I wrote an email to the math specialist who had signed DS5 up for DreamBox to thank her and to see if she had any other recommendations. DS5 loves the program but spends a lot of time on it and is doing the 4th and 5th grade curriculum. I would like to have some other options for him because I am not completely thrilled with this obsession, that might be a strong word, but I also don't want to shut him down. He is so proud of himself as he is progressing. I also threw in a little comment about how I didn't know what we were going to do with him in the coming years based on his place in the program.
Eibbed, I would let this drop. You'll need to save your advocacy for other more important battles.
I may be totally off here, but I think there may be a different slant to what happened and the intent behind the principal's remark. I think you mentioned in your email a concern with amount of screen time in relation to Dreambox. I think that the school staff may view that as a parent's issue, not their issue. They are curriculum experts (or supposed to be), so I wouldn't expect an off reaction to you asking for additional tools and resources, but if the request comes with an angle of you needing something different partly because your ds is spending too much time on the computer, I can see that a teacher is going to see the total time on the computer as the parent's issue, not their issue, particularly when you're talking about enrichment.
I also think that your mention of not knowing what you'll do with him in a few years based on how rapidly he's working through Dreambox might be interpreted as an overzealous parent. Please know I'm not saying you *are* an overzealous parent, just saying it might be interpreted that way. My kids used Dreambox and it was offered for enrichment at our elementary school to, and unless it's changed much in recent years it is easy for a capable child to whip through grade levels and skill sets. Please know I'm not in any way saying your ds isn't ahead and he isn't going to need challenge in school - obviously he does. I just feel, from what I've seen of it, that it's not necessarily a great way to demonstrate that need to school and it takes a bit of supervision at home if you really do want to rely on it for mastering curriculum.
Lastly, I wouldn't take the comment about getting your ds outdoors personally, especially since you're not sure of the context behind it. Maybe it was just a beautiful spring day outside and the principal was making small talk with a parent and that's really all it was.
Knowing when and what to say when advocating, as well as when and when not to respond is such a tough line to walk (or at least it was for me). There are so many times when you just have no idea what the other person is really thinking or what conversations go on behind the scenes between school staff.
But in any case, I'd just drop it this time. I think if you follow-up, you're just setting yourself up for more confusing conversations that might worry you. And I suspect that in the principal's day, it was one small conversation. Perhaps he's not seeing you in the way that you deserve to be seen, but I'm guessing you'll have lots more opportunities to interact as you advocate, so you'll have another chance
Best wishes,
polarbear
