Archbald? (Scranton, Dunmore, Valley View: low income, real estate, houses)

[new2pa]

Does anyone have info about the town and the Valley View school district? We're still trying to narrow down the potential areas where we'd like to look for a home. We are looking for a nice town/neighborhood that is safe and has good schools (still considering Scranton itself, just looking for other options as well). Thank you

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by new2pa

Does anyone have info about the town and the Valley View school district? We're still trying to narrow down the potential areas where we'd like to look for a home. We are looking for a nice town/neighborhood that is safe and has good schools (still considering Scranton itself, just looking for other options as well). Thank you

I live in Scranton now, but I grew up in Archbald and graduated from Valley View HS. Archbald is not a bad town. Its relatively quiet and safe. Valley View School District is another story. The level of education at VV is subpar. Please do not listen to real estate ads that brag about houses located in Valley View Schools. The only reason that VV has some kind of a "good reputation" is that VV is historically one of the best high school football teams in this part of the state, and most of VV's school buildings are nice, new buildings (however, a nice building does not equate to better education). When I started college, I was WAY behind my classmates who graduated from other schools. Comparing my high school education with those of other people I know, I can say for a fact that your children will get a better education in Scranton, Dunmore, and Mid-Valley schools than they would at VV. Not to say that all teachers at VV were bad, since I did have a handful of great teachers, however, a majority were hired because of who they know or are related to. Many of my high school teachers did not teach, rather, they held court with the football players talking about football plays or the big game, while the rest of us just screwed off, played cards or goofed off. As a kid, I didn't mind this, but when I got to college and had to do a lot of catching up to be at the level of my classmates was not fun.

Translation: Archbald would be a good town to move to if you don't have kids. If you have kids, steer clear. My kids attend Scranton schools, and I can vouch that they are better than Valley View (and Lakeland for that matter, where I attended elementary school). Scranton has smaller, neighborhood elementary schools, which I find to be a much better educational environment than the larger elementary schools in districts such as Valley View, where kids from 3 different towns are bussed to a school 6 miles away.

[new2pa]

Thanks so much for your reply. It really helps to hear from people who experience things first hand. I'm pretty sure we have narrowed down our search to Scranton and Dunmore: I have talked to both school districts and the people seem nice and helpful. Again, I really appreciate your input!

[vvteacher13]

As a teacher at Valley View, I am angered by the comments from Conorsdad. I do sadly admit that nepotism is alive in the VVSD, but it's the same all over NEPA. I have substituted all over and it's the same everywhere, not just in VV. As far as playing cards, etc. in class, I don't doubt that to be true in a few classes taught by male coaches, but those classes are not the norm today. (When did you attend VV anyway, Conorsdad?) As far as your comparison to Scranton, YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!! Scranton is one of the worst school districts. They are overrun by low income, ESL students. Their PSSA scores are very low. BTW, Valley View's are very high and our percentage of students who go on to college is high too.
Before becoming a teacher at VV, I attended Catholic schools in the area and always thought I'd send my own kids to school there, but I now plan to send them to VV. We have a great school system!!!

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by vvteacher13

As a teacher at Valley View, I am angered by the comments from Conorsdad. I do sadly admit that nepotism is alive in the VVSD, but it's the same all over NEPA. I have substituted all over and it's the same everywhere, not just in VV. As far as playing cards, etc. in class, I don't doubt that to be true in a few classes taught by male coaches, but those classes are not the norm today. (When did you attend VV anyway, Conorsdad?) As far as your comparison to Scranton, YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!! Scranton is one of the worst school districts. They are overrun by low income, ESL students. Their PSSA scores are very low. BTW, Valley View's are very high and our percentage of students who go on to college is high too.
Before becoming a teacher at VV, I attended Catholic schools in the area and always thought I'd send my own kids to school there, but I now plan to send them to VV. We have a great school system!!!

My son's elementary school in Scranton has higher test scores than VV. Trust me, Eynon, PA, is not the center of intellectuals.

So when's your next Klan rally? All of your racist statements make you sound like you do some cross burning in your spare time. How pathetic that you're a teacher. Another reason I did not settle in the area of the VV school district....racism is rampant up there, and I'm not teaching my children that people of other races or inferior. But that's the attitude at VV....I can recall the few minority students there being subjected to racial slurs on a daily basis.

[FightinPhils]

Also, Valley View Middle School did not meet the state standards for the PSSA test. The middle school my children will attend, West Intermediate, met all state goals on the PSSAs. The area in which VVMS was lacking was "Academic Performance."

And that pinhead Joe Daley is worried about kids with pink streaks in their hair....