Actually, I must take my statement back. Although I doubt the figures are very reliable, it looks like redshirting K and repeating a grade happens at about the same frequency or that retention is more common. I made the error of basing my statement on my own sample. (I know many redshirted kids and only one who was retained--my sample is not all UMC, either. Perhaps it is unpopular in my district or state.)
My own sample is the same as yours. I've known many redshirted kids. But i know my district has a policy against retention as only a last resort for K-8. The district policy to to keep the kids with their peers and test them for LD's, give them extra help. I know because I brought up the issue for my daughter in 2nd grade. She was young for her grade, and has LD's. The only way I could have held her back was move her to a private school. I have never heard of any student who was retained by the school, a few who's parents pulled them out after a month of K and waited till the next year. But I think this depends on the state and the school.
I suspect the teacher is squawking about his reading partially because she has benchmarks she is supposed to make. They look bad if the students don't enter 1st grade reading. We are scrutinizing our teachers more than ever, and teachers are being graded on the success rate of their students.
