Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Taking video to advocate for child entering K?

DS4 will enter K at DD's school next year. We need to ask for a special variance to enroll him there as it is not his zoned school, but they should grant it, as they say they will do this for younger sibs of children in the gifted magnet (magnet starts in grade 2). The school has some K/1 classrooms available which will allow kids academic breathing room. I have also been advised to request a particular teacher who "gets" advanced kids. I have never done that before, but in this case I am willing to be pushy. However, I know schools hear from many parents who say their kids are advanced and that without seeing the child, they hear some of this as hot air. I wonder if anyone has ever shot a SHORT video of their child reading and doing math to show the school to use to advocate for a certain K placement, or if this sounds like a nutty, ill-advised idea? Of course, I realize we could also have him tested, but he's only 4 and I'd rather not spend the considerable sum. This all needs to be taken care of this winter (IIRC, before January).

ETA: I'm 95% certain that the principal has no idea who my older child is, so there is no familiarity there, though of course she could look up her records (DD has had straight As on every report card).

I haven't done it, but I can't say I wouldn't. OTOH, I'd probably pursue testing first, because IME if you make it easy for them to say yes by giving them what they need and are used to, they're more likely to say it.

FWIW, he is going to be VERY OBVIOUS once he is in the classroom. Like my other child, he does not hide his light under a bushel. However, bureaucracy being what it is, who knows if they'll want to/be able to switch him if they put him in the "wrong" class?

Also, they will test him themselves for free in K (they test early at this school). Not till mid-year or end of year, though, I think.

It's probably worth mentioning that the K classes will be a mix of magnet sibs and very low SES kids who may come in with very little school readiness.

Well, that's the question. Our school system tests in kindergarten, and somehow they still decided not to test my Sylvia-Plath-quoting, medical-dictionary-reading five year old or her fascinated-with-negative-integers twin brother. The kindergarten teacher and I were...astonished. But there they were. I was, two years later, fairly amused when the children who had been labeled "not exactly gifted material" (in the most disdainful of tones) beat the cutoff for the program handily.

If they didn't select him for testing (possible--it's a weirdly complex process here), we would definitely pay for outside testing.

Thought my ds would be obvious in K....turns out he's a chameleon. I have been extremely tempted to show video but decided they might interpret this as some sort of complex, scripted scheme of a success-hungry parent.

Sigh....nearly halfway through the year and teacher is just now getting on board.

Maybe achievement testing would suffice?

I am not against videos in general as proof of ability, but I think that in this case it might come off as pushy parent behavior. I'd ask for the placement, but keep the video idea in my back pocket for use if they indicate disbelief.

They're very aware of his reading ability at pre-K, so I know he's not doing any sort of chameleon act there regarding that. He also has the bonus traits of being cute and tractable, though in some ways I suppose that could count against him--he's not at all a squeaky wheel, though he is the kid with his hand in the air every.single.time.

Iucounu, that's probably a good strategy--have it as back-up, but don't present with it. The question becomes what to do if they are noncommittal and vague.