I'm debating selling a house we built ... to get into a school district that is self contained gifted
Kickball, have you actually found a district that has a self contained gifted program? That is worth checking out. Those programs can work for highly gifted kids but as so many others have said there are a number of factors to consider. I have to share my story about schools just to give a different perspective.
After the birth of my youngest dd we began the search for a bigger house. My oldest dd was in preschool. We live in one of the best school districts in the state. I told the realtor to look anywhere in the district except where the houses were zoned to school "X" - the "worst" school in our district. We purchased our house in a nice neighborhood where I could walk my children to school once they started. During this time I began to realize that my dd was extremely bright. In preschool it became apparent that a regular school situation simply would not work for her. At the very least she would have to be accelerated. I was reading the community paper one day and found an article about a new Spanish immersion program in the district. Of course the program was housed at school "X". This sounded like a terrific option for my dd so I enrolled her in the program. Now I drive her several miles to school each day rather than walk her to our neighborood school. God has such a sense of humor. (I had also once said that I would never live in the city in which I live. I should learn not to do that!)
I have found that this terrible school (Title I with 70% of the students on free and reduced lunch) has been a terrific place for my child to be educated. Last year I particpated on a district-wide committee to improve elementary GT services. I went in excited about making improvements only to discover that the services my dd receives at the "worst" school in the district were better than most of the other "exemplary" schools. Many of the schools do not even have differentiated reading groups so all the students in the class read the same books. In our school, all the teachers are required to have differentiated reading groups. It is ironic that some of the methods needed to help the slower learners actually benifit the advanced learners.
I have also discovered that "in general" you have more dedicated teachers working in the Title I schools. Teachers who are willing to work to meet individual students needs. It is definitely a calling. You also have a lower student-to-teacher ratio. My dd's class has a limit of 18 students. Most of the other classes in the school have 15 or less students. Title I schools are also eligible for a lot of grant money to get things like technology and other programs.
Things are not always as they appear on the surface. Sometimes it is worth a closer look.
Summer
