DD7's G/T program just added a part-time gifted teacher, and as a result, DD's time in G/T pull-out each day has been increased by about 40 minutes. Yay. DW and I secretly suspect we had something to do with that, because at our last meeting with the school we had the district G/T coordinator in attendance, and as she ticked off the benefits DD was currently enjoying, she said DD was getting X minutes in math and Y minutes in language arts from the gifted program, in accordance with state requirements, to which DW and I immediately said, "No, she isn't." DD was getting 2 hours, and that was significantly lower than X + Y.

Mind you, this meeting was an extension of the now 1.5yo argument my DW and I have had with the school over why they won't just skip DD to 2nd grade. The school has been against it all along, because of the nefarious social argument. The district has weighed in on the side of the school.

So, now she's got more minutes. Now DD's gifted class doesn't end until her 1st-grade class has finished lunch and gone to recess. The school is now presenting us with the option of allowing DD to go to lunch and recess... the most social part of the day... with the 2nd and 3rd graders.

Of course, now the problem is she doesn't know anyone in 2nd and 3rd grade, because she's been stuck in a 1st grade class all year. I'm obviously tempted to say, "If you'd have just skipped her into 2nd like we asked, this would be a non-issue."

The school has asked DD about how she feels about eating lunch with the older kids, and she seemed reluctant. I asked her, too... and it seems she's concerned about being picked on by taller kids, and that it's already a problem for her with the taller kids in first grade. Arrrgh. What's really frustrating is that the argument for keeping her with her age peers has always been about social development, yet they're constantly doing things that interrupt that. First it was the G/T schedule and 1st grade schedule conflicted over art and PE, now this.

So, as I understand it, our options are:

- Have them cut DD loose from G/T early so she can go to lunch with her 1st-grade class.
- Have her eat lunch with the 2nd-3rd graders and see if she can make any new friends.
- Use this as another tool to push for a grade skip.

I'm still weighing this and I need to explore this further with DD, but I'd like to hear your thoughts.