"They educate about 1 percent of students. Nineteen states have none. Only three big cities have more than five such schools (Los Angeles has zero)."

As a CA native, I'd argue that the fact right there about LA having no schools for gifted kids is fundamentally the biggest divide between the culture of Nor Cal and So Cal. Also, I don't know if I buy the argument entirely. Sure, it'd be nice if there were more schools for gifted kids, but I don't think they necessarily suffer that much if they don't get into the elite smarty-pants schools. Smart kids are smart, they'll fend for themselves. Although that's just my two cents, given that I was technically one of those "gifted" kids who was actively discouraged by teachers from taking advanced placement tests because statistically speaking, I was staying in the public school system so naturally I'd be a HS dropout. I did graduate high school, and college (early, even!) and have managed to do ok for myself.

Maybe I'd be doing Nobel prize-worthy work though, if I'd been more actively encouraged to succeed?