Thanks, people. I stated that assigning social studies enrichment wasn't the way to develop a strong math talent, but was ignored by the vice principal. The clueless teacher from the first half of this year at one point told us that the V.P. was a gifted education coordinator for a school district in another state, but we later learned that he in fact had just been cross-trained on gifted issues with the other educators. He likely got lots of ideas then about serving moderately gifted kids in the classroom, which he's misapplying now. I hate busywork for anyone.

The info on Montessori is helpful. At one point last year I reviewed their math approach and manipulatives, and I ruled it out as a possibility then because I'd read reports that Montessori schools may not compact at all, by insisting that a child complete every single item in a unit before progressing. That, plus the emphasis on manipulatives that DS really doesn't tend to need at all, meant to me it might be a poor fit. I agree that they should tell you the details up front about the depth of the program.

At one point computer-based instruction in the classroom was brought up, but they have a program I wasn't too thrilled with (Odyssey Math) and essentially refused to let us provide something better for him, and in any event were suggesting mostly that we use it at home. Er, thanks, but if I'm going to afterschool my kids due to a school's failings, I'm going to pick best-of-breed materials. :|

We the parents also prefer that DS be taught by a human being for his main instruction, which might be too old-school of us. To us early on that meant that we preferred a subject pull-out for math, but knowing what we know now, we are done with Everyday Math as implemented in our district; we wouldn't want him pulled out to a fifth grade classroom or above if it meant he were still stuck doing EM.

Striving to increase my rate of flow, and fight forum gloopiness. sick