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Old 05-10-2008, 01:22 PM
 
5,760 posts, read 11,492,874 times
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Took a look at Electra this last week.

Can anybody tell me anything about it?

Thanks.
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Old 05-10-2008, 01:47 PM
 
Location: Wichita Falls, Tx
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First, It has had multiple incidents running almost out of water. Second, it is not the best small town in the area.
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Old 05-10-2008, 04:55 PM
 
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If you are interesed in a small town near Wichita Falls, you might consider Burkburnett.
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Old 05-10-2008, 06:27 PM
 
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hmmm, that does not sound like you all think much of Electra.

Any specifics?

Took a look at the City Data page for Burkburnett . . . .

Did not look like it had much more going for it than Electra -- school-wise.

But thanks, so far.
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Old 05-10-2008, 08:27 PM
 
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Burk is almost 'in' Wichita Falls and is therefore much closer to shopping/groceries/entertainment/medical care etc than Electra and the housing is more modern. If it's soliturde and peace and quiet and a feeling of the real west you're looking for, tho, Electra might suit you fine. I wouldn't mind it myself, but then I'm not much on city life and neighbors.
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Old 05-10-2008, 10:15 PM
 
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I guess it was/is the old beat down look that caught my eye.

Dunno if that is "old West" to me as much as lack of Corporate Whoredom.

Something about Texas -- where it is at all old or beat, there is never much for schools. Even private. Sort of strange that you cannot even buy education in those areas.
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Old 05-10-2008, 11:30 PM
 
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Not strange at all.......if you don't have any good property you don't have any good property tax base......and that's what supports the schools.

If you like tired and run-down, go on down the road to Archer City..... Remember "The Last Picture Show"? There's a nice surpise there, though....a great library and a good neighbor who believes in books (Larry McMurtry).
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Old 05-11-2008, 12:39 AM
 
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Seems I recall a side trip (actually wrong turn) into Archer City some years back. It has a fairly awesome High School building as I recall. Is that correct?

I guess what I do not get about rural Texas and education for the kids goes way beyond basic money. The various basic tests are not rocket science level ciphering or teaching, yunno.

Some rural schools hit outstanding numbers -- Divide ISD for example -- 13 kids, and the district is rated Exemplary. And there are a couple up along the Red River.

Digging into it all in East Texas I was finding that the districts seem to operate two levels of school within the school district. One level of real education for the kids whose family has connections and another for all the rest of the kids -- a modern pre-Brown v. Board of Education -- or separate (and not equal) sort of system. The kids they bother to teach do well. The rest are screwed.

I have sort of come view poor education for kids in Texas as a community values failing rather than a property values failure. So when I see poor numbers it seems to tell me more about the real community values than the schools.

But what is it that some of these folks do not want to bother with teaching the kids?
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Old 05-11-2008, 12:33 PM
 
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Archer City has done an outstanding job in educating their children for many years. It has earned 'Recognized District' status year after year.

As for schools in general (not just rural schools).........you said it yourself......'community values'....not all education takes place within the walls of a school building. Much of the effectiveness of formal teaching is dependant on what the students bring with them....background, stability, support, health care, nutrition, expectations, morals, mores, attitudes - all those things that make it possible for a teacher to be effective and for a child to be able to accept and utilize the education offered. A small school whose teachers can give individual attention to its children has a good chance to make up for some of the voids in a child's life regardkess of its tax base, but it's a never-ending struggle. And there are lots of good people in those small schools still devoting their lives to the struggle.
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Old 05-11-2008, 01:40 PM
 
5,760 posts, read 11,492,874 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GayleTX View Post
Archer City has done an outstanding job in educating their children for many years. It has earned 'Recognized District' status year after year.
Agreed. Was reading some details on that as well, and was pondering updating my end of this conversation. Thank you for that correction. Bumps Archer City way up on my list.

What is up with Megargel ISD, which I guess immediately to the Southwest? It has an Unacceptable Rating as a whole district (and geeezzzz, THAT is bad).

Quote:
As for schools in general (not just rural schools).........you said it yourself......'community values'....not all education takes place within the walls of a school building. Much of the effectiveness of formal teaching is dependant on what the students bring with them....background, stability, support, health care, nutrition, expectations, morals, mores, attitudes - all those things that make it possible for a teacher to be effective and for a child to be able to accept and utilize the education offered. A small school whose teachers can give individual attention to its children has a good chance to make up for some of the voids in a child's life regardkess of its tax base, but it's a never-ending struggle. And there are lots of good people in those small schools still devoting their lives to the struggle.
I guess I am jaded from dealing with the Dallas ISD. There are serious career criminals running parts of that operation, and they profit from screwing over and taking money from the kids. I understand Dallas gets away with it because they are so large and there are billions of dollars in the game -- so the crooks are politically connected and "untouchable." What I cannot figure is the low performing small districts. Why would the people there tolerate trash?
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