Hi Yvette,

It sounds like things have been tough for you and your son at the current school. It also seems like you have exhausted your options at his current school. Is that right? Have you been fighting the good fight there for quite some time? If this is a relatively new development, you might consider going back to his teacher and trying to better understand issues/concerns about his neatness.

Take a look at the following article for tips on communicating with your son's teacher:
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Parent_Communication/

However, if you have determined that there is no future for your son at his current school, you should start researching alternatives. You mention that your son is currently in a Catholic school. Do you have a preference for religious-based instruction? If so, you can simply research other religious-based schools in the area. If you are considering other kinds of school settings, you could pursue other academically rigorous private schools in the area. He might be well served in an academic setting in which achievement is valued and emphasized (and required for enrollment!). Of course, I have heard that these sort of environments can be equally intense because of the focus on schoolwork.

Thus, you might start by talking with your son to get a better sense of his hopes and wishes for school. After taking your finances and beliefs regarding different kinds of instruction, you can seek out schools in the area that might be a good fit.

Public School Search
http://www.publicschoolreview.com/

Private School Search
http://www.privateschoolreview.com/zipsearch.php

Good luck!