Thanks for the explanation. You have two things going on that I can really identify with - first, we had no desire to grade-skip our ds, and honestly, for us and for him, it was the best decision - but definitely not ideal. I would make the same choice again today even knowing the areas that ultimately were difficult because he wasn't skipped, so I can understand the desire not to go with a grade skip, and particularly a 2 year grade skip. I also see issues that a 2 year grade skip won't necessarily solve, such as classroom learning pace, and - in this case - grade skipping isn't going to make the school more flexible, so what happens when you still need to do something extra or different for your ds? I suspect the school staff will not be wiling to accommodate.
The second thing I can identify with is being in a small charter school which you have bought into (mentally, not with $), where you've done your best to integrate yourself as the helpful parent etc, and where you believe there should be flexibility to accommodate a gifted student. Your school is sending you a strong signal - they don't want to accommodate. Have you considered simply returning to a different school within the larger school district? We stuck with our charter school for several years thinking that if we just kept advocating, just kept suggesting, just kept trying - we'd get somewhere. We didn't - and what we found at the end of 5th grade was our ds, who'd been primarily silent all those years - absolutely hated his school! As he got older, he not only wasn't being challenged in the classroom, he was seeing me advocate and getting nowhere and it left him feeling that no one at the school cared. When we did switch schools, the difference was like night and day (note - our new school is *not* a gifted school) - but it's a school where teachers appreciate parent input and where students are given differentiated work - and life is just so very much easier for me and so much happier for my ds. Is it ideal? Nope... but it was a good thing for me to let go of the school that was so obviously not willing to work with us.
And like HK, I also wonder why if you're able to consider homeschooling the core academics, you wouldn't consider full time homeschool?
Anyway, it sounds as though sticking with the school you're at isn't going to be easy and your advocating isn't getting you anywhere. Based on that I'd suspect part-time homeschooling wouldn't go over well there either.
I am also curious re why your ds didn't get into the gifted program in your district? Is it a program you wanted him in? Is it something he could test again for? Something you could appeal?
Best wishes,
polarbear
PB,
Our larger district is simply not safe. We live in a rough urban area. The local public schools are not an option. I've learned quite a bit about the local gifted program and it sounds like it wouldn't be a good fit anyway. It sounds like it's just for well behaved MG kids (if that).
