their grade. These test are an added steps, worry and disappointment to most students as it is. NO religion should be posted on school property. NO TEN COMMANDMENTS. And truths from all sides of history should be taught including January 6th. Our children deserve the truth.

I am in favor of this bill and like to share several key points. HB 704 is about making sure no child slips through the cracks. It helps schools identify math and reading struggles early—when kids can still catch up—so families don’t find out years later that their child is behind. It brings strong math teachers into the schools that need them most and ensures students aren’t moved forward without the reading skills they need to succeed. HB 704 puts children first and gives parents confidence that their child is truly ready for the next grade.

I fully support Bill 704. It’s vital that our students master basics skills in reading and bath before moving up to 4th grade.

I am in favor of this bill and like to share several key points. HB 704 is about making sure no child slips through the cracks. It helps schools identify math and reading struggles early—when kids can still catch up—so families don’t find out years later that their child is behind. It brings strong math teachers into the schools that need them most and ensures students aren’t moved forward without the reading skills they need to succeed. HB 704 puts children first and gives parents confidence that their child is truly ready for the next grade.

I am in favor of this bill and like to share several key points.

As introduced, the bill would have unintended consequences on Governor's Schools that do not serve as full-day comprehensive high schools. I speak from my experience as an Academic-year Governor's School Director, co-chair of the AYGS Directors committee, and chair of the Virginia Advisory Committee for Advanced Learning (I am not speaking on behalf of these groups formally because the membership haven't voted on a stance, but I do speak with expertise in this area). I do support the spirit behind the bill, but feel the language needs to be updated to read as below (see attached for color coded indication of changes made). If that language is substituted then I support this legislation whole-heartedly. Updated language: Requires the regional governing board of each academic year Governor's School serving as a full-day comprehensive high school to (i) either (a) require such school to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through partnership with a participating school division or (b) if facility and staffing limitations preclude participation in such federal programs, through partnership with a participating school division offer students, to the maximum extent practicable, lunch and breakfast that are of a comparable nutrition profile to meals that would be provided pursuant to such federal programs and (ii) make such lunch and breakfast available to any student who requests such a meal, regardless of whether such student has the money to pay for the meal or owes money for meals previously provided, unless the student's parent has provided written permission to the regional governing board to withhold such a meal from the student. The bill provides that the foregoing provisions shall not be construed to limit the ability of a regional governing board to collect payment for meals so provided, as long as such board does not utilize a nongovernmental third-party debt collector to collect on such debt.

SOL, growth assessments, district given testing should never be allowed to be a part of the child’s final grade. We have made our children and teachers into robots. They are no longer teaching content but teaching to a test. Our children are the ones being sacrificed. The wording on the SOL and district testing is so far complex no wonder they can get through it. There are children who have developed severe test anxiety from your extensive testing at such a young age. Why would you ever think it would be ok to penalize them and count any of your SOL or district tests as their grades???? In my opinion get rid of the testing! Get rid of the chromebooks. Let the teachers get back to real educating. You will find your data and numbers might drastically change.

The research strongly supports the inclusion of physical activity as a boost to learning and maintaining wellness, both physical and mental. My one concern was mandating the amount of time when there are already so many mandated elements in place for schools. I see now that it reads, "with a goal of 30 minutes daily." I support this bill, HB 873.

While we support the intent of HB 873 to promote student wellness, the bill is not feasible within the current elementary school day. School divisions are already required to implement extensive literacy instruction, intervention, and tutoring mandates under the Virginia Literacy Act. These requirements leave little to no flexibility in scheduling. Increasing required physical activity minutes without adjusting existing instructional mandates or extending the school day forces divisions into impossible trade-offs and makes compliance unrealistic. For these reasons, we cannot support HB 873 as currently drafted.

SOL, growth assessments, district given testing should never be allowed to be a part of the child’s final grade. We have made our children and teachers into robots. They are no longer teaching content but teaching to a test. Our children are the ones being sacrificed. The wording on the SOL and district testing is so far complex no wonder they can get through it. There are children who have developed severe test anxiety from your extensive testing at such a young age. Why would you ever think it would be ok to penalize them and count any of your SOL or district tests as their grades???? In my opinion get rid of the testing! Get rid of the chromebooks. Let the teachers get back to real educating. You will find your data and numbers might drastically change.

There must be complete training for K- 12 threat assessment teams that will save lives and it is without a doubt a matter of life or death as witnessed in Crozet last year. Please support HB1071 to insure that threat assessment officers know what to do in a crisis situation.

I am writing in support of HB 1071, which requires training of threat assessment teams in schools on emergency substantial risk orders and substantial risk orders. Training is imperative. Threat assessment officers need to know what the options are when there is a threat. It was known that the six-year-old who shot his teacher had a gun, yet the school did not take action to prevent the shooting. In a parallel situation, the family of the man who killed two shoppers at the Harris Teeter in Crozet tried to get the police remove his guns, but the police were not sufficiently trained to know that this would be possible. My husband and I live in Crozet and frequently shop at that Harris Teeter. We could easily have been his victims. Training can save lives! It is a matter of life and death. Please support HB 1071 to insure that threat assessment officers know what they can do in a threat situation.

Higher ed institutions working closely with students to mitigate mental health issues must know how best to use our state red flag laws. I support this bill both as a survivor and Moms Demand Action volunteer. My nephew died by firearm suicide at a university while receiving counseling for depression. His life could have been saved if staff had been trained and knew how to access these laws.

I support this bill because the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that when an individual has been found by a court to pose a credible threat to the physical safety of another, that individual may be temporarily disarmed consistent with the Second Amendment.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence supports this bill.

I am a Nelson Co. resident and a volunteer with the Virginia chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and we support HB1071.

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the recently proposed bills on gun control. While I understand the intent behind these bills—to enhance public safety—I firmly believe that they will have unintended consequences that infringe on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. The Second Amendment guarantees "the right of individuals to keep and bear arms", and it is a fundamental part of what makes this country free. These bills being proposed would place unnecessary and burdensome restrictions on responsible gun owners, making it harder for Virginians to exercise their rights in a lawful and safe manner. Rather than focusing on restricting access to firearms, I urge the General Assembly to consider measures that target criminals and illegal activities, such as enforcing stricter penalties for those who use firearms in the commission of crimes, or improving background checks for gun purchases. It is essential to address the root causes of violence, such as mental health issues and gang-related activity, rather than punishing responsible gun owners who follow the law. Furthermore, these proposed bills could create significant logistical challenges for gun owners, particularly those who rely on their firearms for self-defense, hunting, or recreational activities. The financial burden and potential legal ramifications of complying with these new regulations would be overwhelming for many Virginians. I strongly urge you to reconsider these proposals and to focus on policies that protect both our rights and our communities. I trust that you will make the best decision for all Virginians, and I sincerely hope that you will oppose these bills.

Research has shown that screen time is addictive. Tech companies deliberately employ strategies to create dopamine hits and drive users to want to user these apps longer. Additional research shows that long periods of time spent using social media leads to cognitive decline and children are more susceptible to this.