To answer the original question, I feel sad about, discouraged, confused and frustrated by the public school system. I do not, however, have personal experience with it as a parent, because it has not yet been a viable option for our PG son, even before we knew he was PG.
Montessori worked when he had an excellent primary teacher, didn't work so well when one teacher he had wasn't following the true tenets of the method. I still believe there is much about that approach that could benefit the majority of children. When we relocated last year, we were scared off by a very highly rated public school system that didn't have anything G&T until third grade. Follow being oversold a pricey private school that functions very well for within the box children, but with an administrator who could stand in for any of the Wicked Witches. Now at a private, parochial school with a fantastic principal who truly moves obstacles to help every child, from what we have seen.
My biggest concern when I reflect on our experiences so far, as well as my own in the P.S. system, is that quality and flexibility truly do come right down to the individual principal and then to the classroom teacher. Without both being very smart and dedicated, we don't get much.
