Thanks everyone for you advice. I met with the new teacher today and had a brief chat with the reading specialist. I think this is going to be a much better fit for DS5. The new teacher has a plan for what she wants DS to start working on and I'm very pleased with it. Plus, her classroom simply feels more like a place to learn and grow than his previous class, which looks and functions more like a preschool classroom. Unbelievably, this is the best I've felt all year about his schooling.

Courtney B: I used your friend's line about making even more friends. It worked like a charm. DS is excited about the move. Now it's just a matter of making the transition. I'm hoping it will be this Monday, but it may not happen for an extra week b/c of parent-teacher conferences next week.