Yes, unfortunately, many parents begin by believing a school:
1) knows what is in the best interests of their child, and
2) has the will to follow-through
... only to learn much later that the school's main interests are:
1) being insular (protecting itself, defending its policies, etc), and
2) gaining funding (whether through government allocation of taxpayer dollars, private donors & foundations, business partnerships, etc).
Gifted outlier children generally do not fit in with these priorities.

To prevent a meeting from devolving, you may wish to prepare yourselves well. Work closely with your spouse on this.
Because these things can change over time...
- Read, print, place in a ring binder: Your State education laws.
- Read, print, place in a ring binder: Your school's policies, especially anything related to "gifted", acceleration, and/or growth of each student. Also locate any published policies on teacher evaluation, equal outcomes, closing gaps, etc. Do not plan to speak on these topics, but do be familiar with policies regarding them.
- Have a plan for what you wish to say in the meeting, including suggestions, requests, "next steps", timing/dates, etc. Stay positive and solution-oriented, and focused on meeting your child's needs and how the laws and policies make this possible.
- Know what your goals are.
- Know what your other educational options are, if you choose to leave this school or if the school declares it cannot meet your child's educational needs.

At the meeting:
- Take notes.
- Ask for definitions, detail, and clarification when needed, to ensure that you understand what the school is saying.

Some possible resources to share:
- Davidson's Educators Guild
- Article: What Kids Don't Learn (without appropriate academic challenge)... know the list of 10 things!
- excerpts from Article: Gifted Children: Youth mental health update (kids need both academic challenge and academic/intellectual peers)... study this and know it well!

After the meeting, follow-up with a friendly, professional recap of the meeting... a letter of understanding (which may be e-mailed). More in the roundup of advocacy info.