My DS had a horrible time in middle school. The local public school wasn't working out because of the rigid curriculum, some bad teachers, being rigorous for the wrong reason, social cliques, etc. It was a very hard time for him. I never saw him so discouraged about school and about losing himself. Then we decided to transfer him to another school. After visiting a whole bunch of schools, each having its own issues, he picked a private GT school. This place was a feel-good place where there was social harmony at least on the surface, but the level of academics was so incredibly low that it was depressing for DS because he knew that the school was not preparing the kids for academic success. (Eventually he took matters in his own hand and did a lot of self study, and came to high school in very good shape academically.)
It was a few years of frustration, despair and sadness watching a wonderful kid going through a dark time. In hindsight, I would probably not move him to the private school. I would instead use that money to hire college students as tutors and mentors so that DS could interact daily with people who were more mature both socially and intellectually, and who have gone through middle school and have become wise about this trying time,
