John Taylor gatto talked quite well and eloquently about the issues with the school system from the educational side. The social side is a whole different ball of wax, especially for girls.

I was in the middle - not popular but had plenty of friends and made them quickly with the people I liked.

We are also battling the school system ourselves - finding the best fit for our son. It’s incredibly complex because there are factors involved we didn’t anticipate and now our ideas are getting thrown out the window every few months lol. Home schooling is great in the right circumstance and eventually will be a good option for us. We tried it but had other things we needed, and will get back to it in a few years.