Schools and teachers in MD (Baltimore, Columbia: for sale, houses, safe area)

[westsideboy]

Well, you know any the potential negatives of Allegany County from this thread already, but the positives are all what you list, cheap housing, descent, safe schools (not sure I would call the public schools "great" academically, although there is a relatively cheap private school option) good students and an place similar to what you know in Pittsburgh, a small city with emenities and outdoor activities.

I doubt there are many openings for foreign language though, although it is should be easy enough for you to check.

[DreamingofSunshine]

Originally Posted by sz89128

There is a good chance my current job in Pittsburgh may be furloughed as well. I will have to bid on it in April to keep it and there is no guarantee. anyone with more seniority can bump me. Even if I stay, I still may be out of a job.

So it looks like Prince George's Co. and Anne Arundel Co. are out.

Can anyone tell me more about Frederick Co. and Carroll Co?

I wouldn't throw Anne Arundel Co. out! You will be lucky to get a job in AA, they have some of the best schools in the state (Severna Park) and everyone I know who teaches in AA is pretty happy there.

[DreamingofSunshine]

Originally Posted by sz89128

I want to stay on the East Coast as my family is in PA. MD does rank as the best state for education and I do realize that test scores aren't the best indicator of what really goes on.

As far as what we are looking for is:

Affordable housing
Good school for my daughter
A good place to teach
Family-oriented activities (parks, movies, museums, etc)

Aside from any arguing, I do want you opinions about there you live.

How much house can you afford? That will help us better. 300K, 400K, 500K? That will determine everything.

[sz89128]

Originally Posted by DreamingofSunshine

How much house can you afford? That will help us better. 300K, 400K, 500K? That will determine everything.

We would just rent at first to make sure we like the area. We would be looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom.

[sz89128]

There will be job fair in Pittsburgh for teachers at the end of March and several districts from MD will be there. I checked and several did post openings for Spanish for next school year.

[lvlyjblylulabell]

She wasn't asking you which areas were white or black areas. I hope that you are not a teacher with your seemingly prejudiced views. Yes, there are certainly areas in MD to be avoided, but not because there are too many black people living there. Sounds a little racist. I am new to this forum, and I was not expecting to be offended. Thanks for that.

[EducatedBro82]

As someone who was born and raised on the Eastern Shore (yay Salisbury) and attended as wht is known as the largest city on the eastern shore and the Largest school district on the eastern shore (Wicomico County) I had a good education. While my HS is majority black (Wicomico High School) than the others (James M Bennett, Parkside HS, Mardela) we produced more graduates than others. We also had a lot attending Salisbury University, which is nationally ranked.

Also the Ft Meade- Bowie logic is skewed as most people live in Odenton, Laurel or even Hanover. Most are moving to Odenton and Laurel since more housing developments are being constructed and the property values are increasing in both those areas. Most people in Ft Meade want to be close to base, Bowie isn't close to Ft Meade at all.

[terpgirl34]

In the words of Ron Burgundy: "that escalated quickly". Anyway, I've lived in Carroll County my entire life (with the exception of four years at UMD) and I went to school here (Century High School- Sykesville Middle - Linton Springs Elementary). These schools are wonderful. The system as a whole is very supportive of the students and willing to work with parents/students. I always found my teachers to be dedicated and involved and truly interested in making sure students learn as opposed to getting through the day and getting a pay check. In your position I would be looking for this type of environment for my child, but also for myself as a professional. I always felt safe in school, there were minimal behavioral problems amongst students at my schools, and all this without the need for metal detectors and security guards. It is true that these things vary between the schools, for example Westminster High and Liberty High and their respective districts are statistically a little less nice, if you will (ie; more drug use, behavior issues, generally lower test scores).

It's true that Carroll County is a little more rural and it's a bedroom community (mostly residential with small businesses). But with the exception of downtown Westminster it's about as safe as a community gets. I would be comfortable leaving my car and my house unlocked over night, as well as running errands and generally being out after dark. There is very little in terms of entertainment as you've described it. There are a few parks through out the county (the biggest is in Sykesville), a few museums of local civil war history and a small live-action theatre in Westminster. To get to more entertainment we drive 20 minutes from Sykesville to Columbia in Howard County. You wouldn't have to drive for everything; we have grocery stores, restaurants, shops (from Walmart to little boutiques), plenty of sports teams, gyms with summer camps and sports classes, libraries, art studios, dance studios, and most importantly plenty of families with similar interests to you.

I really think it's possible for you to find a home in the Carroll County area to fit your needs. Especially if you stay in the southern side you'll have easy access to the things you want in a safe, family friendly environment, even if you have to drive 20 minutes to get to a movie theatre or a mall.

[Ben A. Roundawurld]

Just like lvlyjblylulabell, I'm new to this forum. I'm stationed in Germany and will relocate to Maryland in February.

As a service member, I'm part of an institution in which diversity reigns supreme. Since no institution is perfect, issues great and small are bound to exist. Nevertheless, I truly believe that all institutions (read: communities) benefit from diversity.

Because Maryland is so well-known for its diversity (the issues mentioned earlier notwithstanding), I have truly been excited about my upcoming move. But admittedly, I've been taken aback by some of the posters' comments. As a native of Mississippi (a state I left years ago, never to return, for a number of reasons), I found myself asking, "Et tu, Maryland?"

But posters like Steelers10 have renewed that excitement. If there are just a couple of individuals like him in the state, I think I'll be just fine.

[CindyTevis]

Well, I know that per say if you apply for a teaching job in Anne Arundel County, they have a list of positions available at the certain schools. You have to chose between the available ones. You can't just say, "Oh, I want to be an English teacher at Northeast High School," and end up being one. Every county has it's good and bad schools. If you would like more insight on schools in Anne Arundel and Howard counties, message me. I graduated from North County High School in Glen Burnie, MD, (which was bad when I went there, but has gotten a lot better lately), and I went to Howard High School in Columbia, MD for my freshman year. I have a daughter that's a freshman at Arundel High School, and the teachers there are nice.