[willio58]

In my childhood I had many school experiences elementary through high school:

- Lower income schools

- Higher income schools

- Gifted programs within each

- Private schools

I wasn't homeschooled but I'll say this: Anytime I was put into the "outgroup", I think I was worse off because of it. Being challenged in school really wasn't all it was cracked up to be. All of the "advancement" I achieved in that age was self-study after school and on weekends. The "gifted" programs I was a part of just served to separate me from the rest of the kids, and you inherently have to deal with this false idea that you're better or different than other kids for being in those programs. I think that can be _very_ damaging for some, I saw it with many of my friends. Especially when it came time for college, turns out most colleges couldn't care less what gifted program you were in when you were young. Most (75%) of my close friends were considered gifted at some point, and very few (<10%) landed in jobs or schools that would be considered prestigious or advanced. Meanwhile, I had a bunch of friends who would be considered "normal" and ended up going to top schools and landing crazy high-paying jobs. Not to say those people ended up living better lives, but when you're told your value comes from high achievement when you're a child and then you don't achieve highly it can mess you up.

All of this to say, I think schools should be thought of as more of an incubator for social wellness and play with education as a side effect rather than the other way around. If a kid really wants to they can learn as much as they want after school with the infinite knowledgebase that is the internet. If you think about it as a way to develop social skills over straight-up Knowledge, I would personally just put them in public school and avoid the trouble and social removal that comes along with private school.