We are moving to Denver from Kansas City hopefully in the summer. I have 2 DSs a 7 year old that has been tested and identified as gifted, my second son is just 4 and though very bright I have not seen the same type of GT signs I noticed with my oldest at this age and younger.

I was hoping that someone here has had experience with the school districts we are looking into. It seems the districts are all so different on how they handle the GT and it is making it hard for us to pick the area we think would be a good fit for both our sons. Currently we are looking at Cherry Creek, Jefferson County and Littleton 6 school districts.

Cherry Creek has a charter school for GT. I assume it will be difficult for us to get into our first year since we will have missed the deadlines to register and you can't register if you are not living in COL yet. I would rather limit the amount of change the kids go though. I don�t want to move them to one school to then again move them again the following year. Within the Cherry creek non charter schools they target GT students individually to meet their needs. I am still trying to figure out what that means.

Jefferson County has a handful of schools that are all day 5 days a week GT centers. In theory this would be awesome but you have to qualify and submit paperwork by a deadline. Again we don't live there yet so I don't think we can submit our paper work. If he does not get into that program they would gear his school work to his needs by anything from giving him challenging work in classroom, moving him up by subject, or moving him up to a different grade.

In littleton 16% of the student population is identified as GT. Littleton does not have a charter or specialized school but will gear his school work to his needs by anything from giving him challenging work in classroom, moving him up by subject, or moving him up to a different grade.

There is also a Montessori academy that we are looking into. Until Kindergarten we had DS#1 in Montessori but he wanted to attend public and made the teachers and peers miserable until it was not a positive experience. We then moved him to public where his friends were. My youngest is still in Montessori and DS#1 attends a Montessori camp in the summer. Now DS#1 says he wishes he would have stayed in Montessori. Because of some of his personality traits I worry that Montessori might be a great fits in some areas that he might just do what he needs to do just to slide by.

I feel like I am floundering with unknowns, I wish they could tell us based on his scores this is how we would approach your sons schooling, but I don't feel as if they will do that until we are in their district. Then what if they don't handle it correctly?

We are coming from a district with a pull out program where the kids go to GT center 1 day a week. Though I love the one day that he is in the GT center I feel as if his needs are not being met the remaining 4 days. So I really want to make this move a good fit for both kids. I am not sure what the solution is, I struggle with the thought of moving him up grades. He is very sensitive, emotional (highs and lows), a sensory seeker and a perfectionist. Moving him up could be good for him though, but I still worry.

This has become a long ramble to just find out if there is anyone whom has experience with any of these districts and their GT programs. I would also like to hear thoughts on Montessori and GT. Please share your successes and struggles.
TIA - Aunalise