Profoundly gifted child-which school?

[Anonymous]

We don’t live in DC but this forum has great advice.

I suspect DS is profoundly gifted but it’s too soon to know. He’s shown some signs. I myself was a profoundly gifted child (skipped several grades; finished grad school with a STEM degree as a teenager). DH had a similar experience.

We’re trying to figure out where he should go to school so we can buy a house in the right location.

Would you choose:

1. Highly regarded public schools (10/10 and ranked the highest in the state)
2. Small private
3. Moderately ranked public offering dual language program in 2nd language that DS speaks fluently

For clarity- I DO NOT WANT my child to take the same route I did. I’m not trying to architect an accelerated path for him (I lived it and believe me there are downsides). My goals are:

1. I want him to like school. I HATED school. I was so bored and too weird and found it very frustrating.
2. I don’t want him to grow up like I did where his whole identity comes from being the smartest kid in the class. I want him to be around other super smart kids so he can’t skate and also realizes that sure, he’s smart, but so are lots of other kids too.

For those two goals, would you choose option 1, 2, or 3 above?

[Anonymous]

I’d choose 4, a lifetime worth of therapy. I am bookmarking this thread. Can’t wait to read the responses.

[Anonymous]

1. The chances of other profoundly gifted kids in his classes in a public school are close to zero. He will always be known as the smart kid.

2. Unless the small private school caters to profoundly gifted students, then see answer to #1.

3. I don’t see how this option addresses either of your two concerns.

I think you should find a private school that caters to profoundly gifted students. That’s the only way he won’t be known as the smart kid, will be challenged and may like school.

[Anonymous]

Check out Davidson school in Denver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. The chances of other profoundly gifted kids in his classes in a public school are close to zero. He will always be known as the smart kid.

2. Unless the small private school caters to profoundly gifted students, then see answer to #1.

3. I don’t see how this option addresses either of your two concerns.

I think you should find a private school that caters to profoundly gifted students. That’s the only way he won’t be known as the smart kid, will be challenged and may like school.

Op here. I know you’re right but there are no schools like that in our state.

I agree option 3 doesn’t really address the problem but I thought maybe the mix of kids and the chance to engage in both languages would at least be something. But I worry since most of the kids come into the program speaking either English or the second language and DS speaks both already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d choose 4, a lifetime worth of therapy. I am bookmarking this thread. Can’t wait to read the responses.

Op here. I’m not sure I get where you’re coming from, but I guess pop some popcorn and enjoy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check out Davidson school in Denver.

Op here. Thank you! This looks promising!

[Anonymous]

If you’re so much smarter than the rest of us can’t you figure this out for yourself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you’re so much smarter than the rest of us can’t you figure this out for yourself?

Op here. If you note my original post I talk about being gifted/smart in the past tense

[Anonymous]

I’d choose 1.

You don’t know if your child is profoundly gifted. The public school will have the most options outside of academics. My daughter does not find academics challenging at all but she’s not bored in her large public school. She loves the social aspect of school and her large classes with friends.

We don’t supplement with academics, instead she is involved with a lot of extra activities. Art, sports, dance. She is on a travel team and is not the best player but loves to play. It is good for her to be in an environment where she has to work hard and where it does not come easy. She has yet to find school challenging so it is important for her to have that experience in other areas.

[Anonymous]

Ugh ...

[Anonymous]

So you finished high school at 13 or 14, and got a Master's by 19?

Homeschool....unless there's reversion to mean. In which case, option 1 is fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you finished high school at 13 or 14, and got a Master's by 19?

Homeschool....unless there's reversion to mean. In which case, option 1 is fine.

Op here, yes along those lines. But I don’t want my kid doing the same or anything like what I did. I want him to go to school like any oher kid. I just don’t want him to hate it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you finished high school at 13 or 14, and got a Master's by 19?

Homeschool....unless there's reversion to mean. In which case, option 1 is fine.

Op here, yes along those lines. But I don’t want my kid doing the same or anything like what I did. I want him to go to school like any oher kid. I just don’t want him to hate it.

No educational system or any walk of life for that matter can be free a certain amount of drudgery. Even if one's pushing the boundaries of quantum information, there are always the pesky undergrads to teach that don't know much calculus and tedious algebra to grind through for the result.
Academics are just a part of school, social aspects are just as important. If you can work with your public school system and use FAPE to your advantage, maybe that's a good route.

[Anonymous]

Move to any flagship research university college town and send him to where the faculty kids go. They will all be extremely intellectual. That was my background, and I think it's funny what passes for gifted here in DC.