The Balancing Act

After Ray announced he hates school last week, he slipped into having massive anxiety attacks at home on school nights. We brought him into see his psychologist, who confirmed that school right now is not working for him and something needs to change. Today we met with the school guidance consoler and while it was a productive meeting is some regards it was also very frustrating.

1) She told us she would meet w/ Ray before our meeting to feel him out and see how things were going. She did not, and admitted she didn't have time (we had a whole week from when I requested the meeting to when we had it) and said she would try to find time.

2) She didn't seem to grasp the difference between "smart" and "gifted" kids.

3) At the beginning of the year she wanted us to have him privately tested (WISC-IV), we told her today that our insurance denied it and we needed to know more of why they needed the test so that we could go back to the insurance company and try to get their decision over-turned. Today she tells me she doesn't really need the test. WTF... I spent $70 to have my insurance deny us a test you requested that you don't need.

4) She makes 2 suggestions about how to move forward... talk to Ray's teacher again (we didn't get anywhere the first time) or talk to the assistant principal. So... we had a meeting to have a meeting.

5) She didn't take any notes. She didn't even bring a pen and paper with her.

6) At the end of the meeting she decides there is a 3rd option... to create a 504 plan for Ray with grade accelerated goals. This I agree with... but I am a little alarmed that she would offer this without even speaking to the kid.

I just don't get it.

Have you talked to the gifted teacher at your school?

Not sure how your school works it but here they will not allow children under 2nd grade in the gift program and its 4th before they can go into gifted and advanced together.

Also your school should be testing them for gifted I think I didnt even know my kids were gifted I mean they made great grades but kinder and 1st most kids do right? I mean one day the school just sent home notes asking if they could be tested and they went through a series of test one of which was over the summer.

Let me know what happens man it does sound like they are giving you the run around having you pay for the testing and then saying it was not needed!

We live in a non-friendly gifted state, no mandates, no required testing. Our school department does not have a gifted education plan, teacher or department.

Oh and that reminds me of the best part... guidance tells me that there are a lot of advanced kids in K, but they need to teach the basic skills first. She said a lot of the "advanced" students enjoyed the refresher on skills they already knew. And that come 1st they would put all those students in the same class. I told her DS wasn't that way, and asked her if he was just suppose to sit and wait till next year before they do something? She looked surprised, like I was the first person to tell her we weren't going to wait a year for something to maybe be done. This is the conversation that lead me to believe that she doesn't understand the difference between "smart" and "gifted" kids.

If your school is anything like our school, nothing will change regardless of what you do.

To be honest, at this point I'd be looking at other schools and doing a mid-year switch. If they're this complacent and uncaring this early in the year I wouldn't expect it to get better.

So very sorry it's going like this. The first year of school is supposed to be wonderful. This so sucks for you guys!!

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Is there other schools you could bring your son? That is great point honestly changing may help.

Is a private school an option for you.

Maybe you should try and reach someone on the school board maybe you could find something online email address or something