No, you can't make class requests. You can try but they don't honor them. I'm very active as an officer in the PTA, and I hope somehow that will be helpful.
My experience is that you cannot request a teacher. However, our principal seems to take into account requests for "a quiet, organized classroom," or "a classroom with more older children than younger ones," etc. A friend got an appropriate response in requesting that her son not be placed in a job share classroom (2 teachers) so that they could more closely monitor the effects of his medication.
These kinds of things seem to go over much better than "I want Mrs. SoAndSo because everyone knows she's the best/sweetest/most popular," etc.
Sheila, I'd also be asking him why he thinks so. I know you've not been successful in requesting a skip. Is it possible that he's heard you discuss this? DH and I have taken to emailing each other from across the room to discuss things like this to avoid talking about things like this until they are a done deal.
