Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like you did your kid a disservice by placing him in such an academically rigorous program as a toddler. You say you want to do what is best but evidence shows play based learning is best for young kids. To answer you original question. The absolute only way you will find out is calling the principal and even if they say ok, you have to count on principals not changing before your kid actually starts at that school. You could always just private forever though.

I am not sure why you say that. The purpose of preschools isn't to carve children into whatever mold FCPS has issued; it's to provide an appropriately structured engagement that helps children learn and grow. The fact that he learned lots of things at preschool doesn't mean he learned it while chained to his desk. They do maybe an hour of "academics" a day - the rest of the day is all play during which they learn lots of things.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good for you PP. You are now an "expert" with a six year old child. Glad you are so sure you made the right decision.

There is no need for that. I'm just trying to help the OP when so many people tell the OP that the child should start "on time". So, in my situation I could have elected to have my child born before the cut-off. But I did not do that. Hence child was born after the cutoff. I don't see how those additional days really matter when the child should start K. There should be some flexibility to when a child starts K. Not all kids are ready when they are eligible and as a result the parents make the decision to have them wait another year. Shouldn't the same decision be allowed in the opposite situation? And OP never said she was going to start her child early, OP just wanted the options.

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like you did your kid a disservice by placing him in such an academically rigorous program as a toddler. You say you want to do what is best but evidence shows play based learning is best for young kids. To answer you original question. The absolute only way you will find out is calling the principal and even if they say ok, you have to count on principals not changing before your kid actually starts at that school. You could always just private forever though.

Anonymous wrote:OP - I hope you read my reply. I did not have time to read the other 9 pages of responses.

YES - you can start your child "early". We did it with my child this past year. If your child is attending an ACCREDITED private kindergarten then the principal cannot make you take a test legally. Here is a link to accredited private schools: http://77241.inspyred.com/images/2015-07-16%20State%20Recognized.pdf. If the school tries to make you take a test and your child is at an accredited school, please refuse. My child's school tried to do this to us last year and I put my foot down and said according to state law a test is not necessary. Now, if your child is not attending kindergarten at an accredited school then the school can make you test. Last year before I went to register my child I consulted with the Virginia Council of Private Education and they assured me that I was absolutely correct. When Fairfax County tried to make me test my child the VCPE helped me advocate to refuse that testing.

See this memo: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2014/194-14.shtml as well. In that memo there is this which states the laws that are applicable:

"Transfer Students

Section 22.1-253.13:4 of the Code of Virginia (Standard 4 of the Standards of Quality) requires local school boards to make provisions for students who transfer between public secondary schools and from nonpublic schools or from home instruction as outlined in the Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (SOA). The SOA provides:

…Students transferring in grades K-8 from Virginia public schools or nonpublic schools accredited by one of the approved accrediting constituent members of the Virginia Council for Private Education shall be given recognition for all grade-level work completed. The academic record of students transferring from all other schools shall be evaluated to determine appropriate grade placement in accordance with policies adopted by the local school board…. (8VAC20-131-60.A)

…A secondary school shall accept credits toward graduation received from Virginia nonpublic schools accredited by one of the approved accrediting constituent members of the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE)…. (8VAC20-131-60.D)"


My child did great this past year and we have no regrets. I got the Naglieri results back and was amazed at the score and as a result we just had a WISC done. Administrator of that said without a doubt we made the right decision to "start early". Don't listen to the people who tell you that you are making the wrong decision.

Anonymous wrote:So OP, you are advocating a system where the parents decide when to enroll a child in K, with no cutoffs or dates? So a 7 year old late bloomer and a 3 year old reader would start K together? I'm just trying to figure out what system you think would be better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I'm sure this would make a difference to some degree, and I don't know how things would have worked out if he was 6 months older obviously. I will say that, in general, (and your DC could be different) boys are much less emotionally mature than girls, and it can help them a lot to give them the benefit of time for reasons that have nothing to do with intelligence or academics. But mostly, I though it was interesting to hear the perspective of a bright, academically advanced kid. I'm not sure I would have immediately though of middle school transition as an issue, but he is very right.

I would talk to the principal and really listen to what s/he advises. In affluent FCPS schools, they see tons of bright, academically advanced kids, and they have no incentive to place your kid in K if it's a bad fit. And ask them about how they would handle an advanced reader. It might surprise you how well equipped schools in this area are to deal with this (although I'm sure some schools don't do as well). But as PP said, this is why all K classes have IAs-- to differentiate instruction.

Well, as I said, I have no interest in pushing him to first grade if he isn't ready emotionally or in other ways. If schools are equipped to keep him engaged, that's good to hear. I am sure there will be other good readers in his class. We'll have to wait and see.

but you are pushing him into a K program when he isn't old enough for K. Why not find a nice preschool class for 4 year olds, like almost every other child his age in Fairfax?

There is no need for that. I'm just trying to help the OP when so many people tell the OP that the child should start "on time". So, in my situation I could have elected to have my child born before the cut-off. But I did not do that. Hence child was born after the cutoff. I don't see how those additional days really matter when the child should start K. There should be some flexibility to when a child starts K. Not all kids are ready when they are eligible and as a result the parents make the decision to have them wait another year. Shouldn't the same decision be allowed in the opposite situation? And OP never said she was going to start her child early, OP just wanted the options.

Anonymous wrote:Good for you PP. You are now an "expert" with a six year old child. Glad you are so sure you made the right decision.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be concerned about how bored you are expecting him to be and his lack of attention ... those would sway me against it.

Anyway, from the Fcps website: http://www.fcps.edu/parents/start/keligible.shtml

Basically, you need to call your base school because each school has the discretion to decide what criteria they will use in taking younger kids who did private K. So what someone else did at some other school isn't going to help you.

But do they HAVE to have these criteria? Or can they refuse to test outright?

Man, there is something very unlikeable about OP. And I am not one who cares about redshirting or reverse red shirting.