> I just question shifting the children around like that mid-stream.
 DR> I'm not much fond of the idea myself. As it stands right now, I'm
 DR> pleased with Jennifer's teacher but I'm still not pleased with the
 DR> program and the system. I also like Kristin's teacher (I hand-picked
 DR> him; Jennifer had him last year). But she (K) still hates school, and
 DR> that really bothers me. She even tried to beg Grandma B (a retired
 DR> teacher) to take her home and homeschool her! 
 This is too bad.  :(  (K) is WAY too early to 'hate' school.  Did you
 have a chance to find out why she feels this way?  My oldest boy
 loved school in Pre-K, but hated (K).  He hasn't had a good year in
 school until now and he's now in the 3rd grade.  *I* feel that it
 doesn't say much for this school system if they let a child slip
 through for a few years!
                                                    
 > the kids will want
 >  to change THEIR minds once they start?  Who knows?
 DR> Jennifer was hesitant all along, so her hesitancy right now hasn't
 DR> really changed. 
 Is her hesitation behind knowing that if she didn't like the school
 that you'd pull her out?  It just seems that once someone knows that
 there's a deadline on a certain thing, then they subconsciously give
 up beforehand.
 Years ago, before I married and had a family, I worked in the back-kitchen
 of a local fancy restaurant.  I loved the hard work and felt challenged
 by the kid who I was replacing, as he had a unique way of explaining
 things and making them fun.  This was summer work for him, though, as
 he was planning on furthering his college education.  The closer the
 school year drew, the less effort he put into HIS work and I found
 myself resenting him as *I* had my work plus HIS to do!  :(  He gave
 up a few weeks before his deadline and his work suffered as a result.
 Maybe by setting a deadline on things made your daughter stop trying?
 Do you follow me?  I'm not trying to criticize, just know that
 sometimes a better effort is made if things are left open-ended.
 Chris
 
... Self control takes effort. Cat philosophy
--- Blue Wave/RA v2.20 [NR]
---------------