New Yorkers in NEPA, Scranton? (transfer, school, move)

[NYRangers 2008]

Originally Posted by loveinbloom

hmmmmmmm...a bit confused on your logic. I can see to a point what Dan is saying as well...but Jimmny Crickets cherry picking and over extension are simply that. A cycle yes, vicious, I guess that is perspective. Years ago I remember it simply being called an improvement in the quality of life for ones family.

The Taxes will rise IF people demand services for similar to that were they hail from. As you stated it is only a possiblity here, many many other parts of the nation it is a fact of life and has been for decades. The tipping point for my area seems to have begun in 2000.
Suffolk County use to be rural and lovely, since I did not like what it became, should I have stayed there to finishing raising my 7 year old because some people from my husbands home town do not think I belong there? I waited till my eldest children finished High School and started college. The time was right to move with my son before he became firmly established in the community and every expert I have ever read or spoken to, stated that if a move is a choice do it while your children are still in elementary school.

The taxes will rise if developersare allowed by local governing bodies are allowed to turn formally pristine areas into overpriced developments and Mcmansions....but hey it is only ok for that happen to other areas of the nation.

I am done with this thread it is time for me to take my son out and enjoy my town!

I'm originally from Suffolk County myself. I remember going all the way out to Manorville when I was young and it was like the country out there. I can imagine what it looks like now. The reason my parents moved up here years ago was to get away from the traffic and high taxes. Now, it's becoming like that here, but the taxes are nothing compared to L.I. I get what Dan was saying, it seems people are always looking for greener pastures.

[Georgia to Northeast PA]

Originally Posted by NYRangers 2008

I'm originally from Suffolk County myself. I remember going all the way out to Manorville when I was young and it was like the country out there. I can imagine what it looks like now. The reason my parents moved up here years ago was to get away from the traffic and high taxes. Now, it's becoming like that here, but the taxes are nothing compared to L.I. I get what Dan was saying, it seems people are always looking for greener pastures.

Well I think those are probably good reasons to move to the area but I will be moving from Georgia where we have very little taxes and much greener weather. It is my understanding that the taxes have to do with the schools and probably the worst school district would probably be one of the best here (just looking at statistics). I was born in PA and raised in Delaware, went to school in Philadephia and have lived in Geogia for almost 6 years. So, we are moving for a career challenge and we like to get involved working in the community. I particularly like working with Habitat for Humanity and any other project I can get behind and support so, I am not trying to ruin your life by moving in your area but I realize that all actions can have positive and negative reations. I like to hope we lean more toward making a more positive reaction.

[KristyLiz]

I too am from NY/Long Island, and when we lived in NEPA (2002 - 2005) I felt very at home because of all the other NYers that lived there.

However, we didn't stay in NEPA very long - we are now in the Lehigh Valley, which is truly full of NY and NJ transplants - nobody here makes fun of my accent!

[roxxy38]

OMG, I am moving to NEPA for all the right reasons and I cannot believe that anybody should hate me because I am a new yorker. Maybe the taxes are cheaper and the homes are less expensive but the job market isnt the same and the pay is alot less. Come on and wake up and realize some people want a better quality of life. You people make it sound as thought pa is on another planet and we are invading. I hope when we do move there in about 2 months we meet people who will like us for the kind of people we are not dislike us because we come from ny.

And by the way who is making all the money on us transplants? I guess its the builders and all the other businesses that are in ny, ha ha ha.

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by TheEmissary

Paul - To a large extent, the quality of the school system often determines where many people will buy a house. Your logic is flawless - there are many existing homes that would be more than good enough for a vast majority of people, but factor in the emotional state of the prospective parents when they read the school test scores and your logic flies out the window!

A lot of these newcomers with more than a few bucks to spend will then want to move to the "new" "The Summit" development in Clark's Summit, and then inquire whether "The Summit" development has a "Summit" section so little Brandon and Jennifer's school will not have any Tanishas and Moeshas in it - so they can then feel like they're "King of The Hill"! Until that mentality changes, if ever, expect the dump trucks and moving equipment to be working on "Snob Heights at Abington" for the forseeable future!

I moved to Scranton and am more than happy with the schools. Personally, no matter how good the test scores are, I would not send my kids to the materialistic and snooty Abington Heights schools. And you hit the nail on the head...people in the snooty towns look down at the city for one reason, RACISM, even though they won't admit it. God forbid their kid might have to go to school with a few black or hispanic kids... Or maybe not everyone will be wearing Abercrombie and Fitch clothes to school and being dropped off in a Mercedes....they might be wearing Target clothes and being dropped off in a Chevy... oh the horror!

I like that my kids are growing up in a more accepting environment than I did. My son doesn't think twice about black or hispanic kids in his school. They're just other kids and potential friends to him. In the suburban schools I grew up in, racial slurs were common and the kids would look at a black kid like he just landed on a ship from Mars...and those attitudes are ingrained into the culture of a lot of suburban Lackawanna County towns, passed down from ignorant parents to their kids. Its sad.

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by SWB

Ordinarily I'd agree with you, but Scranton's public schools truly aren't as "bad" as what the Chicken Littles portray them as. Schools like Valley View, Pittston Area, North Pocono, Crestwood, Dallas, and Abington Heights all receive an unfair advantage on standardized testing because they have higher-than-average populations of affluent families residing within district boundaries where students will be second-generation college attendees while Scranton has a lot of poor working-class families where those graduating will be the first in their families to ever receive an education beyond high school. Of course the children of attorneys, nuclear physicists, neurologists, etc. are going to score disproportionately higher on standardized tests than the children of broken homes.

The thing that always puzzled me about VV's good reputation is that VV's test scores really aren't among the highest in the area. They're not bad, but they're not any higher than test scores in Scranton schools. My son's elementary school in West Side actually has higher test scores than Valley View elementary school. Like I've said, Valley View's great reputation comes more from its past as a football powerhouse than it does from academics.

Anyways, schools really are more than just test scores. Its the teachers and the environment, and I couldn't be happier with our experience so far in the SSD.

[blip]

Originally Posted by MrKrabs

The thing that always puzzled me about VV's good reputation is that VV's test scores really aren't among the highest in the area. They're not bad, but they're not any higher than test scores in Scranton schools. My son's elementary school in West Side actually has higher test scores than Valley View elementary school. Like I've said, Valley View's great reputation comes more from its past as a football powerhouse than it does from academics.

Anyways, schools really are more than just test scores. Its the teachers and the environment, and I couldn't be happier with our experience so far in the SSD.

As a new West Sider, that's good to hear, Krabs. I was impressed by the scores in some of the Scranton schools--Scranton High scores really well, too. And, I've heard good things about the district in general. (Esp. compared to Old Forge....) Not to get too caught up in scores, but for city schools that have a fair number of financially disadvantaged students to score well, it's a great sign.

I had the misfortune to hear a racist rant about Scranton the other day from an old, small-townie-- very weird to hear when Scranton hardly seems diverse to me. But, very much agreed with you on wanting our kids to have classmates of widely varying backgrounds.

Btw, I've been trying to find info on the new elementary school that's supposed to be built on the West Side, and on when the others are shutting down. Is that all definitive yet? Also, how do we find out which elementary school we'd fall into? Thanks!

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by blip

As a new West Sider, that's good to hear, Krabs. I was impressed by the scores in some of the Scranton schools--Scranton High scores really well, too. And, I've heard good things about the district in general. (Esp. compared to Old Forge....) Not to get too caught up in scores, but for city schools that have a fair number of financially disadvantaged students to score well, it's a great sign.

I had the misfortune to hear a racist rant about Scranton the other day from an old, small-townie-- very weird to hear when Scranton hardly seems diverse to me. But, very much agreed with you on wanting our kids to have classmates of widely varying backgrounds.

Btw, I've been trying to find info on the new elementary school that's supposed to be built on the West Side, and on when the others are shutting down. Is that all definitive yet? Also, how do we find out which elementary school we'd fall into? Thanks!

The new elementary school is pretty much final, I think they're just working out some of the specifics now. It will be in Tripp Park, I believe just past the Tripp Park softball field and playground, and I believe it will include all of the kids from Marshall, some in Tripp Park that now go to Armstrong, and some kids from Lincoln-Jackson and Sumner.

What part of West Side do you live in? I would probably know what school's boundary you're in.

[loveinbloom]

Originally Posted by MrKrabs

I moved to Scranton and am more than happy with the schools. Personally, no matter how good the test scores are, I would not send my kids to the materialistic and snooty Abington Heights schools. And you hit the nail on the head...people in the snooty towns look down at the city for one reason, RACISM, even though they won't admit it. God forbid their kid might have to go to school with a few black or hispanic kids... Or maybe not everyone will be wearing Abercrombie and Fitch clothes to school and being dropped off in a Mercedes....they might be wearing Target clothes and being dropped off in a Chevy... oh the horror!

I like that my kids are growing up in a more accepting environment than I did. My son doesn't think twice about black or hispanic kids in his school. They're just other kids and potential friends to him. In the suburban schools I grew up in, racial slurs were common and the kids would look at a black kid like he just landed on a ship from Mars...and those attitudes are ingrained into the culture of a lot of suburban Lackawanna County towns, passed down from ignorant parents to their kids. Its sad.

Ditto,Bravo and here here! I enrolled my son in a private school here in Scranton based upon student to teacher ration. It is the worst thing I ever did for my son. He is now enrolled in Neil Armstrong, he is happier, progressing nicely and LOVES IT! I am so glad I learned my lesson. I also have admitted before I should have taken Dan's advice.

[weluvpa]

What grade is he in?

Ya I'm sorry about the Gardner School experience.

You are not alone on that one. Many parents that I know thought it would be a good move but in the end its just not what they sell it as.