- Is subject matter acceleration, participating in an out of grade class, something that is an option? Is full grade acceleration an option? Is there a reason why you might feel that either of these is not a reasonable option to consider. I would love to hear your view/opinion on these as I am not an educator myself. I understand that you have a wealth of experience in this area and I like to be well informed when trying to make any decision, especially one concerning my son's education and well being.
I understand that we are but one family out of 700+ that are your responsibility but I also hope that as an elementary school parent yourself you are familiar with the need to communicate and work with the school if you find that your child is not feeling excited or challenged with their education.
I would leave out the line about "as I am not an educator myself." That may be true, but I think you're setting yourself up if you do that. We had that experience with a school principal who said she didn't care what the research said, she didn't believe in skipping-- and btw, she hadn't read the research. This was after the DISTRICT approved a skip for my son to her school.
I think you're right to press for an answer to why they won't determine what your son's actual level is-- that's invaluable to teaching him something new. But I think you could also ask, "If you don't know where he's starting, how can you be assured he'll have a full year's growth in a year's time?"
Good luck with your meeting. You seem like you're approaching it very respectfully, and I think that will go a long way.
