Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy New here. Results in for DS' test. Now what?

We will be having a meeting Monday about the results. The school physiologist, SPed director and classroom teacher will be there.

The classroom teacher is a bit of an issue. I actually think she is a talented teacher in many respects. However, she has resisted hearing me on this issue.

At our local public school, where DS attended first and second grades I had a great relationship with the teachers and principal. I volunteered in the school weekly, advocated on general (not gifted)school funding vocally and visibly (attending budget meetings with a newborn many consecutive Tuesday nights, writing letters to the editor etc.), and was (in the end too) reasonable in my demands on my sons behalf. They worked with me, but funding was non-existent and consistency was an issue. Still, he was moved up a grade for math, and once a week the principal's best buddy from her teaching days came in a played math games and did puzzles with him.

Still, DS was struggling with the boredom in school. He didn't have behavioral issues; in fact he's very sunny and amenable. However, every day after school he'd gripe. And the school day is long so after it he'd just want to play legos or go to swim practice, etc.

So we homeschooled. And then we got in off the waitlist for the charter. The director sold us the school would challenge and engage him and that it would be the perfect medium between school and homeschooling.

Enter the classroom teacher. I sent her an e-mail the before school started outlining DS' background. I wrote about his personality, friendliness and general good nature, and his obstinacy. I also wrote about his lack of interest in writing, but his passion for reading anything from cereal boxes to the Illiad. And I wrote about his love for math, and that he had comleted 3rd grade math in a classroom setting, and that he had homeschoolded a good bit of fourth grade math when we homeschooled.

During our first (and only) conference two weeks into the year, Ms. M told us she was placing DS into the middle third grade reading group because she had noticed he was reading Geranimo Stilton and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I tried to explain that he loves to read all kinds of things�he�s read Diary a dozen times maybe. And why not read Geranimo Stilton, but in the same two weeks he�d also read unabridged Robin Hood, Avi�s Poppy and Rye Series and (he reads a book every day or two plus picture books, comics, newspapers and so on).

I saw the veil drop over her face. Her lips pursed, she closed her folder and told me that she�s check in with him in the weeks to come. That was it, save for a little bit of small talk. We didn�t get to math. She stood up, said she was late picking up her daughter, and I followed her out to the parking lot trying to recover the meeting.

A few weeks later DS told me he was still with the third graders for math. Ms. M and I exchanged a few e-mails but the upshot is that she thought he needed to focus on accuracy, neatness and explaining his work. And that she was perfectly capable of differentiating for him.

This is all very weird or me. Until now, I�ve seen teachers (even the somewhat prickly one DS had for second grades) as partners. I have a pretty good bank of goodwill at the old school, but also felt they really weren�t going to be able to do much beyond stop gap, and that each year we�d have to reinvent a program. I had high hopes for the charter.

However, now that we have the test results I�m hoping that we can all revisit the issue with fresh eyes. I won�t, however, be asking for 4th grade math. That won�t really address his needs anyway. Or at least that is what I am thinking.

Any insight would be so very much appreciated. I can�t really talk about this with friends�I know talking about my issues with DS can come across as bragging, and that no one (except on other mom with a gifted teen daughter) really can advise anyway.

That�s why I�m hoping for some advice here. The school did the testing so the tester is not an outsider advocating for my child, as kind as she is.

All of you have been through similar, I�m sure. So thanks again or reading, and or any advice.