Yes looking around for another option might be best for Eco's son. Sadly not everyone has a lot of options because of either location or cost.
The sticking point is how to provide acceleration or advanced programming in another school. I could allow him to go to his assigned school, stop monitoring 504 compliance, and allow him to fail--which he would do, undoubtedly, because no matter how "easy" the work is, if the teacher doesn't see it, it won't be graded.
He would still advance grade to grade because they don't retain middle school students, I don't think.
Reading this thread I'm trying to understand what accommodations you are expecting to get out of a IEP rather than a 504. I'm not sure you are going to get any better compliance with an IEP than a 504.
I don't know either. Here is what I wanted for DS:
--a behavior plan
--work with resource teacher during study hall on organizational issues
--language evaluation. I am not convinced he doesn't have an LD in receptive/expressive language. He definitely has a pragmatic deficit, and it's caused a lot of misunderstanding.
--legal protection from discrimination
One of the reasons I received a 504 with little struggle last year was that my son had in his record incidences back to 6th grade. It seems that the system really is set up to help children after they are already failing rather than to catch them before they fail.
DS has had a 504 since 3rd/4th grade. The thing is, he didn't need it until 6th. Medication fixed the issue as far as the school was concerned. I read something on wright's that just medicating away behavioral issues is not considered sufficient, but I can't remember where I read it.
504 compliance issues created the current situation.
The most frustrating thing is that everyone who works with DS agrees there are problems, but I can't figure out how to solve any of them without help. And when I try to seek help (and DS misses school because of medical appointments), he is penalized for that, as well.
I'm still processing all of this.
