home schoolers access to public school's gifted and talented class
A home school student would like to attend the public school's gifted and talented science program. Placement into the program is based on teacher referral and the student's grade in the previous year. The scince teacher tested the home school student and found his grades to be good, but not stellar. The science teacher would like to have the homeschooled student placed in the regular science class, but the parents of this child are threatening to sue. How are courts likely to rule if this case comes before them?
Re: home schoolers access to public school's gifted and talented class
I don't see any basis for a suit. A student does not have a "right" or entitlement to a gifted program. Furthermore, a court would defer to a school system's basis for assessing entry into the program. The schoolteacher's "testing" is likely adequate to this assessment. On the face of it, there does not seem to be any argument for discrimination--assuming that all students are assessed in the same manner prior to admission into the program. Furthermore, why would a home schooled student necessarily be admitted into a school system program or claim entitlement to be admitted into this program?
