I�m new to this forum and need help! I�m meeting with my daughter�s teacher and principal (3rd meeting) and could really use some advice on how to advocate without emotions getting in the way. To summarize our struggles, I�m including the last correspondence to the principal below. Can someone please help us with suggestions on what to say/do and what not to say/do during the meeting tomorrow! I feel that we may be not handling this properly and thus, not getting any results. Thank you so much for your help in advance!!
p.s. We live in CA, my daugher is 5 and is in public school kindergarten. The below email was sent on Monday night to the Principal. As a result, we are meeting tomorrow morning.
Hello Principal XXX,
In regards to RRR�s academic action plan, we have several questions for you. Thank you in advance for your time.
It has been over six weeks since the beginning of the school year. In your email dated August 26th, you stated "we will evaluate RRR in relation to her classmates, Kindergarten curriculum, PMAS, DIBELS, formal and informal observations and assessments." Please provide us the status of the evaluation in terms of when it is going to take place, when it is going to be completed by and when we will see the results. We specifically would like to know when the DIBELS and PMAS testing will be completed.
Additionally, in the ongoing effort to provide RRR an appropriate education by challenging her academically and socially at her level, we will be requesting further testing (achievement/IQ/Iowa Acceleration Scale Manual/etc) through the school district. Can you please let us know to whom this official request letter needs to be addressed?
We respectfully appreciate and understand your position of not taking lightly our request of placing RRR in a grade above her chronological peers. At the same time, we can not take lightly the fact that RRR's Kindergarten homework is in no way challenging. She communicates to us daily of her boredom at school, of how easy everything is and of how difficult it is for her to stay focused because she already knows what's being taught. It is obvious that RRR's academic and social skills are beyond her current Kindergarten chronological level and she therefore requires significant upward change in her curriculum and class environment. As of now, we do not see a path/strategy that will keep RRR challenged in the Kindergarten environment, taking into account the current Kindergarten curriculum and proposed enrichment activities presented to date. Mrs. AAA mentioned a few strategies such as additional homework and future aid for individualized learning but this is not enough nor urgent enough.
Therefore, we are asking again for a more challenging school curriculum and for RRR to be with peers of her intellectual ability by accelerating her into 1st grade. Every child deserves to be challenged at their current level via appropriate public education. Chronological age/level alone can not fairly dictate a child's academic and social achievement/ability and grade placement.
It is painful to watch a child, who last year used to come home daily with vivid stories of new learning, no longer being excited about school because they are bored in class. That is why we urgently need to work together to find a better short and long term solution to the current situation.
We have heard that school districts have used the Iowa Acceleration Scale Manual for student evaluation and we plan on formally requesting this or a similar tool. You have previously mentioned that you were not convinced that RRR is ready for 1st grade. Perhaps the results of this type of testing will shed some convincing data.
Please know that we would like to work together with you, Mrs. AAA and others in cooperation to achieve a more challenging education and greater social stimulation for RRR.
Thank you as always for your time and attention to this matter.
Respectfully,
Parents of RRR
