Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Working within the system frustration!

I'm in a medium district. I stopped dealing with the people at the school level last year when I realized they don't control anything. I'm dealing with the director of special ed and the director of curriculum. I can't get any higher than that at the district level. I just sent off my formal letter with a date of expected response. Love that. I'll see what I get back.

There are definite timelines they have to follow for certain things. Only, I'd have to file a formal grievance first, which it may come down too. Right now it just a question I'm asking that they are refusing to answer. No time line on that.

I get the problem for them. If they answer me with a "yes" it means they have to service my DS7 in a way they have never serviced a gifted student before. Even though it is clearly written that if he needs it he gets it. I've even quoted them their own policies and they have been unable to provide me with policies that counter it. So we are at a stalemate, with them just hoping I'll get tired and go away before I push it any further. They seriously don't know me!

I'll give them until the deadline to give me an answer, It doesn't even have to be the answer I want as long as they can quote the policy it came from! Then I think I'll have to move forward to a formal complaint. UGH!

2 more tips:
1) Hold face to face meetings at the end of the day when everyone just wants to go home, and keep repeating what you want until it's easier for them to just agree.

2) Ask for twice as much as you want. That way they can have the thrill of turning you down, and still give you what you want.
Is there a gifted private school an hour away? Ask for them to pay tuituion and provide transportation as an alternative to the very reasonable requests you are making. That could backfire, but sometimes helps.

I think the formal complaint is a good idea. Best Wishes,
Grinity

LOL! Love the end of the day thing. Our first IEP meeting was 2 hours and I let them know I had no where to be.

No gifted school nearby but DS7 is taking the CTY testing next month and assuming he passes could take one of their online courses for $2000 plus. I should mention that option.

Eleanor05 you are exactly right about someone previously paving the way if a school has it in place. I can tell you those were the exact words out of the princ. mouth when we met and said we would like a full grade accel. for our child and this is how we want it done, layed it ALL out to take away all the guess work for them, provided the IAS and referenced the state policies regarding this (even though we were private school and they could have said, that doesn't apply). Princ. is happily watching the success of DC and keeping tabs on how it pans out. No one wants to see it not work or else all bets will be off for others in the future. We've all heard it.... We can't accel. your child because one child 30 years ago was and it was a bad situation... blah, blah, blah. I was prepared for all that, but it never came to that. They were surprisingly eager to give it a go (easy to do when someone else told you how to go about it! HAHA!) but this was a first ever in the school, so it was a huge deal.

Well done, bh14! I'm so glad it is a successful acceleration and, now the school will feel confident in the future about acceleration. Our school turned down the acceleration idea even though I gave them the IAS, etc. etc. There was a student in the previous year who was accelerated and of course it was a disaster. I specifically asked them if they did x, y and z like the IAS recommends and they just said, "well, we can't discuss another student." blah, blah, blah

Pave the way, sisters!

Oh Man Eleanor05! That sucks that they base it on a previous case. Every case is different, just as every child is different. Who knows if they followed the IAS with the previous student... I would bet not! Well, don't let it stop you! Charge forward!!!!!

A successful acceleration is great! I think the schools need to hear more about them and less about the ones that didn't work out. And they have to be reminded that each child is different and stop lumping them altogether.

I checked into an advocacy group in my state. Here it's handled district by district. So I emailed them and told them I'm interested in starting a gifted advocacy group in mine. I think it will help to have more than just my voice trying to get things changed.

Ours is handled district by district as well but you could look into the state department of education as the other option for advocacy help. Good for you for wanting to start that up for your area! there can be power in numbers!!!!!

Glad you got the letter off - keep us posted. Cat

Will do and thanks everyone for the support and suggestions!!!