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Only 32% of majority black Westlake 10th graders are proficient on the PARCC tests, only 43% at North Point but 60% are proficient at Roosevelt, which by the way is also majority black.
I wouldn't be so sure that everyone cares about their kids school performance...just look at test scores. If you think it is poor teaching you need to think again.
Actually it is poor teaching. Schools like Woodmore, Perrywood, etc are all 7's whith 85 percent of students being proficient, place those schools in another MD county they would be 9 & 10's.
Tanger is a great start. We haven't ever had shopping at that level so it is nice to see some higher end stores in the area drawing in people (and tax dollars) from all over MD/VA. I personally would like to see an upgrade in the grocery options and, perhaps, some nice mid-priced restaurants like you see in Bowie/Annapolis and even Largo. Maybe I am just used to a more urban-oriented shopping district? I did enjoy spending time with friends at my local Whole Foods dining area when I lived in NYC. Even Annapolis has a great town center with various restaurants to enjoy. NH does provide some of these amenities but is not have the same appeal as a Towne Center does for the local community.
Fort Washington definitely has a different appeal than a Tyson's Corner or Bethesda but it could definitely develop as a nice mix of residential with a small central business district (similar to Bowie) with strategic planning. Bowie is a great family-oriented town with a lot of appeal and activities for people of all ages to enjoy. I believe that Fort Washington could be at the same level or better.
Hyatsville/College Park Area has most of the urban amenities that u seem to want. I doubt FT Washington because of its suburban nature can replicate that. Yea maybe a small mini town center would help the local population
I've lived in Ft Washington for 12 years, and moved here from Alexandria for the same reasons as Baghead. I keep hoping that the southern part of the area would "wake up" a little bit. No I don't want it to be another Waldorf but it would be nice to have some amenities like a free-standing coffee shop or a Panera.
The SafeWay is just not cutting it anymore - many times I've attempted to purchase items only to find that they are past their sell-buy date. The Giant is like walking back in time. I sure hope that rumor about a Wegman's coming is true.
Unless you want pizza, Chinese, or fast food, the restaurant options are very limited.
The southern part of FTW has a lot of professionals living there (and more once the MGM is done) who would be happy to spend their money locally for creature comforts.
I agree about the Safeway and Giant. When I initially tried to return to the area back in 2014, I went into these two specific locations expecting them to look like any other grocery store and was shocked to see that they look exactly the same as they did in the '80's and '90's. It is as if the owners of all local developments could care less about the decline in quality shopping. I threw up my hands and decided that it was better to rent in another area than to deal with 25-45 minute commuting time to travel into other areas and buy what I wanted. Nothing has changed other than the fact that we have even less amenities than we did at that time and crime is steadily going up. I understand that this area has been classified as a rural tier for decades but with the population explosion over the last thirty years, I would expect that some commercial growth would have occurred to meet the needs of area residents.
I own a home here and would like to stay as I do see the great potential that this area has but I am not wiling to wait thirty years to see that potential come into fruition. I agree that we don't need the same extensive shopping centers as Waldorf but there should at least be decent amenities in the form of a Target, a nice (preferably organic) grocer with a variety of food/product choices to appeal to different tastes and a few different options for dining out that are not just catered towards one particular group's choices.
I wouldn't be so sure that everyone cares about their kids school performance...just look at test scores. If you think it is poor teaching you need to think again.
I can only say from teaching in both NYC and Philadelphia public/charter schools that a lot of the issues do stem from lack of parental involvement/parental concern. Parents are quick to accuse teachers of treating their undisciplined children badly and side with their children. When you attempt to discipline a child, the child will react in unsavory ways and have their parents threaten you. Administrators are reluctant to assist teachers with discipline because they don't want to be sued or lose their jobs. It is a lose/lose situation for all. This is one of the many reasons why I have switched to working in another field.
I do know that it is preferred that NYC teachers have an MsED (which I obtained while working in the NYC public schools). I'm not sure of the educational requirements down here for MD/PG County educators. I have read on other threads that PG county teachers are the lowest paid in the immediate area. That is enough to create an issue with retaining talented educators and make any disgruntled teacher move to/work in another county. Also, a teacher cannot successfully impart information if there are constant interruptions from unruly students who don't want to learn. It is sad that the students who actually come to school to learn are in the minority in many of these schools. It does those students a huge disservice. The inclusive model of teaching is also to blame for this. When I was in school, children were grouped by learning ability. Now, with inclusion, children of all levels are grouped together and it is impossible to cater to all levels simultaneously. The faster learning children are bored with the slow pace and the slower paced students still struggle to keep up. With the public schools in such a state, it is no wonder that Fort Washington parents with the means are only putting their children in the public schools. Having worked in the public schools, there is NO WAY I would ever put a child of my own in there.
Growing up as a student in PG County, I've even experienced the exasperation of fed up teachers through my own childish lens. Children throwing candy at the principal's head. Children refusing to be quiet while a lesson was going on and interrupting learning for the other students. Children throwing spitballs when the teacher's back is turned. Children attacking a teacher's personal appearance when they are disciplined for behavior. And the list goes on and on. I was fortunate enough that one of my parents was an educator who supplemented what I learned on the weekends and during the summer months. It was enough to make several of my elementary, middle and high school teachers react violently and quit in the middle of the school year. This was in the eighties and nineties where we still got grades for behavior. I can only imagine how it is in these schools now. Most other professions don't have to deal with these issues. I've personally worked in other situations in special education classrooms where one eight year old child could shut down a classroom for several hours through continuous outbursts and violently destroying classroom furniture. These types of situations are not conducive to learning and the test scores reflect these situations. If there was a way to create a process for issuing child-bearing licenses to potential parents, I would be all for it. But this is not the case, and we continue to deal with parents who don't care and children who come to school only to disrupt the learning process for everyone else.
Southern Fort Washington has a lot of potential - close to DC, affordable homes, close to the National Harbor, but not too close, a brand new police station, a growing professional population (just look at buses full of people riding into the District every day). And it has a lot of empty land, almost a blank slate for some smart planning.
I honestly think that if FTW had some local leadership with vision, and we stop with the mentality that we are just another part of PG County, we could really turn the area into an oasis where people want to live. The schools aren't going to be getting any better in the next 10-20 years. We can't wait for that. But what we can do is develop an area where DINKs want to live. Couples without kids, which is becoming a lot more common.
They won't care about the schools, they just want to be close to where they work and have good places to eat and shop nearby. I also don't feel that building nice things means that we will draw in the "hoodlums". New construction that is taken care of and targets middle class shoppers is not going to have gangs of kids hanging around.
And we can't not do anything because we are worried about more traffic. Other areas in the DMV have a whole lot more going on and traffic is no worse. We can keep waiting for the county to "get around" to dealing with 210, and maybe by 2030 they'll start working on the Old Fort intersection, and 10 years after that Swann Creek Rd, or we can tie road improvements into the expansion of goods and services.
I agree wholeheartedly. The current residents are fighting for change to a certain extent but the progression is way too slow for my comfort. According to what I have read, South County has not had any major growth (with the exception of NH/MGM) for over sixty years. I also heard from one of my friends who lives in Bowie that they attempted to annex themselves from PG County but were shot down by the State. So, dealing with PG county government is, most likely, here to stay for us in Fort Washington. I highly suggest incorporation as our other alternative. Many of the other incorporated areas are seeing progress with regards to development and growth. Hyattsville/College Park will be a force to be reckoned with in a decade or so. Why not Fort Washington? In my opinion, it has the greatest potential. I would love to see the boundaries of Fort Washington redefined to include NH (so that we could reap the benefits of its growth) and perhaps either Temple Hills or Clinton could absorb the area east of Indian Head Highway (if those areas are intent upon remaining rural). I'm sure Oxon Hill would fight us on some of these ideas but we could definitely try. If there are enough amenities/local attractions, young professionals with and without children will be drawn here and enough concerned residents who want to better this area will help to eventually fix the school issues. Of course, there will need to be some brave parents willing to infiltrate the public school system and fix it from within.
Keeping "the hoodlums" out of the area will, of course, involve having security on the premises of anything that is newly built. From what I have heard from associates, some of the locals from Oxon Hill, SE and other areas attempted to destroy NH when it first opened but they quickly brought in security to resolve this issue. Any developer who attempts to bring up this area must realize that there will be an initial battle to keep it nice of course. But I think that anyone can see that this place is a potential goldmine. With our waterfront access, we could be just as desirable as SW to live (once their redevelopment is complete). This is one of the few places WITH waterfront access near a major city that I have seen that has been untouched. It is way too close/convenient to DC to remain rural.
Someone did note in another thread that they were planning to build low income apartment complexes in this area. Why not a mid/high income condo/apartment development centered around a town center that will draw the childless couples that you speak of instead? There is a great empty spot off of Indian Head Highway that could be the perfect location for this. Gambrills, MD has something similar to this. With incorporation, I believe that we could make this happen.
Hyatsville/College Park Area has most of the urban amenities that u seem to want. I doubt FT Washington because of its suburban nature can replicate that. Yea maybe a small mini town center would help the local population
Yes, I agree that Hyattsville/College Park definitely has appeal. Im sure the proximity of the college and the appeal of college-aged/recent grads as consumers is the reason for all the continued development in that area. My house, however, is in Ft. Washington. With the high price points/low construction standards/lack of square footage in both newer and established MoCo/HoCo/Fairfax Co communities, I am reluctant to relocate to other parts of the metro area. I feel that with the exception of the good school systems and less crime, these counties (and the housing itself) are overrated.
In many parts of PG, I feel that a lot of people are being suckered into and paying way over market value for these newer developments. I have checked out several and the quality of materials being used in these newer homes is substandard for the asking prices. In Bowie, they are selling homes for between $500k and a million. This is absurd for the quality of materials used, the landlocked location and the depressed P.G. County housing market. I definitely think the trend of increasing suburban sprawl is a bad idea for the county. I am no expert at real estate (just yet) but I find it hard to believe that the demand is there with millennials being drawn to live in the city and empty nesters mostly looking to downsize. We need more upscale businesses to serve the existing communities and level out the playing field with regards to the business/property tax ratio.
You definitely get more for your money in Ft. Washington. The biggest appeal here, of course, is the proximity to the water. I would not want to give that up either to relocate to another area that is landlocked. The appeal of waterfront living is why I would love to see Fort Washington develop to its highest potential and why I believe that it is ultimately more valuable than other areas.
Yes, I agree that Hyattsville/College Park definitely has appeal. Im sure the proximity of the college and the appeal of college-aged/recent grads as consumers is the reason for all the continued development in that area. My house, however, is in Ft. Washington. With the high price points/low construction standards/lack of square footage in both newer and established MoCo/HoCo/Fairfax Co communities, I am reluctant to relocate to other parts of the metro area. I feel that with the exception of the good school systems and less crime, these counties (and the housing itself) are overrated.
In many parts of PG, I feel that a lot of people are being suckered into and paying way over market value for these newer developments. I have checked out several and the quality of materials being used in these newer homes is substandard for the asking prices. In Bowie, they are selling homes for between $500k and a million. This is absurd for the quality of materials used, the landlocked location and the depressed P.G. County housing market. I definitely think the trend of increasing suburban sprawl is a bad idea for the county. I am no expert at real estate (just yet) but I find it hard to believe that the demand is there with millennials being drawn to live in the city and empty nesters mostly looking to downsize. We need more upscale businesses to serve the existing communities and level out the playing field with regards to the business/property tax ratio.
You definitely get more for your money in Ft. Washington. The biggest appeal here, of course, is the proximity to the water. I would not want to give that up either to relocate to another area that is landlocked. The appeal of waterfront living is why I would love to see Fort Washington develop to its highest potential and why I believe that it is ultimately more valuable than other areas.
I think what you are looking for will eventually (say 5 to 10 years) to Ft. Washington. First of all its too close to the city to not be positively impacted by the growth of the area. There are in-fill developments in the pipeline that will support the influx of new residents that are buying homes that were previously foreclosed (remember this area was hit big with foreclosures). That transition is going to take time but I think it will come sooner than later. But PGC has to play to its strengths and focus on attracting residents that don't have kids. Not only will they not be as concerned about the school system but they typically have more disposable income.
I think what you are looking for will eventually (say 5 to 10 years) to Ft. Washington. First of all its too close to the city to not be positively impacted by the growth of the area. There are in-fill developments in the pipeline that will support the influx of new residents that are buying homes that were previously foreclosed (remember this area was hit big with foreclosures). That transition is going to take time but I think it will come sooner than later. But PGC has to play to its strengths and focus on attracting residents that don't have kids. Not only will they not be as concerned about the school system but they typically have more disposable income.
I hope so. After doing some more digging, it looks as though the IHHAAC (Indian Head Highway Area Action Council) has a lot to do with the reason that the rural tier classification has not been lifted in years. Does anyone have any information on them and their role in the decay? All I see in this area in terms of development are fast food restaurants and liquor stores. From what I have heard, residents want small businesses but the types of businesses being opened are detrimental to the value placed on this area (and on our homes). I'm sure Bethesda and Potomac residents would have a fit if the same types of businesses attempted to set foot in their towns. Why are Fort Washington residents allowing these types of businesses to flourish (but shut down beneficial retailers such as upscale grocery stores and drugstores (e.g. Target)? Also, we have two "nightclub/restaurants" which have had issues with violent crime in the past. Does anyone know the backstory behind these two places? I know the restaurant is called Proud Mary's and I'm not sure of the name of the nightclub but why were nightclubs even allowed to open in this area? This area is supposedly geared towards being family-friendly.
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