What do you guys think--would a letter in this style get a positive reaction, or would it just make me more enemies at dd's school? I'm thinking of using something like this if I have to take our requests to the district level.
We have a differently-abled child. Ability testing places her IQ at almost 3 standard deviations from normal. In other words, the average IQ is 100, but her measured ability is almost 45 points away from average. This means there is a huge difference between the way she assimilates information and the way a typical child learns.
Our differently-abled child is currently mainstreamed into a regular classroom, but the pace of a regular classroom is not appropriate for her rate of learning. She is expected to do class work which is not appropriate for her ability level. She is losing her enthusiasm for school and is frustrated with her homework.
She does receive pull-out services to address her differences for two hours per week, but the rest of the time she is in a regular classroom with no differentiation. We�ve suggested options such as online learning or alternative materials, but her teacher has stated that they can only be done in addition to the regular, inappropriate work. We feel this policy is unfair and penalizes our daughter for being different.
Our goal is to have our daughter�s needs addressed. If she must be placed in a regular classroom, please give her some alternatives to the regular curriculum. Let her learn at the pace she�s capable of, even if it�s out-of-sync with the rest of the class. We�re not asking for special treatment, just appropriate accommodations.
Yours truly, etc. etc.
P.S. The District happens to use the word �gifted� to describe a differently-abled child like ours. Unfortunately, using a different term doesn�t make the challenges she faces on a daily basis go away.
