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We are scheduling a meeting with our DD7's home room teacher. She is currently in a once a week half-day GT pull out program. We've met a couple of times already and the teacher has been great but the changes requested had been minor. The principal and district admin are not very GT friendly, however. Subject level acceleration appears just about impossible, and they strongly discourage grade skipping.

We recently had our DD7 tested with the SB-V, and want to present the report and results to the teacher, and try to make much harder push for more acceleration. Specifically, we want her to be significantly accelerated in Math (she loves it).

Does anyone have any Advocacy 101 tips for parent/teacher (and likely eventually parent/principal) meetings? I'm a firm believer that how we present and push for changes can make all the difference in the world. We are expecting a somewhat uphill battle here against the school based on what we've heard from other GT parents, so I want to start off on a good foot and in the right direction.

Any tips on how best to present the SB-V results?

Any specific points/phrasing/angles that have worked well for you?

And probably just as important, any tips on what not to do or say?

Thanks!

What they said!
And - Take a look at the book, 'Iowa Acceleration Scale Manual' Your school's gifted coordinator may have a copy, or be willing to help you plan.

One approach is to try to determine how your dd fits with the school's current curriculum. The school may even have this posted on their website, perhaps as 'scope and sequence.'

Try to bring in work samples in your child's own handwriting that older children in her school are given for homework.

Remember that doing everything wrong my ruin things, but even if you do everything right, you still may not have things go in a reasonable way.

I liked the book 'Getting to Yes."

This isn't really a negotiation, it's more like begging. For mental health reasons, you may want to flush out a back up plan or two. Getting to know your daughter's LOG (level of giftedness) will tell you a lot about what kinds of back up plans might work, and how much of a difference it would make. Many kids who are 'right in the middle of the gifted pack' do fine with Saturday Enrichment and the pull out programs. Have you seen any behavior from your dd that worries you? This is the 'social development' card that the schools usually react to.

Best Wishes,
Grinity

Thanks for posting the guidebook. It highlighted some things I need to work on.

I'll add Getting to Yes to my library list. How do you avoid feelings of entitlement when you feel children ARE entitled to an appropriate education? It sticks in my craw that I have to ask a favor from my child's educators and that's probably why I have trouble with the persuasive style. Sounds like unhealthy perfectionism and I'll have to find a way to make peace with ideal vs. real.