So which is better, broadly speaking, for Gifted kids? A highly regarded/ranked State with little or no mandated GT, or a low ranking State with great gifted services? I am pondering this as we consider a move 'one day'. If the first is the case, are our kids better accommodated for in regular classrooms or is it just that minimum standards are more adequately achieved there?

I live in a good state but, a low achieving county.

I would say that it is easier grade skip, even multiple times, in the lower achieving schools. The flip is that smart kids are more likely to get picked on in this environment. I will also note that the district gifted program around here is a joke, because the main focus is to bring the low achievers up. They are the reason we are not meeting State Standards.

Around here the highest performing schools are not as open to grade skipping. They have a higher number of smart students so the gifties don't stand out quite as much. My school does not allow grade skipping even in the PG range. The fear is that if we let one we have to let them all.

So my thought is that if you have a PG child who needs major academic acceleration, you are more likely to get that in a lower area where the gifted kids really stand out.
But you have a MG/HG kid who can be challenged through enrichment and/or compacting, the higher level schools could be be a better fit socially & academically.

I wouldn't focus as strong on the State as much as I would the County.

I think it all depends, schools that are 5 miles apart but in different districts could be completely different experiences. We live in a state with no gifted mandates or funding, and we have a PG child. They don't have any gifted programs in our school and it is a pretty decent schools, middle of the road probably. They have however worked with DS5 as an individual so far and are making attempts to meet his needs by letting him do work that is several grade levels ahead. They actually requested the grade skip for him too. So you just never know. We thought we would have to move...and who know we may need to in the future, but you just never know. Now a friend of mine with a PG child in a highly regarded school district that has gifted programs is not getting the accommodations she needs. But they did allow a grade skip too. You just never know.

I live in a top academic county, but live in one of the "lower" school zones. The elementary school is top notch, but the middle & high schools are not among the desired. IF we are still here by the time DS6 gets to 6th grade (when middle starts here), we will more than likely have the option to have him bussed or schooled elsewhere in the county (if the school is still on the list for not making AYP), which for me, is actually BETTER than moving to a particular district. We get to be choosy with public school education.

I personally wish, however, that we lived in a state that had amazing schools. I'm from NJ originally and would love for my DC to experience the education I did there. However, no amount of money could make me move back (no offense to anyone living there now) and be THAT close to my crazy extended family (or all that snow... ;))

You may want to avoid moving to a state that is on the verge of insolvency, especially if teachers are allowed to strike.

If you cross-reference the states with the greatest funding shortfalls for the generously awarded, yet unsustainable pensions with the thirteen states that allow teachers to strike, CA, IL and WI are the standouts. Of these, only IL teachers utilize the strike option on a regular basis.

If ever there where a politician with the *gutts* to undo this fiasco, there would certainly be a temporary disruption to every level of education in IL. If no one fixes it, the state will financially implode. Either way the students suffer.

Anyway, as much as I would love to unload our house along with the ridiculously high property taxes, I could never advise someone to move to this area for the schools. We pay Chicago suburb level property taxes without the benefit of a Chicago suburb quality education. With two vacant homes to our immediate right and other close proximity homes into the second or third year of being offered for sale, we are stuck here for now.

As always, so much good advice given so far.

I appreciate these points in particular.