@TPM posted:I tend to agree with you, unless the reason was due to injury. I also agree that this year and next perhaps are exceptions.
I think that birthdate plays a huge role in it. For us it was easy, having a May birthday mattered. So the choice was keep him where he is and be slightly less developed or repeat 8th and then enter high school after he’s turned 15 and now on the more developed side. It flat out mattered in his case even though his skill set was very solid. In the end size drove a lot of the interest.Anyone that tells you other wise is kidding themselves.
The only thing I would add was that he was 100% bought in on the idea because he had a goal. Without his buy in I don’t think we would have done it which would have been bad but he needed to be invested in the path. I look at kids who didn’t with similar birthdays and they had absolutely no shot. The problem is when you put your kid into Kindergarten you aren’t necessarily thinking about it this way, you really can’t. My wife is a teacher and I was a coach and the only decision was if he was socially and emotionally ready for school at that point which is why we put him in. It took a lot of explaining to my wife 9 years later when I ,along with others ,explained what was in his best interest to do in repeating a grade. In our state we have to go to a catholic school for the repeat year and then into HS.
Each case is different that I understand but as a rule I tell parents your kid shouldn’t be in Hs unless he’s already turned 15 if you want to give him the best opportunity for success, and that’s really irregardless of skill level. In the end what’s the rush?