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[quote=Htown2013;37972159 There you needed at least a dual income professional family, both with graduate degrees, to have jobs that can afford a decent house in an area with good schools.[/QUOTE]
I am very confused by this statement. Please explain. I did not find this to be the case at all. I found that it was much more expensive to be in an area that was safe and had good schools, and that is a big factor in the cognitive dissonance that lead to me to be so unhappy there. We also spent much more money keeping ourselves occupied, and on gas. People that say Houston is so great say things like how much cheaper the gas is, but then when you realize that you actually spend more money on gas because you are stuck in traffic and have to drive so far, it tends to be a rather irritating. I think that the cultural definition of a "decent house" is much different too. I didn't need a bigger house, a newer house, or a fancier house, but that is all part of the package in finding an area that is safe with good schools, then of course I was asked to pay for it, and it is more expensive to buy in and maintain.
When we came to visit, we stayed in Hunter's Creek Village with friends and had a lovely time, so that was what I thought Houston was like. It is just a tiny enclave.
I was not seeking sympathy in any way, just information. Thank you to those who sincerely provided it. I certainly do not "hang out" on these boards, as many of you obviously do. In my experience, early education is critical, and yes, the Master's Degree makes a big difference. You say elitism, I say ignorance. Perhaps you should look inward, and realize how off-putting the bravado about Texas is. I listened to that, believed it to be true, and when I realized it was much ado about nothing, was naturally incredibly disappointed. I did not want my family to have to settle for a lower quality of life, and to fall subject to creeping normalcy, which is where one begins to accept the unacceptable the longer one is exposed to it.
Oh, and Northerners are much more friendly, and we have cultural diversity here, probably more, and to the person who compared CT's and TX's population, well, you showed your ignorance for me.
When we came to visit, we stayed in Hunter's Creek Village with friends and had a lovely time, so that was what I thought Houston was like. It is just a tiny enclave.
I was not seeking sympathy in any way, just information. Thank you to those who sincerely provided it. I certainly do not "hang out" on these boards, as many of you obviously do. In my experience, early education is critical, and yes, the Master's Degree makes a big difference.
I think most people who moved to Friendswood expecting Hunters Creek would be disappointed!
And Masters degrees? Sorry, pure snobbery, I wouldn't trade our kids teachers for anyone, they're fantastic. Not to say they aren't issues with public schools but this isn't small town 'anywhere', its the 4th largest city in the US.
I'm a expat and even I find your comments rude and, yes, a little sad. If you had bothered to research your move properly you might have ended up in the right part of Houston that suits even you - its out there you just have to get off your *ss and find it.
I don't even know what a troll post is. Also, in Connecticut, as in Massachusetts, New York, and the like, all public school teachers are required to hold Master's Degrees, or attain them within 5 years of being hired, or else they cannot maintain certification, therefore, most university teacher training programs have responded by creating 6 year programs where people who are interested in careers as professional teachers graduate directly with Master's Degrees . In Texas, teachers are paid much less, and do not have the same requirement, so most hold only Bachelor's Degrees, and have little incentive to invest further in their careers in terms of money or time, and I am sorry to say, it shows in their training. .
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When we came to visit, we stayed in Hunter's Creek Village with friends and had a lovely time, so that was what I thought Houston was like. It is just a tiny enclave
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I'm Calling B.S. on this , this is definitely a troll post. Teachers in NY and Connecticut are not required to have masters degress. Teachers in ny are required to have additional hours in addition to their bachelors, but not a masters degree. And anybody who thinks that friends wood a middle class suburb was going to be like hunters creek one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city is not to bright or again trolling.
Children will believe lies about factual matter, but it is impossible deceive a child about emotional matters - they will always sense the true emotion even if only unconsciously. So no matter if you try to put on a happy face around your children, they ARE aware of your underlying corrosive bitterness and unhappiness.
Younger children will be frightened by having an unhappy parent, and being egocentric themselves (that's normal - in a young child), may conclude that your dissatisfaction is their fault. Older children may feel the same way, plus they may feel "traitorous" and guilty if they want to be friends with their "imbecile" local classmates and fit in at their "football culture" school. Alternately, they may internalize your vitriol and treat other children with your contempt - which will scarcely help them with finding friends.
And no matter what their ages, you are providing your children with about the most awful example possible about how to deal with life's adversities - rigid inflexibility, intolerance of other lifestyles, vitriolic nastiness, self-absorption, and blaming others for your own mistakes (i.e., assuming that the entire 10,000 square-mile Houston metro area is just like Hunter's Creek Village).
You seem concerned about the effect on your children of having to look at pawn shops and strip clubs - but appear to have no worries about the emotional damage and distress your attitude is very likely causing them.
Oh, and by the way - unless (God forbid), your husband is just like you - you might want to also think about how your attitude might be affecting your marriage.
I am very confused by this statement. Please explain. I did not find this to be the case at all. I found that it was much more expensive to be in an area that was safe and had good schools, and that is a big factor in the cognitive dissonance that lead to me to be so unhappy there. We also spent much more money keeping ourselves occupied, and on gas. People that say Houston is so great say things like how much cheaper the gas is, but then when you realize that you actually spend more money on gas because you are stuck in traffic and have to drive so far, it tends to be a rather irritating. I think that the cultural definition of a "decent house" is much different too. I didn't need a bigger house, a newer house, or a fancier house, but that is all part of the package in finding an area that is safe with good schools, then of course I was asked to pay for it, and it is more expensive to buy in and maintain.
When we came to visit, we stayed in Hunter's Creek Village with friends and had a lovely time, so that was what I thought Houston was like. It is just a tiny enclave.
I was not seeking sympathy in any way, just information. Thank you to those who sincerely provided it. I certainly do not "hang out" on these boards, as many of you obviously do. In my experience, early education is critical, and yes, the Master's Degree makes a big difference. You say elitism, I say ignorance. Perhaps you should look inward, and realize how off-putting the bravado about Texas is. I listened to that, believed it to be true, and when I realized it was much ado about nothing, was naturally incredibly disappointed. I did not want my family to have to settle for a lower quality of life, and to fall subject to creeping normalcy, which is where one begins to accept the unacceptable the longer one is exposed to it.
Oh, and Northerners are much more friendly, and we have cultural diversity here, probably more, and to the person who compared CT's and TX's population, well, you showed your ignorance for me.
I would rather hire someone for a job with a B.S. and several years of relevant valuable professional experience and good positive track record than someone with a M.S. and no experience.
Where specifically in CT are you talking about? Please name specific locations. Also, please advise how much it costs for a 4BR house zoned to these excellent schools in such a location. I'm not familiar with CT, but agree that places like Natick MA or Wellesley MA would be perfect with you, but home prices are through the roof ($750k-850k+) for what you can get for $350k in central Sugar Land plus MA has state taxes.
I find the better areas of Houston to be a refreshing balance on intellectualism vs. ignorance. Sugar Land is great in this regard. I agree that many small towns in Texas and the South can give the impression of ignorance and complete disregard for intelligent conversation while certain Northeast enclaves have an arrogant intellectual elitest attitude. The better areas of Houston, at least IMHO, have a nice balance of valuing education, excellence, and family without the arrogant elitism.
Last edited by Htown2013; 01-11-2015 at 08:34 AM..
Yes, beyond initial graduates, with provisional certificates, Master's Degrees are required, in CT and it is unlikely that any school would hire anyone without one, see link above.
And, no, we moved away in August, and couldn't be happier. My husband is suffering out his contract down there, and we thought for about 10 seconds maybe we would try again in a better area. My middle class suburb in CT has a quality of life which equals that of Hunter's Creek Village, and so I had the same expectations of Friendswood, and based on my prior experience found that reasonable. I have a new neighbor here on my street in CT who just moved from Sugar Land this summer. He said he realized when he had children he could not raise them in Texas.
I have not said anything nasty to or about anyone here, but you have about me, and you fail to recognize that. It is unfair to cut and paste a RESPONSE that I made to someone's post who really was wondering if he would be happy or not in Houston, and I gave him my honest opinion, and interject it here. I was not rude to anyone in this thread, nor was I in that thread.
Yes, beyond initial graduates, with provisional certificates, Master's Degrees are required, in CT and it is unlikely that any school would hire anyone without one, see link above.
And, no, we moved away in August, and couldn't be happier. My husband is suffering out his contract down there, and we thought for about 10 seconds maybe we would try again in a better area. My middle class suburb in CT has a quality of life which equals that of Hunter's Creek Village, and so I had the same expectations of Friendswood, and based on my prior experience found that reasonable. I have a new neighbor here on my street in CT who just moved from Sugar Land this summer. He said he realized when he had children he could not raise them in Texas.
I have not said anything nasty to or about anyone here, but you have about me, and you fail to recognize that. It is unfair to cut and paste a RESPONSE that I made to someone's post who really was wondering if he would be happy or not in Houston, and I gave him my honest opinion, and interject it here. I was not rude to anyone in this thread, nor was I in that thread.
I'm glad you found your slice of utopia. But please, which 'middle class' suburb in CT are you, and how much does it cost to buy a house there zoned to the excellent schools?
Maybe this adds fuel to your fire, but a top notch B.S. Enginneeing experienced professional would have to take 50% paycut for jobs in those areas, have to compete with dual income professionals (as the OP is highly educated dual income) to get into the good schools, and pay higher taxes. The quality of life for many here would decline dramatically in a place like that.
In my experience, early education is critical, and yes, the Master's Degree makes a big difference. You say elitism, I say ignorance.
I did my undergraduate degree in education at a university that is very well respected in the education arena. Unfortunately, a lot of the master's classes were actually undergraduate classes that were recoded and required an extra research paper. Overall, they don't make that much of a difference. Experience, enthusiasm, and administrative and parental support in the community are much bigger factors than whether your state requires a Master's degree. Even if CT does pay better and does require a master's, then the teachers are most likely using that extra salary to pay off their master's education loans.
FWIW, we moved to Texas 7 years ago, and we love it. Is it anything like the Northeast or Midwest? No. But we had an open mind and found that Houston is beautiful in it's own way. The diversity is exceptional. The dining is exceptional. There's lots to do within driving distance if you look for it (there are multiple books out there which offer much better ideas than the internet).I live comfortably in a large house with a yard, lots of room for family, and most days the weather is sunny. Houston is what you make of it.
North Central CT, Farmington/Simsbury/Avon, CT area. 300-400K would by a house you would want to raise a family and grow old in. Just because a state has income taxes, doesn't necessarily mean that everyone pays them. That is just another myth Texans like to propagate. Most middle income and low income people pay little to no state income tax, and after seeing all the beggars the street corners and sleeping under overpasses in Texas, I am glad to pay them, because social services make the lives of every citizen better, not just those who benefit directly. My husband hates Texas too, and is sorry we made the mistake to move there as well.
I was just saying that teachers show commitment to their chosen profession by getting Master's Degrees, and that commitment shows in their teaching, and they are also rewarded for this commitment financially and thus are more likely to stay in the field longer and gain greater relevant experience.
I really fail to see how I am self-absorbed here. I am simply saying, Texas likes to act like "it is all that", and it isn't, it has a long way to go. Wonderful people can accomplish wonderful things working together. I happen to think Houston has a lot of negatives going for it geographically. I am just surprised all those people wouldn't choose a better place to make it all happen. I just choose to put my love elsewhere, I have given up on Houston, and I am so happy not to have gotten stuck there. Wish I never had gone.
Given that the OP doesn't mind an older home, I would say Sweetwater in Sugar Land First Colony zoned to Clements. If that is not 'good enough' for the OP, then I give up.
If the OP already moved away in August than the first OP post makes no sense. I call troll.
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