I still talk about the needs of gifted kids, but keep my expectations low. I've read too much and met too many people whose ideologies or hangups won't permit them to see the facts to feel any differently.
The education situation in general is sucky, and the ideology is a big part of that. When we were changing schools for our two youngest two years ago, I told the principal that DD had been skipped kindergarten. I could tell that he wasn't happy about it by the way he told me "We're stuck with it and we'll do our best."
A few months ago, I was at a parent-teacher conference with her teacher. She told me that DD can be a bit more immature than her classmates at times and that her much younger age (very late summer birthday on top of the skip) was certainly a factor. Then she caught herself and added, "But I'm not saying she she should be it he grade behind!!! She definitely belongs here! <3 <3 "
DD does very well academically and has friends in most of the K-8 grades. She has four very good friends in her own grade and is always getting invited to parties. The people in the school are well aware of how well she fits in, and I think she's become something of a grade-skip success story. So I take this as a small victory in the world of advocacy.
