One kind of radical idea that-- truly-- had never really crossed my mind until then was something that another parent (to a pair of HG+ teens) pointed out:
you do know that your child is entitled to TWELVE YEARS of appropriate education, right? NOT "twelve years of curriculum" but twelve school years of appropriate education.
The thing is that the word appropriate means something different to the public schools that most people think. It does not mean the perfect education for every child. It specifically targets children with disabilities (not giftedness) and simply means means (among other things) that when possible the child will be offered an education that *meets* grade level standards. Schools are under no obligation to exceed grade level standards even if it would be appropriate to do so with a gifted child. It is assumed that children in general ed are getting an "appropriate" education because they have been placed at grade level in the least restrictive environment.
