Dear LMom,
Your instincts about getting a new teacher are right. It sounds as though there is an internal power struggle in the music school (it's ridiculous that his regular teacher is in trouble for teaching a child the way she sees fit!)--there are control freaks everywhere, and you found one.
I taught music for years and years (I have three music degrees), and you take the student where you find them, period. There is nothing wrong with spending a few weeks (or longer with an older child) on some repertoire to polish it to perfection, if the child wants to, but you have to balance that with having some variety and moving through repertoire relatively quickly, too, especially with such a young child! It needs to stay fun, first and foremost, and if the pieces bore him, well bye-bye interest in music, which would be really sad.
Interview some prospective teachers now; a lot of studio teachers will be starting to book their fall schedules at this time of the year. You're looking for someone flexible, without a lot of "studio policies" about repertoire/curriculum. Don't let someone take the joy out of it for him, because that's the bottom line, no matter what the future holds.
peace
minnie
