Let me give a little background first. We are a military family, and our last station was in SE Virginia. DD9 was in York County Schools, and they were fantastic. Good communication, wonderful teachers, live, dynamic classrooms. They tested her in Kindergarten and put her into the Primary Enrichment Program then. She went 1/2 day every week. At the end of 2nd grade she was retested and I was told her results were highly gifted (IQ 145 to 159 range--I wasn't given an exact number). 3rd grade was a full day program once a week where they "earned their medical degree," created a town and businesses, studied logic, and I can't remember the other quarter subject. She thrived, had lots of friends, etc. Yes, we had the occasional temper tantrum over homework, but nothing abnormal there.
We PCSed this summer and are now in Chicopee, Massachusetts. School has been a nightmare since day one. We had her removed from the first classroom she was in because, although I am sure the teaching style works with some kids, ripping up papers, throwing them at her and yelling "What is WRONG with you" doesn't work with my child. Things got better, she wasn't throwing up before school anymore, but she wasn't back to her normal self. I found out from other kids in the neighborhood that she is sitting on her bike at recess, that she is being picked on for being "weird," that she is being made fun of over what she packs in her lunch, etc. DD26 could have handled all of this--she would have won them over or bowled them over, but DD9 is being crushed. We had the Parent-teacher conference last week, and the more I think about it, the more upset I am. She has almost all 4s (As) with a smattering of 3s (Bs) but is slammed on all social skills. The teacher wants to send her to a "special program" with the guidance councilor to teach her social skills (which she had no problem with at her last school). The teacher did not have one single positive thing to say about her, and she was in the room for the meeting. She asks too many questions, she always wants to insert her opinion, she isn't interested in the same things as the other children and doesn't sit still....you know, all normal behavior for a highly gifted kid. The teacher thinks she should be tested for ADD and put on medication. When I asked about it at her old school I was told by the school psychologist, no, sorry, she is just gifted and they don't make a pill for that. She just requires differentiated learning, like every other child who thinks differently. I will not drug her so that the teacher doesn't have to deal with her mind. So...
I think I have talked my husband into homeschooling her (showing him the study on how many highly gifted kids drop out of school because of this kind of stuff helped.)
Now what do I do!?!?!
I have the school policy on being approved for homeschooling:
Prior to removing the child from public school:
The parent/guardian must submit written notification of establishment of the home-based program to the appropriate administrator before the program is established, and resubmit notification on an annual basis as long as the child or children are being educated in a home-based environment.
The parent/guardian must certify in writing the name, age, place of residence, and number of hours of attendance of each child in the program.
The Superintendent shall give the notice to produce records required by law if there is probable cause to believe the program is not in compliance with the law. Factors to be considered by the Superintendent or School Committee in deciding whether or not to approve a home education proposal may be:
The proposed curriculum and the number of hours of instruction in each of the proposed subjects.
The competency of those teaching the children,
The textbooks, workbooks and other instructional aids to be used by the children and the lesson plans and teaching manuals to be used by the parents.
Periodic standardized testing of the children to ensure educational progress and the attainment of minimum standards.
HELP!!!!
Sorry this is so long, but my heart is breaking--homework was such a chore tonight that she gave herself a nosebleed from crying--she is terrified of making any mistakes.
and 
......
THIS!! Take time to just breath a sigh of relief and do some holiday things. We have usually taken the whole month of December off because we tend to get so busy baking cookies, decorating, shopping, and taking short trips to WDW
and my 12 year old is excited, too. I told him a couple of weeks ago, because I wondered how he would feel about leaving school. At first, he wasn't sure, but as we talked about it he perked up. He has been looking at our Life of Fred math books and asking what other things we will do 
