Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School Kindergarten 2009-2010

It sounds like you have someone in the school going to bat for you, at least. That's a start.

To me, the important question in a case like this is how hard are you willing to fight? If it looks harder than is worthwhile for your child under your specific circumstances, then homeschooling gives you another option.

Many people have heard "No skipping" and have gotten skips. That doesn't mean your school will relent; if they do relent, it doesn't mean they'll relent without a hard fight. It all comes down to whether it's worth it to you.

It wasn't worth the fight for me, but friends have fought and managed some quite good solutions for their kids within the school. How much fight do you have in you?

I'm not sure how much I have left The thing is that working full time and homeschooling scare me so I'm willing to try a little bit longer. I'm going to call the principal back again tomorrow and see if they have made any progress and go from there.

Jamie- if they won't consider a skip would they consider letting him subject accelerate? Or perhaps if you phrased it in nice, non-threatening language like "could he spend part of his day in a class with some older kids?" Perhaps that would ease the transition for the school and your DS. Since the gifted coord. is already on your side maybe she has some advice to help you navigate their red tape.

Otherwise, HS is fun! I only work part-time so it is easier to balance than working full-time and trying to HS. Good luck!

Oh well unfortunately the lady that's on my side is the school counselor. His enrichment teacher called me today and said that she recommended to his principal that he not be skipped. She said that he's too immature and she's not sure that he should be in the gifted 1st grade class next year either. I tried to explain to her that he's doing work well above his grade level but she didn't seem to care. She said that while his IQ may be high he can't apply it because he can't focus.

She asked if he was an only child and asked if I thought that he didn't like school because he gets disciplined. (I'm very upset by those comments because I don't see how they matter) Oh and she said that she's been teaching gifted kids for 30 years and ALL of her students are very bright. I'm not even sure why she said that because I never mentioned that I thought that DS was "more" gifted.

She suggested to me that I try to get him into a more advanced reading group in his class. I explained to her that since his class is still learning letters there are no reading groups. She then told me to get some 1st grade workbooks to do with him at home and I told her that we do EPGY and that he's already doing 2nd grade work.

So now I have to wait to hear from the principal. The gifted teacher said that the principal should be calling me soon. I'm dreading her call but I'm ready to put up a fight.

I'm glad that you guys like homeschooling! I really, really hope that you find a school that works with your DS.

Jamie B - How distressing for you and your son about the play. Is DS very upset? GD has her Thanksgiving play tomorrow am and I have been holding my breath all week waiting for something to happen to keep her from being in it. She takes missing anything very hard. But she actually had a great day today (1 out of 4 so far this week).

Good for you for calling and finding out you could request an IEP meeting. I had never heard of that until joining this forum. I really hope it will produce solutions.

I hope that her play goes well today!

DS really doesn't get upset about too much. He said that he was upset about not being in the play but he said it with a smile so I know that he just thought that's what I wanted to hear

JamieB,
Is your DS just SO over this school thing? It kind of sounds like he knows what he's doing -- smart little thing that he is -- and is getting the only attention they'll give him at school. I think from what you've said he doesn't seem like he has anything emotionally invested in school. To me, and it's just MHO, but it sounds like he's figured out that the school isn't planning to help him. And they SHOULD help him -- should help him learn, should help him get into an appropriate environment where he isn't compelled to act out. We here all know that he's acting out because he isn't challenged, but the school so frustratingly doesn't seem as if they have any intent to help. I so hope this is not the case. You are absolutely right that they should be doing something to help, but sadly, you being right might not matter to them. I so hope that they get the testing results and the principal realizes that they've been wrong all along and then they jump into immediate action.
((HUGS))

Thanks mnmom. The school and the gifted teacher have the results (I think) and don't seem to care. I'm hoping to get a call from the principal today to see what they think should be done with him. I'm afraid it's going to be that he should stay where he's at. Did I mention that yesterday he got in trouble for playing with the math materials?? I know that he did it because he was looking for something to do but I feel like no matter what I say they'll think I'm just making excuses!

And yes...I'm pretty sure DS isn't emotionally invested at all in school. It's almost like it's a huge joke to him.

Jamie B,
Just curious, do you work full-time at home or full-time outside the home? Do you think that HSing is even a possibility or is it just not workable?