[lovelytoni]

My 7 year old is gifted. I am not happy with her school. Are there any scholarships available for private school. She is in second grade reading on a mid 4th grade level. How do I change her school?

[languadoc]

A change of school is not necessarilly the first port of call in a question like this.

It's something like changing towns. People change towns all the time, thinking a change of location will solve their problems. In fact, the same problems tend to arise again out of the new situation.

On the other hand, I have seen fantastic changes occur in gifted children by a change of school, so the question has to be asked: how did you conclude that a change of school would be of benefit to your child?

Without further background in a few areas it's difficult to give a precise answer, but I'll generalize about the usual conditions where the parents of a gifted child start thinking about a change of school.

In no particular order, they are:

1. Because their child is being bullied, and the school is not responding.

2. Because their child is a bully and/or disruptive and the school is complaining to them that their child is disruptive.

3. Because the child doesn't receive the recognition that the parent feels is their due.

4. Because the child has switched off in class and has lost interest in school work. Whereas before they received excellent grades, the parent searches for a cause of the downturn, and concludes that the school is failing their child.

5. The parent has had a disagreement with one or more of the teachers and/or the principal.

Those are the separated-out usual reasons. More often than not it is a combination of two or more.

If bullying (either for or against) is the reason, then a change of school may be an effective solution.

[lovelytoni]

There is absolutely no bullying going on for either sides. I am an active parent in the school she's in. I sit on the PTA, I am a learning leader and I am on the Student Leadership Team council. There are issues in the school with the teachers and how the principal handles certain situations. Unfortunately they are not able to meet the academic needs of my daughter as well as a few other students. I had to change my daughter out of the gifted class itself. My main concern is that my daughter has become unmotivated in learning and that's a problem.

I've had meetings to discuss and arrange better development which so far is a little better than it has been but unfortunately it's not enough for a 7 year old to understand and adapt to. She needs to change schools and be in a totally different environment. It doesn't have to be a private school but it can be a public school with a great academic success.

Thank you for your response.

A change of school is not necessarilly the first port of call in a question like this.

It's something like changing towns. People change towns all the time, thinking a change of location will solve their problems. In fact, the same problems tend to arise again out of the new situation.

On the other hand, I have seen fantastic changes occur in gifted children by a change of school, so the question has to be asked: how did you conclude that a change of school would be of benefit to your child?

Without further background in a few areas it's difficult to give a precise answer, but I'll generalize about the usual conditions where the parents of a gifted child start thinking about a change of school.

In no particular order, they are:

1. Because their child is being bullied, and the school is not responding.

2. Because their child is a bully and/or disruptive and the school is complaining to them that their child is disruptive.

3. Because the child doesn't receive the recognition that the parent feels is their due.

4. Because the child has switched off in class and has lost interest in school work. Whereas before they received excellent grades, the parent searches for a cause of the downturn, and concludes that the school is failing their child.

5. The parent has had a disagreement with one or more of the teachers and/or the principal.

Those are the separated-out usual reasons. More often than not it is a combination of two or more.

If bullying (either for or against) is the reason, then a change of school may be an effective solution.