Ashley, I feel your pain
I am not quite sure whether my child's school gets it either -- on one hand, they say things like "he can read independently", on the other hand, they say things like, "he is not able to maintain focus without redirection". This is a child who reads Enid Blyton, Geronimo Stilton etc for hours at home, without the need for any redirection. I do see what the school is saying -- do the boring work, and then, maybe you can progress to something better.
I wouldn't do it. If she sees that he needs differentiation, then SHE needs to be the one going to bat for him. If she knows what the problem is (and it sounds like she does) then why isn't SHE differentiating work for him in ways that don't make him stand out from his peers? He obviously has great leadership qualities and has a high need to belong to the group.
I completely agree. All of this. Even if the school is saying they cannot differentiate till a particular grade, I think you should continue to ask for it.
