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I've got a fourth grader in a new school and all I wanted was acceleration to fifth grade math - what is the big freaking deal? My son finshed the Harry Potter series before second grade and consistently scores in the 99th percentile in math. But it's like talking to rocks.

The culture at my son's school is strange. The moms are way over-involved in silly extras. Inm my son's class alone they are collecting for nine gifts this year - 3 each for the teacher and two special staff members. I don't mind a gifts for teachers/staff memebrs, but three each? Birthday gifts for grown, professional women? One of the volunteer opportunities is to bring a treat for the teacher every day for a week for teacher appreciation week. The class mothers have suggested that everyone should volunteer for at least two activities and yes, they are all during work hours and no, no fathers were included on the email list.

And this is at a school where the teachers can't even get it together to post the spelling words online - is it really that hard to connect the dots and realize the teachers need some help with stuff that will actually benefit the kids academically? Oh - and they lost a kindergartener. A child wandered off and they had to call the parents and say they couldn't find him. He was found eventually, but I didn't hear about it for a week because the method for alerting parents about emergencies is automated phone calls. Same as for an overdue library book.

I am also exhausted and the extra time my son has to spend deciphering what his homework is cutting into his reading time. He is a voracious independent reader of history and now he doesn't have time for it because he's busy doing worksheets that never get reviewed by a teacher.

Whew! That felt good!

I am trying to make a point that is relevant tp your situation - maybe it's hopeless and you should concentrate your energies on areas you can control. Keep your child supplied with high quality reading material. Have your son take up an instrument, or learn a language. And in the meantime, look for a different school.

I am sure others with far more experience will chime in with more positive suggestions, but I wanted to convey that I know where you are coming from and I know how frustrating it is.