Well, I did say "often," never "always," so it isn't a blanket statement. I didn't mean it as a blanket statement. And I certainly didn't mean to badmouth GT schools! I think they're a great option!
But I don't retract my statement that when it comes to GT kids and schools, "good" isn't always good and "mediocre" can be excellent. acs's good experience in a "mediocre" system is anecdotal evidence supporting it. My bad experience in a "good" public school system (not GT) also tends to uphold the notion that common wisdom isn't always applicable. I could moderate my statement to say "sometimes" the so-called "good" schools aren't good for HG+ kids. But in doing so, I don't want to water down my real point:
that E&W shouldn't worry about having her kids in a "mediocre" school system until she has some experience in it. It may be a great fit for them because common wisdom about school systems doesn't always hold true for GT kids. My point is that she might want to give that school a chance. Certainly before uprooting the family and moving!
BTW, my DYS consultant told me they have an easier time advocating in public schools than in private ones, including private GT ones. She said private schools tend to have waiting lists, so they don't have to do a thing they don't want to do for a kid; there's someone else waiting to pay the tuition and fill that spot who is less work for them. OTOH, public schools have to take a kid, so they're more likely to work with a parent. I was surprised by this statement. That IS a generalization, but it comes from someone with more experience than I have, so I tend to trust it...
But even there, she's talking about tendencies, not facts. Every school is different, and many GT schools are WONDERFUL for HG+ kids!
