What I don't understand if people's schools are so bad why send them there. The original poster mentioned about their school being worried that parent's are going to start homeschooling. That prompted the school doesn't need you kid comment.I remember growing up with the thought that teachers were all knowing. Obviously that wasn't right. But if you come on the forum you think all teachers are idiots.I don't buy that either. It seems the tendency now is to believe the kid before the teacher. I'm sure if I went to my daughters teacher and compared her to a kid in a sandbox I'm guessing she wouldn't take that well. Would you? Maybe since my daughter is in a school district that has a magnet program (she's in 6th) I may be a bit spoiled. I think if you want to homeschool that's fine. I guess I'm just more of an all or nothing sort of person
Thanks for your input! As to why I continue to send my child to this school - it's pretty simple. 1. He is extremely social, so he really wants to be with his peers at least for part of the day. 2. I actually like some aspects of the school and am happy to have my child exposed to those things. 3. I still believe that every child deserves to be included in public school and also deserves to be met where they are at. 4. We have other children so if 1 goes to private school, likely the rest will need it. That's not cheap.
I have really struggled with coming to terms with the current state of public education. I have worked in public and private education for years, so I have watched the decline. Truly, I am saddened by what I see now. Yet, I still hope that things may improve next year or sometime in the future.
What particularly irks me about my son's current school is that in their literature and in their weekly tours, it is clearly stated that this school meets EVERY child where he is at. They also state that they will write individualized education plans for EVERY child and will make sure that each child will progress at his natural pace. These are lies.
My son is not the first gifted child to enter this school. He is the first PG kid to go there (so they tell me). Almost every gifted child leaves this school by 2nd-3rd grade. We are still there because we are trying to make it work. We have tried every approach imaginable. I don't think the teachers are idiots. But I do believe that many of the teachers have a bias that many teachers seem to have - they don't think gifted children have needs and they don't understand the kind of damage they do when the needs are not met, not even a little.
Our whole adventure began with this school when we realized what my son was doing at school was so different than what he could do at home. He was thinking at home like a high school/college kid in some subjects. With the same subjects at school he was below or at grade level. When we realized the mismatch and respectfully asked the school what we could do about this as a team, we were told time and again to do nothing. He was at grade level, he passes the tests there is no need for concern. Is that ok? In the meantime, his attitude about the adults at school was growing worse and he started to develop anxiety. At 6 years old!
So, to make a very long story short, I don't partially homeschool my son for anyone's ego benefit. I do it because he deserves to be educated appropriately. I also do it because I want him to have respect for adults and I don't want him to think that school is about writing on worksheets, "I don't know." as quickly as possible, so that he can go off and read his books or doodle. I want him to learn how to actually work at something. I want him not to be anxious or depressed at such a young age because he found himself to be in a very stifling environment.
