Wow! You are incredibly fortunate to have such an accommodating school. I had read somewhere that CT was a gifted friendly state. I�m even happier for you if it is a public school that your children attend.
IL is definitely not a gifted friendly state. Our school district does not allow any variation from the grade step regimen. This rigidity works to the districts advantage for the standardized test week. The party line rhetoric is since our school district has such high standards, it isn�t necessary to grade advance anyone.
We count ourselves lucky to have gotten our kids with birthdays after the Sept. 1st deadline into their respective grades with a private school, which is slightly more flexible, and certainly more challenging. I asked for our son to attend math in another grade. I was told that they tried that once, but it didn�t work out. I think the real barrier is class scheduling and teachers� attitude.
We do have a math tutor work with our kids on an intermittent basis and I have just contacted a physics professor from a local university who said he would help us in our search for a physics coach for our son. It�s not easy for us to provide this in combination with private school tuition. The children who really suffer in our area are ones who parents are unable to do the same.
Again, I�m very glad for your children and hope that the next generation of teachers and administrators across the country will have more progressive ideas for gifted Ed.
