It really should be up to the parents..... but too many parents don't care or are unrealistic. I know of one CP kid who didn't have math at all in the 6th grade because the teachers thought it would be nice if she was in a reading group. The parents didn't figure it out until June.
My daughter's been mainstreamed for quite a few years now, but her modifications are minimal and she doesn't cause any disruption. It sounds like your daughter is now in the right place for her.
The schools here are trying to mainstream almost all of the kids, even the medically fragile ones. It's not working well, not for those kids, and not for anyone else. That's my problem with it - they are shoving kids into regular classes when they can't cope and have no chance to succeed.
You're correct. I just wish there were more options. I wouldn't even my special schools to help kids with special needs, but those are limited.
My daughters big problem is speech, and there just aren't any "speech" schools around. It's going to be interesting to see how she learns to read.