I agree. OP, I think you were mixing two problems and seeing them as only one. Problem 1: my kid needs some kind of accommodation because she's gifted. Problem 2: people try to prep their non-gifted kids into gifted programs for a variety of reasons.
Problem 2 is not a reason to deny an accommodation for your daughter in problem 1. Don't let your opinion about problem 2 affect your response to problem 1.
It's pretty silly to look at teachers, because the markets are highly unequal. ...
Where the marketplace is robust in both sectors, you tend to see competitive pricing between the two. I've been an IT worker in both private and public sectors, which is in demand everywhere, and I found my wage/benefits structures in both to be comparable. Public sector features like comp time are offset by private sector features like annual bonuses. Other ubiquitous jobs get the same treatment.
The difference in the IT sector is that IT workers tend to be highly skilled in an area that most people aren't skilled in at all. Compare to teachers who often aren't skilled at all in what they teach (e.g. K-8 mathematics!). Most people wouldn't even be capable of getting a degree in engineering and only ~4% of undergraduate degrees in the US in 2009 were in this field (
source; page 3). This means that the supply is very low compared to teaching, where ~14% of all degrees were awarded in 2009.
Also, IT workers are constantly evaluated in a meaningful way. Not writing your code? Not keeping up with your security task list? You're fired. IT people don't get tenure and get rewarded for doing a good job.
The salary bump in public sector IT is a response to what people get in the private sector. No one who's even average in IT would work for low pay barring extreme circumstances.
In most areas of this country, we pay a pittance to social workers, law enforcement, etc. It's a wonder anyone takes those jobs.
Where I live (as in, most of this state), cops and others in the category you mentioned are retiring in their mid-50s with 100K+ pensions. Some people get 200K+ pensions. Plus they all get healthcare for life. I have to go, but will try to find a link later.
