I have an idea.
Go directly to the principle, tell him or her what you've told us. And I mean copy paste what you've written, take out all the 'can you believe it' words, and make an timeline of what went on. Ask for a grade skip. Into a class that isn't CTT.
With FSIQ at 97% he can certianly handle it, and you can always reverse it when you move to the private school. That way you are giving everyone a chance to gracefully slide out of the current placement with no loss of face.
It's hard to look at a kid who scores 97% and compare them to a kid who gets into SET, but I can promise you that if this child were your only child, you would be very very impressed with their LOG. Visit a regular classroom for 4th and 5th graders and you'll see that the skip still won't really met the child's needs. But it is worth it.
As for the 4th grade teacher, list the goods as NanRos suggested and put the cons all on your son.
He is too shy to ask the teacher for work that suits him.
He is too lazy to choose harder work, if given the choice.
He is too much of a conformist to want to stand out from his classmates.
His self image is too low for him to risk doing material that is at his level - he needs guidance to choose to work at the proper level.
I do not believe any of these complaints for a second, but this way it is clear that you aren't blaming the school and gives them a chance to play hero.
Then they can say: "Oh, we didn't realize we were dealing with a shy, lazy, group-pleasing kid. It's obviously in his best interest to place him with kids who will be good role models.
At the very least it will let the teacher know his 'tricks' right from the begining. He or She will see him as a 'problem to solve' rather than as a quiet kid who needs shelter. And by asking for the gradeskip, this allows the school to offer a move to a different classroom as an appeasement. People who are negotiating feel like winners if you ask for 2xs what you want so they can give you half and feel good. You can help them. But personally, I would hold out with a: well, I'll try the new classroom for 3 months, but if I don't see him learning good work ethic, I'll be right back here asking for that skip.
You may need to hire a lawyer or parent advocate to come with you to meetings, take notes, and remind them to do what they said. Would your tester fill that role?
Love and More LOve,
Grinity
