I sometimes think that my administrators have been replaced by aliens - and I mean this in the best possible way.
I was having a conversation with my head of school yesterday (the equivalent of the superintendent since we're a one school school district) and DD9 and her academic needs for next year came up. The details of the conversation were amazing! Right now DD is enjoying 6th grade part time at school, but is still not challenged, and is really ready for 8th grade classes next year for most courses. My head of school started speculating about possible scenarios that would work for her - it was amazing how flexible she was being in her ideas. At one point she even said "we can figure out a way to make this work for her because I mean, she's out of the box already, why even worry about a box?"
I am sure that my jaw dropped to the ground at that point. She is willing to have her enrolled in all sorts of different grade level classes, even if it means she is sitting in high school classes and 7th grade classes in the same day.
After I was done talking with her about work stuff, I was walking down the hall and ran into the middle school principal and he was asking how DD was doing. He then went on to say that he is so happy that this year is working out for DD and that every time he sees her she is happy and with friends. He did an observation in her English class and if he hadn't known she was younger he wouldn't have even noticed her as being different from the others in the class.
What he said next was the jaw dropper of this conversation:
"I am so glad that we tried this because she has made us as a school look at education in a different way and really take a look at what we hold as being true for education for gifted kids, and meeting their needs. I am sorry that we are actually failing her because we are still not challenging her, but I am so glad that we have started down this path to try and find a fit for her. You have no idea how nervous we were about allowing her to enter 6th grade and how she has really changed the outlook of people involved about what is possible."
I do not know exactly who he was talking about, but I have a pretty good idea. I think it is great that DD is making people rethink their long held beliefs about what "free and appropriate education" really means. I am hopeful that this will mean that others will have an easier time trying to do things like we did when it is appropriate.
I will let you all know more as we figure out next year, but wanted you to hear that DD has really made a difference here, and is doing it by simply being her silly, lovable self.
