Anonymous wrote:Hm, at our school the GBRS/HOPE was filled out by a committee and the AART was involved in the scores. Are you sure the AART is seeing in pull-outs that your child needs advanced academics?

OP here. I have an email from the AART telling me that he is doing very well in her pullouts. This response was in follow up to DS saying he liked the pullouts because there is no Benchmark.

In our school the classroom teacher completes the HOPE. A good friend of mine is a teacher at the school and confirmed this. AART only serves as an advisory role and the principal just signs off on everything

Hm, at our school the GBRS/HOPE was filled out by a committee and the AART was involved in the scores. Are you sure the AART is seeing in pull-outs that your child needs advanced academics?

I would be frustrated too. I agree the teacher should not be telling students she hates benchmark. The local school never sees your appeal documents. However, I've heard lots of people on this forum advising parents not to bash or criticize the teacher in the appeal. My understanding is that the committee is made of a mix of teachers and AARTs. I don't think teachers or AARTs are on the committee for applications from their own school.

Anyone knows this? DS did not get in despite very high test scores and being pulled out by the AART for reading and math. Teacher only checked off math as exceptionally talented and gave S ratings to all the HOPE criteria. If anyone knows whether the local school is contacted for appeals please let me know.

The teacher for whatever reason does not see what we see at home and more importantly does not see what the AART sees in the pullouts. She has been teaching for 30+ years and is very set in her ways making it very clear to my DS that she is retiring this year because she hates Benchmark. DH and I are upset by the fact that she did not keep her feelings to herself and now DS hates Benchmark due to her opinion