I'm angry...

Yesterday I picked up my son's report card. He was rated "above standard" in math and science (of course! Kindergarten, and we completed the 1st grade in math already at home! Russian math, not a fuzzy one). OK, but he was placed in class 105 for the next year.

Let me explain a little. I work in middle school - and I hate heterogeneous placement... I tried to ensure that my honor classes are as homogeneous as possible. Honor classes in each grade are numbered 01.

So today I went to my son's school to clarify the issue: do they track? What is 05 class? Can I place him in class with accelerated math (if they have it)?

The answers were (and since they know that I am a teacher "from across the street" they were a little more clear than a moment before on the phone obviously answering a similar question):

-District demands heterogeneous placement - we follow. There are no difference between the classes by number.
-well, we don't know who is the teacher in that class for sure (that's true, nobody knows anything for sure in the schools until September!)
-if he is recommended by his teacher he will be pulled out for enriched math no matter what class he is in

After I left the office, the secretary ran after me:
-She just looked up and found that 105 is an inclusion (CTT) class! So my son was placed there for good balance and this is fair to other students and teachers! (Sure, I know inclusion classes! He will be there to help the teacher teach slower students instead of LEARNING himself. And that "fair" talk drives me nuts - I heard it in my school from the teachers, too. I don't see too much good in heterogeneous placement, sorry. Especially, when it concerns my child. And I don't care if it's fair for other children. Life is a competition after all).

-Well, she understands... but she can't advise anything. If I have any other reservations, I shall feel free...

Now, Add to that Everyday Math curriculum and Balanced Literacy with Social Studies focused on the "Neighborhood" - I will start my search again. The worst - most public schools (all as I was told) use EM in Brooklyn, and I am restricted by many things such as who and how drops him off, picks him up from school etc. Oh... And I planned to relax this summer!