ByTheSea,
I've run into similar situations with several different teachers re filling out gifted surveys for entry into gifted programs in our school district. Our experience has included teachers who thought they knew what a gifted child "looked" like or acted like (as if all gifted students fit into one mold), a teacher who's own children didn't score highly enough to get into the program and hence didn't want to bother writing a recommendation for anyone else, to teachers who thought kids couldn't have LD and be gifted at the same time (my kids are 2e), as well as teachers who thought they could "do better" than the gifted program in their own classroom. I've also seen (just in our area) that it's much easier to get a teacher recommendation if you're a student who's disruptive in the classroom or difficult to manage in some way - which means quiet, compliant kids aren't as likely to be perceived as needing gifted services. Is any of that "right"? Of course not - but it's a reality that does happen in some schools.
SO - fwiw, this is what we did that helped get our ds into the gifted program. We bypassed his teacher and talked directly to the teachers who were the "gateway" to entry into being classified as gifted in our district. They have specific training in id'ing and teaching gifted children, and they are used to seeing a *lot* of test scores. So while our ds' qualifying ability scores (through private testing) were passed off as not meaning anything by his school teachers and school psych, when the gifted program teacher saw them *she* knew what they meant.
The other important thing we did before contacting the gifted program staff was to become familiar with what the district requirements for entry to the program were, and to be absolutely certain that we understood the testing results we had in relation to the types of tests required and cutoffs etc. We never did get a teacher to fill out a recommendation for our but we had test scores that qualified him.
Last thing we had, but never used, was notes on ds' early accomplishments - a bit like the DYS portfolio. These were all things ds had done *young* and at home, not things he'd done in school, and were also clearly way above age/grade level in terms of thinking.
It sounds like you have the test scores - but do you know for certain that your school district only requires ability testing (I think that's what you have)... is there any requirement for achievement testing? I'm sorry I'm not familiar with the test that you mentioned. Your best case scenario is to have the same type of test the school district uses, which I think from what you've said is what you have. Just be sure they don't require more than one test.
Good luck advocating!
polarbear
