Update:
So much for flexibility.
I just got off the phone with the assistant principal.
Apparently if I want textbooks that are more advanced, I am going to have to make him go through the entire prepackaged first year curriculum. (like heck I will!) After that, she is willing to consider acceleration, but not more than one grade level, or providing suitable materials.
As of this moment, I am pushing for his rights under Chapter 16...becuse as far as I can see it, these are my options:
(1) homeschool him 100%. I am not in great health and the continuous demand to come up with lesson plans, etc. even while taking care of a 2 year old is a more than a bit hard on me. (I have been improvising for a few weeks now--I should know.)
(2) find a private school that will work (hard enough) and try to get financial aid (not likely this late in the year).
(3) Force the issue of obtaining a GIEP now with the cyberschool in the hope that I can corner them into providing more suitable course materials rather than mere "enrichment" in addition to the early readers and rubber ball counting and eventually (next year) take that GIEP to another school.
This whole situation is so surreal! Problem: I have a stack of textbooks next to my chair and I cannot use the majority of them. This package is worth hundreds of dollars and was purchased for us by the state. The company who supplied the materials in the first place encourages parents to use placement tests and mix & match as needed. NO ONE will tell me how or where to return the package. NO ONE is willing to provide books that we CAN use.
My God! Do these people have to be so rigid?!?
If the boy is doing 3rd grade math, why in the heck should I make him go through an entire courseload of busywork (excruciating for him--I pulled him from the public school because it was creating behavior problems at home).
Becuse this is a cyberschool, we are talking about keystrokes! Mere keystrokes and he could be taking challenging and fun courses.
I have been told by the asst. principal (messages to the principal and guidance coun. are out already) that completing the entire courseload (including arts & crafts and fluff activities) was the only thing she would accept as proof of his ability. She was not willing to do any other kind of assessment. If she does not bend on that, I am getting a lawyer. I will not torture my son for 6 months for anyone's amusement.
In the meantime, I am going to start referring to the cyberschool, PALO, by name because it seems to me others should be aware of their inadequacies (in spite of the promises they make prior to enrollment).
