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Hi all. I currently live in Pittsburgh, PA and I live in the city at teach inner-city high school kids. My job is not going well at all and I cannot find a job other than the city schools. The education system is horrible and the kids have given up on education. I was assaulted by a female student and punched by a male student breaking up a fight. Those 2 separate incidents happened this week. That is just a sample of what I deal with on a daily basis. My daughter also attends school in the city and she is constantly bullied.
Needless to say, we are looking for a change. I noticed that a few districts in VA are hiring for next school year.
My wife and I are looking for:
Safe schools for myself to teach and my daughter to attend
Affordable living
Family-friendly areas with things to do (parks, museums, etc.)
I noticed that Richmond Public One is hiring Spanish teachers for next year.
Any information you could provide about these areas and schools would be much appreciated.
I work for Lexington County School District Two here in West Columbia. Nothing what you have experienced in your current school district would be a common occurance here. In general school districts in both Richland and Lexington Counties are much "safer" than what you are describing. Not to say school districts here are perfect-they ceratinly have their faults. But safety is not something I worry about when I go to work each day.
I currently work in Lexington School District 2 and worked for nearly 10 years in the Consolidated School District of Aiken County. My wife works in Lexington District 1. Lex 1, Lex 2, and Aiken do not have any of the problems you describe. In the Columbia area, Richland District 1 would be the "inner-city" schools. Working at some high schools there would be considered taking a risk. However, Dreher and AC Flora are 2 pretty good schools both environment and academics. Richland District 2 has good academics but is quickly becoming filled with gangs as their schools experience a demographic shift. Lexington-Richland District 5 is also a very good school district.
I live in Richland District 2 and like all schools there are problems in any district. Now how Tiger17 said gangs in Richland 2 schools I disagree. The high schools don't have problems and the administration is very good. My niece graduated from Blythewood High in 08 and we didn't have any problems. She was a cheerleader, danced, and on yearbook. Where gangs may be a problem at some schools it could be drinking and drugs at another. It all depends on who you surround yourself with. But I am unsure if you are wanting VA or SC. With anyplace visit here first. I didn't visit, since my husband is from Charleston, and made the blind move based on my trips to Charleston and I must say I dislike Columbia very much. For me it's not as family friendly and people claim. There isn't a lot to do (I have three kids 8,6,and 2) compared to Ca which is where I'm from.
Well I'm glad your experience was different. I'm going off of mine. I have friends that coach at RNE and Spring Valley. My wife has friends that work at Ridge View, Dent Middle and Summit Parkway Middle. They all say that there are discipline issues and gang issues. Its one of the reasons Richland 2 went to the almost uniform-like dress code policy with shirts tucked in, etc. Also when we played at Harry Parone Stadium a couple of years ago, our coaching staff and support personnel had to go through metal detectors and security personnel. We then had to wear badges that said we could be on the field. According to them, it was to "keep the unwanteds out of here." I haven't ran into that anywhere else in this state.
I do not know anybody at Blythewood so I couldn't say anything about it.
I live in Richland District 2 and like all schools there are problems in any district. Now how Tiger17 said gangs in Richland 2 schools I disagree. The high schools don't have problems and the administration is very good. My niece graduated from Blythewood High in 08 and we didn't have any problems. She was a cheerleader, danced, and on yearbook. Where gangs may be a problem at some schools it could be drinking and drugs at another. It all depends on who you surround yourself with. But I am unsure if you are wanting VA or SC. With anyplace visit here first. I didn't visit, since my husband is from Charleston, and made the blind move based on my trips to Charleston and I must say I dislike Columbia very much. For me it's not as family friendly and people claim. There isn't a lot to do (I have three kids 8,6,and 2) compared to Ca which is where I'm from.
Comparing what anywhere in SC, a state that balances its budget every year by state law, offers to what CA, a state that promised waaaayyyyy too much to waaaaaaayyyyy too many people, offers is asking for disappointment. Have you been in CA since they started shutting down all their parks?
Well I'm glad your experience was different. I'm going off of mine. I have friends that coach at RNE and Spring Valley. My wife has friends that work at Ridge View, Dent Middle and Summit Parkway Middle. They all say that there are discipline issues and gang issues. Its one of the reasons Richland 2 went to the almost uniform-like dress code policy with shirts tucked in, etc. Also when we played at Harry Parone Stadium a couple of years ago, our coaching staff and support personnel had to go through metal detectors and security personnel. We then had to wear badges that said we could be on the field. According to them, it was to "keep the unwanteds out of here." I haven't ran into that anywhere else in this state.
I do not know anybody at Blythewood so I couldn't say anything about it.
The security you spoke of wanting to "keep the unwanted out" doesn't necessarily mean that they were speaking of the students of the schools. It simply could have been anyone that would have caused trouble. It just is bothersome that when a school is more diverse, since NE schools are, compared to another people alway want to put any problems on gangs. No one has spoke of the problems in the Lex schools with alcohol. I just say if you are going to speak of problems then speak of them all. No high school is perfect and I doubt the Lexington ones are either.
Comparing what anywhere in SC, a state that balances its budget every year by state law, offers to what CA, a state that promised waaaayyyyy too much to waaaaaaayyyyy too many people, offers is asking for disappointment. Have you been in CA since they started shutting down all their parks?
I have been home at least once a year since leaving in 2005 and still have all my family there. Our parks haven't been shut down. Have you been to Ca or are you speaking from what you see on tv? I don't think you can say that SC is a perfect state. I definitely don't remember saying Ca was. We all have opinions and my comparison was to what things there are to do versus Ca. If you love Columbia then that is great but making statements about gov't which have nothing to do with what I am speaking of was unnecessary.
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