Originally Posted by mom2twoboys
Somehow the school had to have some paperwork to move him up to 2nd grade before school started. Is there any way you can insist on seeing it? How about requesting a meeting with his teacher from last year, the principal and the school counselor?

Is there any way you can get them to assess DS with whatever end of 1st grade indicators there are? And maybe an independent education psychologist could help?

Also, is there any layer between the principal and the school board where you can make your case? We have community superintendents here.

I know, lots and lots of questions. I'm so sorry things have become so difficult. Hang in there and keep fighting for what you know is right. Another thing: Have you talked with the principal about his/her theories about grade skipping? That may help you arm yourself with the information you need to get what he needs. The principal at my former school was extremely against it. When my husband and I moved the conversation to the fact that he grade skipped 1st grade and still went to an Ivy League school on scholarship, that changed the conversation. (Husband, by the way, said 2nd grade was the worst b/c his teacher believed that children shouldn't skip grades and his handwriting was horrible. It still is!)

I know a parent who got a grade skip in the early grades here by proving her daughter's abilities. She went up to the next grade for part of the day and the school counselor watched her interactions in the new grade. The school finally agreed to move the child fully in Feb. The child is now thriving both socially and academically in a magnet middle school.
Well we can't meet with anybody from last year because we're in a different school district.

The principal is new and started the same day as the kids so I don't think that he really has a clue about what's going on. I want to talk to him but I feel like I need to wait a few weeks until the stress of the new school and new school year has worn off.

I have no idea if there's a lawyer or not. How would I find that out?

They said the move to 2nd was a mistake.

As far as I know there are no school counselors in this district and they don't allow them to move to another grade for part of the day for any reason so they wouldn't be able to observe him there. That's how we got him moved up last year though.