[corel]

NebraskaNative, Thank you for your thoughts. You are right I want different perspectives on the good, bad and ugly of NE. I'm sorry you felt beaten up for your opinion.

To all posters,
While I appreciate receiving differing opinions, I really do not want this thread to become argumentative. At this point I don't have any specific questions, but I am appreciative of your view points, continue to add to this topic. Thanks again.

[Huckleberry3911948]

no winter
fiercly competitive job market
out of control drivers
extremely rude people
all done with lots of smiles in hawaiian shirts

[corel]

Bunky39, what area are you describing? My guess is the general area that I want to get away from... perhaps answering my title post?

[mattpoulsen]

The reason it turns into a debate is people are allowed to spout off about how small town education is inferior to an education in the metro. Its not an issue until people argue with that point of view. My view about small town education is not arbitrary. Check the stats. Average ACT scores are consistently higher in smaller schools. I'm not saying the kids are superior...I'm saying the model for education is superior...smaller class size with a stronger focus on foundation. That is partially because of lack of resources...which I fully admit. But my experience has been you can teach a kid a lot more with a book and a piece of chalk...if you're a good teacher. In my opinion, education is dumbed down with the constant influx of "new age" course offerings and "gadgets" to help them learn. That's great for college, but highschool should provide you with a concrete foundation in writing, reading comprehension, mathematics, and physical and natural sciences.

Furthermore, how many courses have you taught at a university?? I have had first hand experience with people coming from the Omaha/Lincoln schools and am able to directly compare them to students coming from Mullen or Burwell. My opinion is based on my personal and professional experience...its not an arbitrary opinion.

As for relevance, I think comparing and contrasting the metro education to "out-state" education is relevant.

Finally, one can very well make generalizations about small schools and large schools. I flat out said that, of course, there are bad small schools and bad large schools. I also didn't say you can't get a good education in Omaha. I suggested that, as a general rule ("general" being the operative word here), students from small districts have a better grounding in the basics.

As far as "arbitrary" goes, it is "arbitrary" to compare Omaha North to Elgin Highschool and try to draw some sort of conclusion as to the positives and negatives of small town and metro education styles. Its not arbitrary to discuss them collectively.

I'm currently living in west Omaha and my 6 year old is a student in the Millard Public school system. My wife and I are unbelievably frustrated with the "system" and badly wish that we could send him to a school like we had when we were growing up (she attended a small school in the panhandle). My biggest complaint...no accountability, no feedback, and no sense of connection with the students. Those three things are what make small town schools so nice...its nearly impossible to slip through the cracks.

[corel]

The small town vs. city education debate has really been done to death on this thread. PLEASE enough posts on this topic! Agree to disagree and lets move on.

[tpabes]

Guys please listen to Corel, we can start another thread for this discussion. Lets not turn her off to Nebraska, this is the 3rd time she has asked.

I don't know if this got mentioned, but if you are looking into older parts of Omaha, they are currently having to rebuild the sewer system, costing tons of money. I don't have specfic facts on this issue, but my be something to consider if you like living in older parts of a city. The majority of Omaha is expempt from this problem though. I'm sure someone like Dave can give you specifics, he is on fire with all this information!

[corel]

Thanks tpabes, so right Dave is like a bottomless well of info. he's been a great resource. I had heard of the sewer system being rebuilt, but I hadn't given it much thought regarding where to look for a home. Thank you for that little tid bit, that is something to look into.

[Dave1215]

Originally Posted by corel

Thanks tpabes, so right Dave is like a bottomless well of info. he's been a great resource. I had heard of the sewer system being rebuilt, but I hadn't given it much thought regarding where to look for a home. Thank you for that little tid bit, that is something to look into.

You are too funny - I think I've just had too much time on my hands the last couple of weeks.

Sewers east of 72nd have to be rebuilt so seperate stormwater from sewage. Can't remember the exact timeframe but there was a discussion in the Omaha thread last month. It will be expensive so there will probably be a surcharge on the bill for those in Omaha using the system.

The way they were engineered was a common method in the earlier part of the century, so this is not a problem unique to Omaha - alot of cities around the nation come under the same federal mandate. I think I heard the federal mandate affects up to 600 cities.

[corel]

Man, am I tired of this... I thought there was some sort of etiquette that was honored on this forum, such as respecting a request regarding topics from the OP, but apparently not. I kindly asked that we finish this argument, than I asked again that we move on, and again said to end it, but there seem to be a few "last word freaks" here. Fine, talk amongst yourselves. I'm through with this tread. I'll get my info else where.

Dave, thank you for all your help.

[downthathighway]

Originally Posted by corel

To all posters,
While I appreciate receiving differing opinions, I really do not want this thread to become argumentative. At this point I don't have any specific questions, but I am appreciative of your view points, continue to add to this topic. Thanks again.

What the heck, I've been beaten up for my opinions before. This is one thread I feel the opinion of a newcomer has been asked for.
Did you ever feel you were watching a part of history and a way of life slipping away? Its inevitable, but becoming evident here.
Many in the U.S. still think of Omaha as a stockyard city, though that closed years ago. Chicago shed that image with more business diversity, Omaha still depends on many ag. industries. However Omaha still goes to great measures to be viewed as cosmopolitan. Perhaps too hard, my opinion.
Examples abound- as in those who want to see the biggest schools around. Oops, hit a nerve there.
Then the pedestrian bridge. A wonderful idea, since walking on the interstate shoulder is the only alternative near downtown right now. But Oh! Let's make sure it is the biggest, longest in the U.S. It needs to be longer than the current longest-Chattanooga. Side note- Chattanooga used our midwestern thriftiness. They had an narrow old highway bridge w/ wooden deck condemned for autos, turned it into a pedestrian bridge rather than demolish it.
Then since we have the prestige of hosting College World Series for a couple weeks every year, let's make sure we build them a stadium that will keep them another 10, hopefully 20 years. Cost only a little over $100 million. NCAA is using the same tactic as a greedy pro team owner, playing towns against each other to get the most prestigious stadium. And Omaha has been taking the bait.
My opinion of Omaha was once integrated with my opinion of the rest of the state- descendents of those thrifty pioneers who saved every $ they could in order to provide for their families and futures.
I look at Omaha as 'Pleasantville' in a humorous way right now. There is still great family values, almost 50's style. Sure hope its not totally slipping away.
..R/E the fueding big vs. small, etc. Alas, that happens often in NE. About 50% of the population lives around Omaha or Lincoln. Mentioning you live in Omaha can be a conversation stopper in rural parts of NE. (I visit family often in NorthEast NE, hear grumbles about the cities all the time) It would be like driving around NE w/ OK Lic Plates.
Funny though. When I lived in TN, I did not DARE to admit to being a 'Yankee'. I could get away truthfully saying I had lived in KY just before. Or sometimes I'd take the safe answer and say I was from Nebraska. Noone there could figure out if this is a reb or yankee state, most hadn't heard of NE.