We are going through the same thing now. I am a teacher, but currently home. Our district is atrocious so we are considering a move to southern NH or to southern Maine. While Maine has a gifted ed mandate, you have to be careful how it is rolled out. They also are allowed to simply look at test scores and grades and fill their gifted programs with those children (showing a lack of understanding of giftedness). Londonderry has a decent gifted program, as does Merrimack. but decent only in that something exists at the elementary level as well. And it is generally pull-outs. The problem with that is teachers feel less pressure to differentiate when the child already is in a program (even once or twice a week) and gifted children are not simply gifted one hour a week. So NH is such a disappointment in this area. People assume that because gifted kids have the potential to do well in certain areas, they can just take care of themselves. All kids need individualized instruction. I'm disappointed to hear about the charter schools being poor. Financially I need to get back to work and I was hoping to find a good match for my kids. My oldest started reading at 2.5 (etc) and doesn't make the age cut-off so won't be allowed in to Kinder until he is almost 6! Not okay. Looking more and more like I will have to homeschool. Not sure what that means for our retirement or financial lives. Very stressful :(
