Thanks for all the tips, Grinity! I'll address the friendliness factor first - actually this is my son (and only child). He turned 6 in August and he is very outgoing, outspoken - he floweth over with self-confidence which I think many people find annoying. He makes friends easily but struggles to keep most of them because he's ... well, he wants to be the one in charge, the leader, the decision-maker. He's learning to share the privilege, but he takes charge when everyone else hesitates - this can make him unpopular. He seems to have turned a corner though, and things are improving.

I just got a call from the VP - and she has informed me that they are able to transfer him to a different teacher (my request as his current teacher is not up to the challenge of keeping him busy and at the same time acknowledging his inability to be completely subordinate/submissive - this has always been a problem lol).

Emotionally he is a first grader, or even on the short end of it, however we had a talk with him this week about possibly skipping a grade or at least being switched to a different teacher. He was terribly excited about both prospects, but we explained to him that they won't skip someone who misbehaves in class the way he has been. He thought that one through and seems to understand that he needs to pull it together and just do the work despite finding it dreadfully boring and disliking the teacher. He's not getting transferred to the teacher he was hoping for, but the VP tells me that the one they've selected works in partnership with the teacher he loves so.. theoretically they have the same game plan and hopefully it will work out - he won't get another transfer.

We live in a small community in the middle of nowhere - the kids are bussed to school for many miles around and we have not yet found another parent around here with whom we can relate on the GT child subject so I'm kind of going it alone here. But now I have y'all!

In reference to your letter D) above - what do you mean about what to do with him at home and putting myself in a dependent position?

Again, thank you for the advice - I'll start with calling to find out about a Gifted Coordinator (you'd think they'd have already given me this information but... it's looking like all parents of gifteds have to fight all the way? Yuck.) I seem to recall having accidently met someone with that title last year...

Have a great day and thank you again!

Elizabeth