Do any of you just get sick and tired of all the gossip surrounding your town's schools (public and private), and having people think that just because your kids are in gifted programs, knocking the schools they go to, is o.k. Feeling grumpy this morning - had an earful of this yesterday.

I'm sorry! What happened?

We get this too...
Chrys

Feel free to vent away...we don't have any GT programs or accomodations but there is plenty of gossip.

Yes, sadly gossip is everywhere and it seems that some people don't have anything nice to say! There is this forum which is a great place for support and try to rise above it all - it is not worth it

Gossip and competition ... seems to be the common thread in most, if not all communities. It really does get old, but as for the knocking the school: perhaps the program isn't giving their children enough of a challenge. I really have no idea how the conversations played out and by your title for this thread I suspect it was very catty, but IF the problem is the gifted program isn't flexible and some of the students are in the HG+ category than it is possible they have a valid gripe. Just might be the way they went about it that would cause the venting.

Lulu,
Are you saying that people who's children do not go to the school complain about your child's school? Do they feel free to make negative comments to you about the school just because they know your child isn't lumped into the "regular" classroom? Or are these other parents whose children are also in the gifted program? Either way, I think the gossip, competition goes on everywhere. I have always just refused to get sucked in, although I've had my share of things to complain about! LOL don't, however, and I just keep my mouth shut and try to do what's best for my son without getting sucked into the negativity. It can be exhausting!

I absolutely consider any conversations about a specific student or a teacher�s personal life to be gossip. I agree that occurs everywhere though.

In this particular case, it wasn't about the gifted program, more that because my kids were in that rather than the regular student body, it was o.k. to knock their school and other schools in the area that this lady has never stepped inside. There is so much hearsay it's frightening. And yes, she was very specific about a friend's child. Some pretty nasty things have been said about the schools and kids by her and another lady who are not getting along and I'm trying to keep out of the whole thing. Having had kids in both private and public schools, people seem to want me to take sides. Not happening. Just tiring. I've had to make the difficult decision of withdrawing a child from a school (yep - the old 'he wasn't learning a thing' issue), but have always been very careful to say that the school just wasn't the right fit for him, rather than run down a school that some of my friend's children go to.

Yes, yes, yes! I have gotten to the point that i only talk about relative quality and the fit for each child. It leaves you bulletproof -- and I also happen to believe that it's true.

Personal attacks and spreading false rumors are obnoxious tactics. Informed discussion and debate regarding public school budgets, policies, contracts, programs and results are fair game though (although not in a way that corners unwilling parent participants). In our area, every homeowner pays dearly for the public schools (10% property tax increase each year for at least last 6 years). Most residents whether they have students enrolled or not, are interested in the quality of various school programs, assessment results and how their money is spent (which isn�t necessarily in a way that benefits the students).

We're talking personal attacks (against my friends not myself), and false rumors here. I just wondered if others had encountered similar situations.
Feeling better for the breathing space of a day, and the helpful comments. Thanks.