Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
For example, when a child who is not yet six by Sept. 1 enters school, the child is automatically placed in kindergarten even if they completed kindergarten elsewhere. Then at about six weeks, the child is assessed and moved if they deem it appropriate. .

Off topic from the OP's point, but are you certain this is true for all children? The website is definitely unclear:

"If a child has previously completed the kindergarten year in a public school kindergarten program, the child may be considered as a transfer, although the child's birthdate may not be aligned with the state's age requirements.

Parents/guardians should submit the child's attendance record and any end-of-year transcripts, along with the application, MCPS Form 271-1, Application for Early Entrance First Grade Program, to the school principal for consideration. "

So the child "may" be considered a transfer (or may not be), but has to submit the application for EE1, but also should submit proof of attendance and performance in kindergarten -- ugh.

My school handles it this way and I've been told by kindergarten teachers of three other ES in MoCo that it is handled in the same manner in their schools. kids go into kindergarten and then after six weeks are considered for transfer to first grade.

How do you know..were you told who your child will have for each subject? I usually just get one teacher assignment and hear about math or whatever later. Also, doesn;t everyone take the same math in 3rd grade?

This is OP. At our school they start transitioning from their homeroom for reading,math in addition to specials. So, excluding specials, kids might have three teachers throughout the day (homeroom, morning/math and afternoon/reading, for example).

This is considered a big change so they prep the kids and to some extent the parents at the end of second grade. I am concerned because DS is in the only class that doesn't transition and not with other kids whom I know to be "accelerated" or whatever in math, which he is very good in. If they think he isn't ready for transitioning thats one thing, but they should have communicated that to me. Also, obviously, I don't want him to be bored/falling behind his peers academically.

And yes, normally I would go to the teacher first, but she is new to the school and given the issues we had last year that required principal involvement, he knows DS and the backstory. Also, I want him to be accountable on some level, b/c at this point the school is hurting my child, not helping him.

Anonymous wrote:
For example, when a child who is not yet six by Sept. 1 enters school, the child is automatically placed in kindergarten even if they completed kindergarten elsewhere. Then at about six weeks, the child is assessed and moved if they deem it appropriate. .

Off topic from the OP's point, but are you certain this is true for all children? The website is definitely unclear:

"If a child has previously completed the kindergarten year in a public school kindergarten program, the child may be considered as a transfer, although the child's birthdate may not be aligned with the state's age requirements.

Parents/guardians should submit the child's attendance record and any end-of-year transcripts, along with the application, MCPS Form 271-1, Application for Early Entrance First Grade Program, to the school principal for consideration. "

So the child "may" be considered a transfer (or may not be), but has to submit the application for EE1, but also should submit proof of attendance and performance in kindergarten -- ugh.

I had to double check to make sure this wasn't a dated thread. In my child's MoCo third grade, none of the classes transition for reading or math (they only move to a new teacher for specials, and the whole class moves together). I didn't think MoCo was doing any of this until older grades under 2.0.

Anonymous wrote:There haven't been behavioral problems per se, but last year DS' teacher bullied him in a pretty significant way - I had photographic evidence that I took to the Principal, who I thought handled it well at the time, but now has totally dropped the ball/I feel is he dicking around. I can't go in to more detail as I don't want to out myself/my kids.

I do know a lot of the kids and where they were placed, which is what makes me think he is in a "lower" class, in my view unnecessary and to his detriment.

I appreciate the advice - I have no idea how to navigate this.

OP, I have no idea what the situation could be, but it sounds like an issue that is at the principal or,school counselor level. I don't see that the classroom teachers could help you understand the class placcement determination. I know that the principal and counselor are involved in the decision at our ES. The resources teacher is as well, but unless your child is SN/IEP, not sure that would help you. Not to be discouraging, but I don't see a lot of movement, but if you are going to see a change, usually it comes a few weeks into the school year. For example, when a child who is not yet six by Sept. 1 enters school, the child is automatically placed in kindergarten even if they completed kindergarten elsewhere. Then at about six weeks, the child is assessed and moved if they deem it appropriate. I hope you can work things out to the point where you are comfortable.

Wow, I have a third grader in MCPS but this is gibberish to me. As if I'd dropped into a conversation that had begun pages ago.

Why would there be stigma? Do you mean that if your child is in anything except the top group it is shameful?

And why would you immediately go above the teacher's head and talk to the principal? Teachers don't particularly appreciate that.

I would think that if the teacher is good, it is lucky that he stays in the same classroom with the same teacher for the core subjects.

Now, why don't you email the teacher to ask in which level your child was placed?

There haven't been behavioral problems per se, but last year DS' teacher bullied him in a pretty significant way - I had photographic evidence that I took to the Principal, who I thought handled it well at the time, but now has totally dropped the ball/I feel is he dicking around. I can't go in to more detail as I don't want to out myself/my kids.

I do know a lot of the kids and where they were placed, which is what makes me think he is in a "lower" class, in my view unnecessary and to his detriment.

I appreciate the advice - I have no idea how to navigate this.

Maybe your child's teacher is the advanced class teacher so there is no need to transition. If you know the other kids in the grade, you should be able to tell is he is in the high, mid or low level class. The PP who suggests that sometimes transitions exacerbate issues was right on when it comes to one of my kids. He was always advanced in math but couldn't handle the transitions so stayed in a lower class. In fifth grade he was finally ready to transition.

So..his class stays together all day and the other classes shift for math? It could just be that there are a group that need both the same reading and math so they put them all in one class. I wouldn't read in to it..

I don't understand about the transition.

Have their ever been any issues of any kind...social? behavioral? academic?

If there have been any issues they might have thought that transitions would have exacerbated those and that he would do best in a class that didn't transition. These are more 'real life' considerations versus him testing well.

Thanks, PP. I plan on talking to the Principal on Monday, but I am just trying to gage my gut feeling about the placement.

This is a kid in the 90+ percentile on the TerraNova and some bad previous teachers so I just want to be prepared for the conversation.

Call your son's school counselor.

He is not with any of his friends, who are all in different am classes, but the same afternoon math class.

I'm a little worried about the placement/stigma.

no helicopter/special snowflake flaming please - this isn't the case here.