As a person who actually benefitted from a gifted program at school i would argue that advanced programs should be characterized as a "special needs" class, simply because for some of us the modified curriculum actually caters to our needs and speed better. https://twitter.com/socializm_/status/1254441065077145600">https://twitter.com/socializm...

My 3 years in a gifted program at high school was profoundly more fun than any other schooling or formal education i have received in my lifetime solely because the friends that i made was far more understanding and more open to each other& #39;s quirks and niche interests.

yes it& #39;s a bit of a circle jerk, yes we eventually will realize that most of us are simply not that smart, yes it& #39;s debilitating to find out that we& #39;re not that special. but at least it was fun while it lasted, compared to being in a regular class and ending up the same

because when you& #39;re above average in an average class, you& #39;re bound to think that you& #39;re THE shit because you don& #39;t even have to pick up a book to get a good score, while when you& #39;re in a class full of other above averages, you& #39;re just average. and that& #39;s good to realize early.

i realize halfway through this thread that the nature of high school gifted programs and other programs that are applied younger are inherently different. but hey, i already typed all this so all 19 of my followers might as well read this shit up