[Please know that
IAS is a set of publications which can be utilized anywhere. If local schools are not utilizing it, they may not be aware of it. Parents can help raise awareness, both in the USA and elsewhere.
I am still really conflicted what to ask for
This may be when the exploration, fact-gathering, and discussion of collected items following the IAS checklist may be most helpful. It helps replace feelings with facts, moving from subjective to more objective decision making. It also helps document aspects considered at this point in time.
he is adamant he wants to attend the school his papa teaches at
Is that the school he would skip into the 5th grade at? Student preference is one element taken into consideration in the IAS.
Interesting idea - I checked the IRPA website and while A nation deceived is available in translation, the IAS is not. I might try to get ahold of a copy, try to gather what I can and sort of use it as a jumping off point for a meeting. I cannot imagine the school would shell out for a manual AND a translation, and while I am sure all his teachers read English, expecting them to understand and work with a professional publication (and I guess you'd have to have a working knowledge of the US school system) would almost certainly overwhelm them. And I want them happy, not freaked!
DHs school is another public college right adjacent to his current elementary. No self contained gifted program, but some enrichment. It would be more of the same till 12th grade - high standards geared towards the bright/MG cohort, but lockstep teaching and peers if lucky. No support for grade skippers - the gifted program explicitly talks about offering support with writing skills and executive function, as they regularly serve grade skippers and children who never were able to develop good organization or study habits because of being able to Coast their way right through to 5th grade. Parents of HG+ kids I met at info night are happy. Frankly, I want him there, whether it's after 3rd or after 4th grade, it sounds like it might work well for him and I need him to keep an open mind at least.
Basically wanting to go where his papa is is still separation anxiety - he's known the school since he was a toddler, negotiating all the time whether he really needed to go to preschool since he could just as well go in with DH. When he was little, he loved playing with the lab materials, and since he's been old enough to sit still, DH has stowed him away in the occasional AP class - it's saved us the occasional child care headache. I should have taken him for the info night at the gifted program, while they talked at the parents they whisked the kids away for STEM fun and they all trooped back in with shining eyes at the end....only, which gets us right back where we started at, he's only seven and can't stay up till 9.30 the way the 4th graders could, LOL. Maybe I can arrange for a visit in 5th grade or so, the school is across the state line and they have slightly different vacations.
But whatever I arrange, I have to tread so carefully with DS because I know that at this point, both the idea of the non-papa school and the idea of a skip would majorly freak him out.
