To anyone out there, advice please. My son will be starting middle school in the fall, 6th through 8th. My dilemma (well, one of several): most of his friends will be attending the bigger middle school that's close by. It's not as sheltered an environment as the charter school around the corner. He's an advanced student and needs to be challenged academically. Do I send him off with his friends to the rougher school where he'll be less challenged or do I send him to the school that's a much better fit academically and will offer a more motivated learning environment? He tends to make friends easily, but I am stressed about taking him away from his old friends.

We just got the call from the charter school where he'd been on the list (there's quite a few kids on the list), and we need to sign him up in the next few days. Any input would be great.

In my opinion...put him in the Charter School.

As a mom of a gifted child myself, I know how vital it is to their performance in school to be challenged at an appropriate level. Plus there's much more opportunity to meet like-minded kids who will share more of his interests than in a wider environment. It's easier for someone who's a bit odd to be lonely in a more mainstream school. There's no guarantee that his current friends will be in the same classes or be able to see him much outside of quick breaks between classes and lunchtime and they can always still get together after school and on weekends.

Thanks, Patrysha!

That's definitely what my gut tells me. He's very smart, but socially, he's a little boy. I like the idea of him being in a more sheltered environment with kids who are more motivated. Now, we'll just have to convince him!

I agree, I would go with the Charter School.

From the information in your question, it sounds like the Charter is the better choice. If it doesn't work out for him, do you have the option of pulling him and placing him in the other school? My district, while they discourage mid-year moves, will allow them.

I am a ninth grade science teacher and my husband is a 8th grade teacher in a title 1 school in arizona. Each year the school faces more problems as the demographics shift to a more proverty stricten community and lately (past couple years) it seems that the students that do well are leaving and going to schools that offer smaller class sizes and rigor. As an educator I personally would not even send my children to my public schools even if I worked there. I feel you should send your child to the charter school or any other school that can offer more attention to your gifted student. Your son should learn at this early age that he can't always do what everyone else does and an education is more important than friendships. I have seen great students mess up their GPA all because they were distracted in class by others. Your son can see his friends after school (the right time for friendships)

If I were in your shoes, I'd send him to the charter school. Being with the other kids he knows is nice and all, but in the long term, he'll benefit more from the better academics. Since he's already able to make new friends fairly easily -- and since his old friends are in school close by, you're not moving out-of-state or anything, right? -- it may take more effort to stay connected to his old crowd, but it's still doable.

Good luck!