They haven't pulled the "What my gifted child doesn't learn" card. I have had only one meeting with this school and with was with the VP about skipping DD to 5th grade math.
I was thinking that
you would want to make them aware of all the things your DD is missing out on because she aleady knows so much of the material, like the chance to learn to work hard and persevere, to deal with frustration, to have to learn time-management skills, etc. Schools tend to be very big on social development, even moreso than academic development, so if you can show them ways in which your daughter's social fit isn't appropriate or some ways in which her current situation is making her sad or depressed or whatever, it might go a long way.
Last year, I just gently reminded the teachers from time to time that my daughter had mastered the material she was bringing home from school. When I did this, the provided harder work.
Last year wasn't so great though, as my daughter thought that if she didn't already know something, the work would be taken away from her and had to hide her books if she had to look something up...UGH! NOT a good start to the yaer...Off to meet DD6, first grade teacher...I have a better feeling about this!
I would reference in your meeting with the VP (which I would insist upon even if the teacher doesn't feel it necessary or isn't even there) the methods you tried last year and what worked and what didn't. It always helps to see things from the school's perspective, which is often that they are overworked, that the breadth of students' skills is so huge in any one classroom, and that they must, by necessity, focus primarily on getting the lower students up to grade level. Then, if it were me, I would point out ways in which subject or grade acceleration could help to solve both your concerns. Your DD could learn at an appropriate academic and social level and it wouldn't cost the school a thing since they would not have to provide your DD with any additional instruction or materials. You could suggest a trial acceleration to be looked at after 6 weeks. And, too, you could reassure them that you would accept full responsibility for the failure of any trial acceleration.
