difficult child was accepted to the gifted magnet in another school. It's very hard to get into, and if we turn it down, we'll never have this chance again.
He could stay at his current school. He's currently a 2nd grader in a 2/3 split. Because of logistics, he'll have to do a straight 3rd grade curriculum next year. Repeating this curriculum would be a disaster for him. Boredom and difficult child don't mix well in the classroom. (His teacher says he's way ahead of the 3rd grade curriculum at this point.)
Seems like a no-brainer, right?
Welllll....
Rumors about the gifted teacher abound. I called the office today to get a feel for her style and was told in no uncertain terms by the staff there. She's very strict. She expects her students to toe the line. She tends to call parents on her cell from the classroom when a child is misbehaving. We discussed difficult child a bit (he's impulsive, he shouts out, he often says inappropriate things, he's fidgety, etc.), and her advice was, if you THINK he has ADHD, get a diagnosis and a 504 in place. Because the teacher will HAVE to make accommodations for him then. Reading between the lines: She's not gonna work with him. And she'll be his teacher for two years!
Rock. Hard place. My kid is incapable of toeing a line like that. Can't do it. But it also seems extremely unfair to put him through 4 more years at his current school, which doesn't fit his educational needs.
I have to make this decision without a diagnosis (still fighting the insurance company for neuropsychologist testing, making a little headway every few days) and without meeting the magnet teacher.
Does anyone have advice?
He could stay at his current school. He's currently a 2nd grader in a 2/3 split. Because of logistics, he'll have to do a straight 3rd grade curriculum next year. Repeating this curriculum would be a disaster for him. Boredom and difficult child don't mix well in the classroom. (His teacher says he's way ahead of the 3rd grade curriculum at this point.)
Seems like a no-brainer, right?
Welllll....
Rumors about the gifted teacher abound. I called the office today to get a feel for her style and was told in no uncertain terms by the staff there. She's very strict. She expects her students to toe the line. She tends to call parents on her cell from the classroom when a child is misbehaving. We discussed difficult child a bit (he's impulsive, he shouts out, he often says inappropriate things, he's fidgety, etc.), and her advice was, if you THINK he has ADHD, get a diagnosis and a 504 in place. Because the teacher will HAVE to make accommodations for him then. Reading between the lines: She's not gonna work with him. And she'll be his teacher for two years!
Rock. Hard place. My kid is incapable of toeing a line like that. Can't do it. But it also seems extremely unfair to put him through 4 more years at his current school, which doesn't fit his educational needs.
I have to make this decision without a diagnosis (still fighting the insurance company for neuropsychologist testing, making a little headway every few days) and without meeting the magnet teacher.
Does anyone have advice?