This issue drives me crazy. I think it's ridiculous that (most) schools allow parents to make this decision, but won't even listen to a parental request for acceleration. We know our kids well enough to say that they can't handle school, but not well enough to know that they can handle even more? Alrighty.
And the hypercompetitive parenting is insane! I think the schools should have a policy that says that any child held back by their parents will be prohibited from participating in GT/pullout/what have you in elementary school and forbid them from participating in sports their senior years if they are 18 prior to the start of that year. Perhaps then those twits like the blonde in this piece would back the heck off.
Of course, the schools like the older students because they can inflate test scores (which is also a reason so many are against acceleration).
I don't want children pushed to school before they are ready, but I don't know if competitive parents or test score greedy school personnel are the right people to make that decision.
Sorry for the rant.
