Relocation suggestions (Murfreesboro, Franklin, Spring Hill: low crime, neighborhood, construction)

[gbone]

Originally Posted by Steve_TN

Anybody who has lived here long enough knows this is correct. There is no need to do research only to prove what is known practically statewide.

Sounds like a like a little "county envy" to me.

[Big TR]

Steve, please tell me how my life would be better in Murfreesboro (or any other suburb) than it is in Franklin or Brentwood. I'm genuinely interested in getting a list as we are just renting. I think my list of advantages is pretty solid and hard to beat.

[tbrownies]

I really appreciate all the feedback you guys are giving me. The idea of moving is very scary to me, and I really appreciate you guys giving me this help.

The town I live in right now only has about 1500 people in it. It is a beautiful village, but the work my hubby does is a difficult one in my area. He has done construction for 10 years now. Doing that line of work is very diffucult in our winter time. We get snow that can be measured in feet, and our temperatures go well below zero a lot of the time.

Again, thanks so much for all the ideas. Keep 'em coming! I have been researching every town that you guys suggest. Thanks guys!

[ExIslander]

Originally Posted by Big TR

On the whole, Williamson County has substantially better schools than all the other counties in the area. Anybody telling you otherwise is lying or saying, "But there's one good school over there in X County."

I think the debate (and there have been several on this forum on this issue) revolves around "better" and "on the whole." Or, put another way, aggregate vs. individual.

I don't think there's any dispute that Williamson ranks at the top in aggregate measures. The question is, how much of that is selection bias (starting with the highest percentage of smart kids and involved parents in the first place) and how much is superior teaching? Remember, all that really matters in the end is what your kid learns, or my kid learns. Reflected glory from classmates might help us sell our houses, but our kids can't take it to college with them. If you took the same smart kid and same involved parents and put them into other schools and school districts, I don't think it's obvious at all that they're doomed to a lesser education.

Having said all that, there's no downside to being surrounded by other smart kids and involved parents.

[Steve_TN]

Originally Posted by gbone

Sounds like a like a little "county envy" to me.

You could not be more wrong. If I wanted to live in Williamson County I easily could have purchased in Spring Hill. I love Murfreesboro and Rutherford County. It's that simple. You are grasping at straws at this point.

[Steve_TN]

Originally Posted by Big TR

Steve, please tell me how my life would be better in Murfreesboro (or any other suburb) than it is in Franklin or Brentwood. I'm genuinely interested in getting a list as we are just renting. I think my list of advantages is pretty solid and hard to beat.

Of course, this is just my opinion, and I'm going to be blunt. The main reason your life would be better is because you wouldn't be surrounded by many of the snobs that can be found in Williamson County. You would not have to deal with the plastic facades, pretentiousness and the pressure to "keep up with the Jones'". However, if you like that kind of atmosphere (and I'm not saying you necessarily do), maybe your life wouldn't be better elsewhere.

[BP300]

please tell me how my life would be better in Murfreesboro (or any other suburb) than it is in Franklin or Brentwood. .[/quote]

Only if you prefer to be in a Middle Class neighborhood. Franklin/Brentwood are considered Upper Class neighbordhoods, and Murfreesboro is Middle Class.

[yank283]

Originally Posted by Steve_TN

Anybody who has lived here long enough knows this is correct. There is no need to do research only to prove what is known practically statewide.

Here, here, bravo...

[Big TR]

Originally Posted by ExIslander

If you took the same smart kid and same involved parents and put them into other schools and school districts, I don't think it's obvious at all that they're doomed to a lesser education.

Having said all that, there's no downside to being surrounded by other smart kids and involved parents.

I would say that a smart kid in a lesser district is 100% doomed to a lesser education. The district with lower test scores has either:

A. Dumbed down their lesson plans so the lowest common denominators can learn or,

B. Spent substantial amounts of class time having the teacher explain more complex curriculum to the dumber students who take longer to understand. The smart district might have another week or two of class time to discuss even more advanced topics where the lesser district ran out of days.

[Kim918]

I don't have a school aged child here, but I did raise a daughter who is now 26. I think so much of this argument is subjective. Numbers are only numbers and I think a lot of things depend upon experience rather than stats alone. Good teachers and involved parents are key to a students success no matter what school they go to. From my own experience... I can tell you a story of buying a home in an upscale area of Florida and my daughter going to a brand new school there. The following year they changed the boundries(to equalize things) and she was to go to a really old beat up looking school in the next town and I was less than happy. I looked into private school, but relented and let her try it. Well, it turned out to be the better school. My daughters teachers were amazing and really expected a lot from them. It made me nervous at first, but she loved it and flourished. Long story short, it turned out to be the better choice. After that, I never really put too much stock in the numbers. So much of it is about what you as a parent expect of your child. I know kids who had the best of everything that are now the bane of their parents existence because they are lazy and expect everything be handed to them without working for it. I know others who struggled and had to work for everything who became successful adults.

I suppose it's the blanket statement that everything is better in Williamson county that fuels this argument. Especially among those that are very happy with the schools their children are in, in other counties.