> wealthier localities have more tax revenue and thus better schools
This is not the issue. The real issue is that some wealthier localities defund their public school system through anti-taxation measures and the wealthy send their kids to thriving (well funded, large student population) private schools and those who can't afford the private school tuition (rivals private college tuition) are stuck with either parochial schools (middle class families, associated with their church) or public schools (poor kids, who graduate functionally illiterate if at all).
Tier 1: private school kids, whose parents control the local government and economy
Tier 2: middle class sending their kids to Christian schools where they can learn why the order of things is the way it is through divine writ
Tier 3: public schools, radically underfunded, basically holding cells.
Well why do you think those rich people are sending their kids to private schools?
Getting rid of gifted programs obviously makes the public school worse. Do people think that the wealthy are simply going to throw their hands up and say "Welp, guess my kid is getting a shitty education!"?
This is not the issue. The real issue is that some wealthier localities defund their public school system through anti-taxation measures and the wealthy send their kids to thriving (well funded, large student population) private schools and those who can't afford the private school tuition (rivals private college tuition) are stuck with either parochial schools (middle class families, associated with their church) or public schools (poor kids, who graduate functionally illiterate if at all).
Tier 1: private school kids, whose parents control the local government and economy
Tier 2: middle class sending their kids to Christian schools where they can learn why the order of things is the way it is through divine writ
Tier 3: public schools, radically underfunded, basically holding cells.