[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by AMSS

And Great Schools? That's all opinion.

It does seem to fall in line with test scores and general student performance though (grad rates, 4 year college rates, etc). Most of the towns known to have top notch schools rank 9 and 10 on GS. Most of the towns known to have horrid schools rank 1 and 2 on GS. It's not a perfect ranking, but it's a good way to get an idea of how the schools are in a particular area.

I don't understand the rivalry between Oxford and Seymour on this board. It seems to come up often, mostly with Seymour or other Valley residents. The towns are not much alike, statistically. Looking at HHI, Oxford's is over 100k. That's over 20k higher than the next town in line, Shelton. Seymour's is 40k lower. Even aesthetically, when I think Oxford, I think red barns, oak trees, woods, culdesacs. When I think Shelton or Seymour, I think old converted factories, quirky yet somewhat gritty downtown areas, the Naugatuck River, etc. I just don't get the animosity toward Oxford.

Originally Posted by AMSS

BTW, the football coach is a Seymour HS grad. Not sure how that is relevant, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

That's the guy who was pushing for it, according to news articles. Lots of parents commenting both in articles and online under the article stated it was the Football coach's agenda to move Oxford from competing with Danbury area to competing with Valley. That was my point, and it seems even more true now that you've told me he's a Seymour graduate.

Shelton is part of the Naugatuck River Valley (geographically, unlike Oxford which doesn't border the Naugatuck River, nor is it situated in a "valley" as the other towns are). Shelton isn't NVL. Why aren't people hating on Shelton for being elitist?

[CathyJ1234]

There is no question that Oxford schools are better than Seymour schools in many ways. We did extensive research on all school districts when we moved.

*Seymour has three times the amount of students that get free or reduced lunch.
*Seymour has three times the amount of students that are not fluent in English.
*Seymour has SIXTEEN times the amount of behavioral incidents as Oxford.
*Oxford has 5%+ more students who are considered "Talented and Gifted", and of those, Seymour has double of the percentage who have "received services".
*14% of Seymour juniors and seniors have to work more than 16 hours per week, taking away time for homework, while only 4% of Oxford students do.
*Oxford students performed well above state averages on CAPT, while Seymour students performed at or below state averages.
*Seymour has double the annual dropout rate as Oxford.

Who cares what towns are part of a Valley and what towns are not? Every town is its own place. I will say that we in Oxford do not receive the Valley Gazette newspaper.

[CathyJ1234]

Originally Posted by AMSS

Well if you want nothing to do with an area of course that area is going to wonder why your nose is in the air (not you particularly). To me, it's similar to East Norwalk residents wanting to be associated with Westport rather than Norwalk and Rowayton insisting they are Darien. Yes, Oxford is a nice rural town who hired a great economic development director…but it's still the Valley.

AMSS, your comparison is incorrect. East Norwalk is part of the city of Norwalk. Rowayton is part of the city of Norwalk. Oxford is its own town. It has its own zip code, it's own police, fire and ambulance, it's own school district and it's own First Selectman. You are confusing "The Valley" with an area that is actually incorporated, which it is not. It is just slang for an area near a river, made up by the people who live there. It is similar to the area dubbed "Gold Coast" in Fairfield County. Like "The Valley", people are always debating which towns to consider, and everyone's opinions differ. So, Oxford has no allegiance to "The Valley". If it doesn't want to consider itself as such, leave it alone.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by CathyJ1234

AMSS, your comparison is incorrect. East Norwalk is part of the city of Norwalk. Rowayton is part of the city of Norwalk. Oxford is its own town. It has its own zip code, it's own police, fire and ambulance, it's own school district and it's own First Selectman. You are confusing "The Valley" with an area that is actually incorporated, which it is not. It is just slang for an area near a river, made up by the people who live there. It is similar to the area dubbed "Gold Coast" in Fairfield County. Like "The Valley", people are always debating which towns to consider, and everyone's opinions differ. So, Oxford has no allegiance to "The Valley". If it doesn't want to consider itself as such, leave it alone.

Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Seymour and Shelton are their own towns as well. They, like Oxford, are certainly part of "The Valley".

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

It does seem to fall in line with test scores and general student performance though (grad rates, 4 year college rates, etc). Most of the towns known to have top notch schools rank 9 and 10 on GS. Most of the towns known to have horrid schools rank 1 and 2 on GS. It's not a perfect ranking, but it's a good way to get an idea of how the schools are in a particular area.

Check out their "rankings" for Foran and Law in Milford, and Bunnell and Stratford in Stratford.

Still believe the site is good?

[AMSS]

Originally Posted by CathyJ1234

There is no question that Oxford schools are better than Seymour schools in many ways. We did extensive research on all school districts when we moved.

*Seymour has three times the amount of students that get free or reduced lunch.
*Seymour has three times the amount of students that are not fluent in English.
*Seymour has SIXTEEN times the amount of behavioral incidents as Oxford.
*Oxford has 5%+ more students who are considered "Talented and Gifted", and of those, Seymour has double of the percentage who have "received services".
*14% of Seymour juniors and seniors have to work more than 16 hours per week, taking away time for homework, while only 4% of Oxford students do.
*Oxford students performed well above state averages on CAPT, while Seymour students performed at or below state averages.
*Seymour has double the annual dropout rate as Oxford.

Who cares what towns are part of a Valley and what towns are not? Every town is its own place. I will say that we in Oxford do not receive the Valley Gazette newspaper.

Originally Posted by CathyJ1234

AMSS, your comparison is incorrect. East Norwalk is part of the city of Norwalk. Rowayton is part of the city of Norwalk. Oxford is its own town. It has its own zip code, it's own police, fire and ambulance, it's own school district and it's own First Selectman. You are confusing "The Valley" with an area that is actually incorporated, which it is not. It is just slang for an area near a river, made up by the people who live there. It is similar to the area dubbed "Gold Coast" in Fairfield County. Like "The Valley", people are always debating which towns to consider, and everyone's opinions differ. So, Oxford has no allegiance to "The Valley". If it doesn't want to consider itself as such, leave it alone.

Okay, so Oxford is better because they don't deal with challenging students….or at least they're discipline issues are recorded differently than at other schools.

FWIW:
*It's not surprising that an older, more established town with older duplexes and apartment complexes has more free/reduced lunch kids. I ate with them, btw, and they don't bite people.
*ELL is a challenge to the student learning a new language and the school that is supposed to get them to pass tests. It does not reflect on all the other kids who have been speaking English all their lives. They do very well in school too.
*Not sure where those stats come from, but as someone in a slightly more affluent area than Seymour - I can tell you that a lot of discipline issues don't get reported here or are handled much more softly than Seymour handled it when I went there.
*Talented and gifted is a broad generalization. Most T&G programs have a few kids who are genuinely gifted, and the rest are bright kids filling out the group so the school can justify having the program.
*While I'm not huge on kids working excessive hours after school and don't believe any really "have" to, I can't say having that makes them a worse school. I, for one, look at it as a kid making his own spending money rather than getting it from his parents. Why you think less kids knowing money doesn't grow on trees makes Oxford's schools better is beyond me.
*CAPT scores deal with averages and socioeconomics reflect that. Just because Oxford doesn't deal with middle class and below doesn't mean their kids are smarter than Seymour's students.
*Yes, Seymour has a high drop out rate mainly because they don't have an alternative and/or summer school. Hopefully that will change.

Most people that live in the Valley don't feel an "allegiance" to it and all those towns are also their own. It's simply the name of a group of towns usually referred to by outsiders. Oxford can try all they want to say they are not part of it to people who really don't care, but get over yourself…it's the Valley.

P.S. Curious if you have issues with a good chunk of your residents that grew up in Seymour or went to Seymour High.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Shelton is part of the Naugatuck River Valley (geographically, unlike Oxford which doesn't border the Naugatuck River, nor is it situated in a "valley" as the other towns are). Shelton isn't NVL. Why aren't people hating on Shelton for being elitist?

They don't "hate" on Shelton because it is part of FFC. Shelton is more strongly viewed now as being the red-headed FFC stepchild rather than a "valley" town. Maybe Oxford can petition to join FFC if they want to lose the valley "stigma"?

[AMSS]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

r. Even aesthetically, when I think Oxford, I think red barns, oak trees, woods, culdesacs. When I think Shelton or Seymour, I think old converted factories, quirky yet somewhat gritty downtown areas, the Naugatuck River, etc. I just don't get the animosity toward Oxford.




Shelton is part of the Naugatuck River Valley (geographically, unlike Oxford which doesn't border the Naugatuck River, nor is it situated in a "valley" as the other towns are). Shelton isn't NVL. Why aren't people hating on Shelton for being elitist?

I don't know if it's animosity so much as it is a minor eye roll toward people moving to Oxford and believing it was on par with Woodbury or Roxbury (and don't try to tell me it is!). Honestly, people who moved into Seymour in the late 90s early 2000s had the same attitude (I actually heard someone at work telling me they moved into "premiere Seymour"). The high school issue got pretty ugly - we've discussed - so if anyone is Oxford shows remote pretentiousness, it's easy to remember.

As for Shelton not being deemed "elitist", I can only speculate that they were although they were the "rich" Valley town before Oxford boomed, they never claimed they were NOT associated with the Valley and didn't play up similarities with Fairfield Country…even though they actually ARE Fairfield County.

[CathyJ1234]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Seymour and Shelton are their own towns as well. They, like Oxford, are certainly part of "The Valley".

Stratford, you are not comprehending. The comparison was Oxford to Valley and Rowayton to Norwalk. Rowayton a community within a larger incorporated town. Rowayton students attend Norwalk schools. Oxford students do not attend schools in the town of Valley. The valley is not an incorporated area recognized by government. Do you understand now?

I never said Oxford was not the valley. I don't care either way because it makes no difference to me.

[CathyJ1234]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

Check out their "rankings" for Foran and Law in Milford, and Bunnell and Stratford in Stratford.

Still believe the site is good?

You should refer to my comparisons above between Oxford and Seymour schools. The schools in Oxford perform better. That is irrefutable.