Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Should I homeschool or keep trying?

First off, thanks to everyone who answered my first post. You've all helped me a lot. Now, I'd like to ask a second question.

Today, the teacher called me at home. She said "your daughter is getting every answer wrong on everything." I calmly asked "why she thought that was happening." She said, "I'm lecturing to the class and giving the class the answers, and she isn't paying attention to the work in front of her. She has her workbook open doing the last pages in it instead of what the rest of the class is doing."

The teacher said, "it is obviously too easy for her so she is zoning out and looking for different work." (I shouted a silent cheer, a teacher finally admitted that my daughter is BORED!)
The teacher said that this is a problem, because she has to learn to focus on the current work. She said "I'm going to have to work with her on her focusing issues."

Argggghhhh! I'm so upset. I agree that she has to focus and do work whether she likes it or not. But I DO NOT agree that she should have to spend a year doing work below her level with no incentive.

Should I talk to the teacher more? What should I ask for? I have decided I'm not playing this game with the school any longer. If things haven't improved by December, I am going to homeschool her. I'm tired of all this.

But in an effort to give this one last chance (the teacher is at least admitting boredom), what should I ask for? The school has seen her IQ tests, her standardized test, the educational psychologists recommendations; and they never agree with any of it. I asked for subject acceleration, and I was told "no." I asked for higher level worksheets, and I was told "no."

This is actually the first teacher in the last three years who has even admitted that my daughter was bored, but she is making it my daughter's problem by saying she has to learn to focus even if she is bored.

I'm frustrated.