I think that the root of this problem is inequality in this country.
I do agree with this to a point. And I do think we have a problem with how work and employment are set up today, and I am in so many ways a huge liberal who supports raising the min wage, etc.
But I also think anti-intellectualism is playing a role, as is the desire for everyone to be "the same" and the "all children are gifted" mantra. All children are great, but not all children are gifted in math! I wasn't! But I think we're uncomfortable with that, and also, many grownups are uneasy with very smart children. (I know I'm preaching to the choir.)
Do we as Americans really believe that high intelligence is so great? Do we admire people with natural math talent or do we treat them like weirdos and talk about how they have no common sense? There's always so much chatter about "people skills" and "social skills." I mean, not that I don't think those things are important. But this emphasis is why people who consider skipping are treated like child abusers. We don't really want to have these differences, and so we like to talk a lot about all the other things that make us "the same" or the weaknesses bright kids must inevitably have.
(Yes, I'm bitter because I really should have skipped my son and didn't, in large part because the social judgment would have been too much for me. There are other reasons, too, but he has wasted so much time and I see a lot of damage to be undone.)
