Why does this have to be so difficult?
Is it possible that you are making it somewhat more difficult than it is? For example, the private school has given you its final offer. Yet you seem to believe that details in the offer are open for negotiation. Possibly it is time to tell your child, "
Mother and Father cannot afford another year at that school. We are glad that you enjoyed the opportunity while we could provide it for you, this year. We will make an effort to arrange some play dates with your friends so you can keep in touch."
Don't waste your energy on solutions that do not work for your child at this time... it can drain you until you have nothing left to offer to your child. Stay on task, focusing on what can work; Based on your posts, that sounds like homeschool.
... public school... pre-assessments prior to each new unit ... enriched opportunities will be provided as needed... in the classroom.
If you are interested in further vetting the public school, you may wish to first read up on
buzzwords and
grading practices in order to interpret what the school says and manage your expectations as to what your son's experience will likely consist of. For example, students may be required to achieve 100% on inane pre-assessment questions in order to unlock "enrichment"; The enrichment may consist of tutoring others, differentiated task demands (more stringent requirements in order to earn the same grade as other students), etc, designed to achieve "
equal outcomes". Teachers are evaluated and schools are rated/ranked based on closing achievement gaps and excellence gaps; This includes capping the growth of students at the top. You could ask the school for clarification:
- what the cut-scores would be on the pre-assessments.
- what the enrichment opportunities would consist of.
Meanwhile his
need is for curriculum and teaching at his appropriate challenge level or zone of proximal development (ZPD), with academic/intellectual peers.
social skills summer camp... behavioral specialist... school program
Does the school fund this camp for other children residing in the district? How strongly do you believe in this camp? Would the specialist write a letter outlining camp goals and how this camp uniquely meets your son's needs? Would you pay for this camp yourself if the school does not fund it for your son?
since he has already fully explored one of the 2 topics that will be covered in the gifted program next year that we could give them some ideas for something else for him to do. In the email they said this: "The goal concerning oceans was written because it is a specific topic covered in the curriculum." So I guess that means no chemistry or genetics or anything DS might be interested in and his 2 hours per 6 day cycle of gifted pull out will consist primarily of one concept he mastered at 4 and another that is pretty basic and that he has little interest in. Yay.
If you are interested in further vetting the public school, you may wish to ask them what other topics are covered by the curriculum, so that you might attempt to partner with the school to find a match between one of those topics and his potential interests.
and I had also asked for his raw scores on his tests as the psych said that she did still have them. I was told that they won't do any additional testing and the evaluation report contains everything we need and will not be altered in any way. I didn't even ask for additional testing or anything to be changed with the report.
Did you receive the scores? If scores were provided to you, then the rest of the communication was unnecessary static. However if scores were not provided to you, then some may say their reply was "non-responsive"... meaning it did not address your question. Under FERPA, parents are entitled to receive scores. Read up on
FERPA, then make a written request.
If you are not familiar with
wrightslaw, you may wish to read up on that, including their book
From Emotions to Advocacy, and their
FETA website.
what was the point of all of the testing if they can't apply it to their picture of DS?
.
I really don't want to homeschool again...
Any particular reason why?
