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If you were to "sell" West Virginia, say in an ad campaign, what would you say to prospective families wanting to settle somewhere, but unsure of where to go.
Well, I'm the one interested in what you'd have to say because I'm the one looking. I am a teacher in Northern California, up in the redwood country. I have a wife and two kids, 10 and 7. I am so frustrated with political correctness, drugs, moochers who do not want to do anything but put their hand out instead of having a work ethic. I want my family to continue to grow in a "family-centered" atmosphere/environment. I realize I'm looking for the perfect place which does not exist, but maybe you folks are closer than most.
Am I on the right track, or barking up the wrong tree?
If you were to "sell" West Virginia, say in an ad campaign, what would you say to prospective families wanting to settle somewhere, but unsure of where to go.
I'd sell WV on the following:
cost of living among the lowest in the country
the East Coast's playground right at your doorstep
crime rate among the lowest
friendly small towns and cities that meet and surpass your wants and needs
lowesty electricity costs in the country
WV has a truely unique culture that is one of a kind, and the best kept secret
If you were to "sell" West Virginia, say in an ad campaign, what would you say to prospective families wanting to settle somewhere, but unsure of where to go.
In addition to what Chris wrote...
Lush green mountains and valleys.
An excellent State Park system.
West Virginians are proud to be West Virginians. Even those, like myself, who moved out of state years ago still identify ourselves as West Virginians.
Generally safe from Mother Nature's extremes of tornadoes, hurricanes, sweltering heat or frigid cold.
To add to what was posted above, one of West Virginia's greatest assets is the people here. The people here move at a slower pace of life and often will take the time to say hello, to welcome you into the community and to help out when they can. In our larger population centers, convenience wise we offer many of the types of things you expect in a larger city and if there is anything further that you need, several large cities are just a quick drive in the car.
Living in Huntington, I am most familiar with this area of West Virginia. We have a great parks system here with award winning playgrounds, new bike paths being constructed and a large renovation for our Riverfront currently in the planning phase. Huntington was named by one publication to be the best place in West Virginia for families to live. Having 3 young children myself, I have to agree. We have great healthcare here and lots of opportunities for kids via various festival and offerings from organizations like Marshall University and the Huntington Museum of art. We also offer the largest mall in the state along with a good and expanding variety of shops downtown. Cabell County schools have also been said to pay among the highest in the state for teachers and they have built and are building several new schools for the county.
As a caveat to address some of the issues you are looking to escape, the political correctness will likely be less here but the drugs and people looking for handouts are here just like everywhere else. So although West Virginia is almost heaven, we do have those problems here as well. If you are currently living close to a larger city in NC, those problems will likely be less here though.
Here are some links for you about Huntington. Let me know if you have any other questions or needs for me.
WV sounds better and better. Keep the good news coming. It's inspiring me to work harder on my side.
Now all I need is to do is figure out the process for applying out of state and finding the 4th-6th grade teaching job where I can be an asset.
The Huntington area is most definitely at the top of my list.
WV sounds better and better. Keep the good news coming. It's inspiring me to work harder on my side.
Now all I need is to do is figure out the process for applying out of state and finding the 4th-6th grade teaching job where I can be an asset.
The Huntington area is most definitely at the top of my list.
There are several very nice towns in West Virginia with terrific assets to offer residents. If you are looking for a teaching job, however, some areas have far greater need than others. I would suggest you look in the Eastern Panhandle region of our state first because they have a great need for teachers there. My daughter and son-in-law both live there and teach in that region. I'd start with Berkeley and Jefferson counties, for example. The EP region is near Washington, DC and Baltimore so you aren't far from a large city but you still enjoy the benefits of small town living.
Jefferson County Schools website:
Jefferson County Schools - JCS District Homepage (http://boe.jeff.k12.wv.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectionid=1&url_redirect=1 - broken link)
I don't know about availability of teaching jobs in Morgantown. It is a high demand area for living, and one of two growth areas in our State (Martinsburg is the other), but it doesn't hurt to ask the Monongalia County Board of Education about openings there. Morgantown is an award winning city with terrific access to wonderful outdoor venues, and is the home of the State's flagship doctoral level university. As home to a large university, it has unparalleled cultural offerings, great college athletic events, and a very highly educated population base. They're building a brand new art museum that will be affiliated with the University. It also has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the Nation.
Come to West Virginia and check it out. You'll meet nice, welcoming people everywhere here and there is a good bet you will find some place you like.
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