Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Best high schools for gifted kids

We are willing to relocate anywhere near Dallas for high school. Do you have any experience with high schools near by Dallas area? My YS10 is ready for high school next year.

I emailed a Dallas friend who has had wonderful experiences. Please hold on.
Trinity

I just read School of Dreams by Edward Humes. Read it! I wish we had a choice in Utah!
Ania

Thank you so much Trinity and Ania. I couldn't imagine I can get such a quick reply. This is the first time I am sharing my thoughts on internet. Now my mind is fully occupied by finding good high school for my YS10 and to find out what he needs to accomplish in high school to get into some good college.
I read the review of School of Dreams by Edward Humes in amazon. It is interesting. Thanks for refering this book to me. I am going to read this book.

Hi Jay,
Here's some links to look at:

The North Hills School in Irving (www.tnhs.org)

Westlake, Westlake Academy (www.westlakeacademy.org).


The School for the Talented and Gifted at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center (commonly referred to as TAG or TAG Magnet) is a college preparatory magnet secondary school in the Dallas Independent School District.

[edit] History
TAG Magnet was originally located at L. G. Pinkston High School. In the 1990s, DISD allocated money for a new "magnet center" as an experiment in accelerated high school education. This magnet center would house six different schools, each which offer college-preparatory and pre-professional programs alongside a solid academic education. Initially, TAG students were taught alongside the students at the other magnet schools. But after it threatened the existence of TREK because of lack of supervising teachers, TAG was given permission to have their own teaching staff that was specialized in talented and gifted teaching methods for the classroom.


[edit] Awards
TAG was ranked by Newsweek's Jay Mathews Challenge Index as the #1 high school of the United States in 2006.
TAG is consistently rated #1 by D Magazine's Best Public High Schools in Dallas.
TAG is a Blue Ribbon School.

Best Wishes

We just moved in and got internet connection.
Thank you Trinity. You are so kind to find out this information for me.
I think I supposed to post this one in GT research and doesn't know how to move it there. I have lot of Questions on Newsweek Ranking. May be I should start another thread there.
I visited TAG and North hills. Noth hills school is very big and looks great. The TAG is located in a business building and I saw another school called School of Science & Engineering in the same business building. According to newsweek it is ranked 8th in nation top high schools list.

Newsweek Ranking - folks will have a lot to say about that! I think spending time in the classrooms and seeing what the kids are doing and knowing what your kid is doing is the best. Are you relocating inside Texas, or is this a new state to you?
Trinity

We are very new to this state. I think I need to wait and see to get good idea about the schools in this state.
Here St. Marks is a very famous private school as a road to Ivy league colleges and not sure whether it is worth spending money there or not.
All these schools I need to apply now for the 2006-2007 year admission.
Another one is TAMS which is highly selective.
Students enter TAMS following their sophomore year of high school, live in a UNT residence hall and attend UNT classes with college students. After four semesters, they graduate from TAMS with 60 hours of college credit and the equivalent of a high school diploma.
I am not sure leaving my kid so early to live on his own is a good idea or not. He has excellent apetite for learning but struggles with organizational skills.

Can anyone recommend a good high school in Denver, Colorado for my young friend with Asperger's? All I know of is Waldorff (not an option for him) and the Denver Academy (very expensive). Thanks.

Jay, Keep us posted as far as your decision and the entire thinking process, please. I am so into looking for a placement for my DS who is "only" a sixth grader, but who will be taking Algebra II next year. From what I have been reading, Texas offers gifted learnes tremendous opportunities. I am so envious you have all these choices!
Ania

my son didn't get admission in North Hills charter school as it is lottery based admission.
I came to realisation that I can't pay for his private school and college tution fee. only the school left is school for Talented and Gifted which mainly considers the local school district students only. If they can't get enough students from their school district then they go for outsiders.

Now he is in relatively a good public school though I heard from my friend that kids play cards in her son's math class and teacher doesn't care about them. the same school has good teachers too. So I think we are settling for this public school.
The best thing I liked here is the parents. Atleast I could able to find some parents who talk about their kids academics. My son has a wonderful friends circle here. Though they are not YS they are in public school gifted program, very talented, hard working and value education.
I wish every state has challenging programs for every kid. My son was very fortunate to have a wonderful teacher who believed in him more than us. When we were in confused state She told us about this YS program. Irrespective of his other elementary school teachers concerns about his grades (it varies depending on teachers weightage for HW), she tested him and brought him to middle school gave lot of flexibily for him. I can't describe about her confidence in my son in words. Now we moved to a new state and miss her.

I really enjoy reading the posts here. hope I will become better in participating discussions too.

Jay,
What a wonderful Teacher you son had - she changed all of your lives. I hope you have much success in the public schools.
Trinity