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Oh my God. I can't with Ex New Yorker's Ossining bashing. It is no where close to the Bronx. The schools are way better than Peeksill. I realize he has 'no skin in the game', but perhaps the OP should take the advice from someone who does actually know the district???
If by 'urban issues' you mean people who aren't rich and white, then you are totally right. But broken homes are an 'urban issue'? Because no one in Chappaqua (or Croton) has ever gotten divorced? Please...
OP: you should definitely look into Ossining. As someone who has 2 kids in the system and many friends with kids in all the schools, we are all very happy. The test scores are not as great as some other districts, but we have a large ESL population that affects those scores. However, we have tons of AP classes, an amazing nationally recognized science program, great arts programs, great sports teams, etc. One of the latest feathers in our cap is that the American Academy of Neurology has a program for high schoolers where they have students present research projects to the academy. 4 of the 16 semifinalists are from Ossining! 25%! Amazing these kids were able to be so successful with all the 'urban issues' around them.
On top of the schools, the community is a great place in general. Weekly farmer's market, lots of community events/programs, fun things down at the waterfront and on and on. Easy trip into the Bronx, too. If you have any other questions, I'm happy to try to help. Good luck with your search!
Oh my God. I've noticed that the "Ossining Cheerleading Squad" is out in force. Yet all admit that the district has it's "urban issues". KathyNY76 admits "The test scores are not as great as some other districts" and then goes on to make excuses because they have a large "ESL" population. Uh, you do mean "illegal immigrant" population? Which means that the teachers have to spend an inordinate amount of time tending to their needs.
Sure people in Chappaqua and Croton get divorced, however what we're talking about here are children of children and people who never get married in the first place. They just continue to have children and collect welfare. Many have alcohol and drug problems. Please.... No doubt that there are students who graduated with honors from Ossining and Peekskill schools. However, I would not take the advice from someone who has a stake in Ossining's future they will tell you anything to get you to move there. They are probably envious of those who do not have to send their children to school there. Misery does love company. What everything all boils down to is; Do you really want to put your children in a school district that has all of these "urban issues"? Do you really want to invest money in a home or condo only to find that when it comes time to selling it, if things don't work out quite so well you may be stuck there for a lot longer than you expected? Especially when there are much better alternatives in the same county.
Even though I don't live in Ossining, I've lived in Westchester County for 55 years and am quite familiar with many of the communities along the Hudson. It's no secret unless one has their heads buried in the sand which are the better ones to live in. We never had children so the schools weren't an issue for us, that is until it became time to sell our home.
Look, you are obviously completely biased against brown people who don't speak English as their first language. You are assuming b/c someone is an immigrant that they are illegal, on welfare, have a ton of kids and are an addict??? I really can't wrap my head around how someone can hold such extreme views yet have never placed a foot in a school building here to see the reality.
I am an active member of the school community. I see the families of these kids you say are such a burden and MOST of them are in two parent households. I also see who attends back to school nights, PTA meetings, etc. The immigrant population far outweighs the non-immigrant population. School is important to them and they are very engaged in the community.
Additionally, as someone who has seen the actual workings of the school...one day I showed up to drop something off in my daughter's classroom. I saw a group of ESL students in the hallway working with a reading teacher. So when I walked into the classroom, my daughter and the other English speakers had the teacher's full attention - about a 10-1 ratio. My daughter gets MORE one on one time than in a different district b/c Ossining knows how to handle our diverse population. The kids who need help are pulled out to get the help - the teacher doesn't spend all their time with them in the classroom. But again, you have no clue what actually happens here.
The ESL population is important to the test scores b/c when you pull out those scores, out native English speaking population does just as well on their testing as Croton, Pleasantville, etc. So it's not just a handful of kids who do well here and 'rise above'. There are many, many who do very well here.
We are not 'cheerleading' b/c Ossining stinks and we are begging people to move here. We've had a large influx of young (educated, middle class) families from Brooklyn who can't afford it there anymore. And they value the diversity Ossining has to offer. My husband and I are college educated (he Ivy League) upper middle class people who CHOSE to live here. We could have afforded elsewhere.
We are educating people on the real Ossining from people who speak ill of it yet have no first hand knowledge of it - aside from a 50 year old reputation. Places change. When my husband's family moved to NY they lived in Williamsburg. It was such a ghetto that they moved to the South Bronx as a step up! And now look at Williamsburg - it's one of the hottest areas in NYC.
You know, ExNYer, when I first moved to this area I was on the train one day and two high school aged kids got on in Irvington. They proceeded to be the most obnoxious, rude, spoiled kids I have ever heard. Talking about the fancy drugs and alcohol they had at their (high school) parties. Talking about their really expensive clothes. And one even complaining that his dad would not up his $100/week allowance!! However, I never come on this board and talk about how snobby and obnoxious Irvington people are. Because I don't have any first hand knowledge of the town and I assumed those two kids are likely not a representation of the whole town. Though now that I've had the pleasure of reading your posts, perhaps I was wrong.
I should also add that we bought a starter home when we moved here. Once we were a family of 4 we decided to move to a bigger house (still in the Ossining school district). Our first home had TONS of people looking at it and it sold in less than 30 days for 5K over asking price. Clearly the district did not hurt our sale.
Look, you are obviously completely biased against brown people who don't speak English as their first language.
When all else fails use the race card! Why, I'll bet you're a Democrat? Call me a racist if you want. It is used so often by people like you that it no longer has any meaning. Point out the facts to a Democrat and you are automatically labeled a racist. Big deal! You can not compare Irvington and Ossining, the demographics are entirely different. Always has been. You just fail to accept the reality that communities that have large concentrations of impoverished people also have the worst schools. No amount of sugar coating can erase that fact. It is what it is.
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I am an active member of the school community.
You're kidding? I never would have guessed. For a moment I thought you were the superintendent of public schools there.
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However, I never come on this board and talk about how snobby and obnoxious Irvington people are.
Well you just did! I never said that people from Ossining are snobby or obnoxious. Comparing me to those two teenagers from Irvington is just as bigoted. You know absolutely nothing about my race or background. You just do not like what I have to say about your beloved Ossining. Too bad!
My posts were in regards to the lousy school system there and the reasons for it. You just refuse to accept it. I have no idea what the race is of the original poster and could really care less. Their initial question was: "Is Peekskill, NY a good place to move from the Bronx with my teenage daughter?" Having lived in Peekskill, I answered as honestly as I could, and included other areas that they should avoid that have school systems similar to Peekskill's. Ossining being one of them. The demographics are similar. I'm guessing that the original poster wants to get out of that environment so I could not in good conscience recommend any of those districts.
Last edited by Ex New Yorker; 01-07-2015 at 10:47 AM..
And I, in good conscience, could not let you continue to attack a school district you know nothing about.
You have first hand experience with the town of Peekskill - go ahead and share your thoughts. But when you brought Ossining schools into it, you can expect those of us with first hand knowledge to share our thoughts.
Last edited by KathyNY76; 01-07-2015 at 12:35 PM..
Is Peekskill, NY a good place to move from the Bronx with my teenage daughter? Is it safe? If not why? If so, then why also and what are good places with affordable housing in the Westchester County area?
I don't understand how this board works yet, so bear with me...
I have lived in neighboring town in Yorktown hts, NY where I grew up. I am now older and just visit sister fam and my mom there. I have to say, STAY CLEAR OF PEEKSKILL! We call it FREAKSKILL! There are NO affordable housing in Freakskill, or Yorktown. If you want to live there, your gonna have to double up with someone else. The taxes are outrageous. Over 10 thou a year. Freakskill has become THE PLACE TO MOVE TO when you first sneak over the boarder and want to live in an area FLOODED by illegals and Hispanics. It use to be an old fashioned Italian/Irish second generation town. Why did they all flood in there in a matter of just a few years? No idea. I wasn't aware of them and the crime rate till we went to the Peekskill fireworks display by the water. Wall to wall Hispanic people, most not speaking English, doubling up/ tripling up in apts. I know it's not PC to say they ruined the town, but hey, THEY DID. How can they afford the taxes and rents in a notorious area that is high in both? No idea. Aid or something. But I do know they have ruined the area. If it weren't for high taxes etc. in Yorktown, they would have flooded that area too. As it is, they are taking over minimum wage jobs all over the Westchester county, many people being thrown out of their long term jobs because of cheap labor. Is it fair? NO! Why should I be PC when I see them taking over jobs and homes, not taking care of those homes, having a dozen or more people living in places meant for a couple of people? They have ruined Peekskill, and will spread like dandelions all over. Move back to NYC, you are better off!
As it is, they are taking over minimum wage jobs all over the Westchester county, many people being thrown out of their long term jobs because of cheap labor. Is it fair? NO!
What kind of long term jobs in Westchester get thrown out by minimum wage earners? Ophthalmologists?
ANIMALOVER33:
Indeed you are correct! Same goes for Elmsford, Greenburgh, Mt. Vernon, Ossining, White Plains and Yonkers.
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Why did they all flood in there in a matter of just a few years? No idea.
One of my former neighbors grew up there, Peekskill used to be a beautiful town right on the Hudson. According to them when the VA came in it provided a lot of low income jobs. With it subsidized housing which in turn attracted subsidized people. From then on Peekskill always had concentrations of impoverished people. Peekskill became Westchester's dumping ground. The large influx of illegal invaders in Peekskill started, I'm guessing about 15 to 20 years ago. Most seem to be Ecuadorian. Just about every neighborhood has illegal apartments. They can afford them by pooling their resources and by cramming as many of them as they can in there. The city government turns a blind eye to it. There were a couple of illegal apartments in my old neighborhood along with the problems that go along with it. Calls to code enforcement were an exercise in futility. One of Peekskill's major employers, White Plains Linen employed hundreds of them and were raided by ICE. It is my understanding that the company is still in operation and it is still business as usual. Some enforcement, huh?
Peekskill's and the nation's for that matter demise can be blamed squarely on the seedy politicians who allow 10's of millions of these illegal invaders to enter our country, feed, clothe, house, educate, take care of their medical needs, steal our jobs and then provide them with political representation. All at our expense. You can't really blame the invaders for coming here. We're giving this country away on a silver platter to the world's indigent population. These loathsome politicians have turned their backs on the American people as their ultimate goal is for a socialistic society in which we will all become slaves to a benevolent government. Why else would they want to import 10's of millions of poorly educated, low skilled, impoverished people into this country? There is no rational reason for it. There are not enough jobs to employ every American that wants or needs one. These illegal invaders are nothing more than a means to an end. Someone is going to have to take care of their every needs. That burden will be borne by the middle class who will be pushed further down the economic ladder and will eventually find themselves dependent on some type of governmental assistance. It's all part of the plan. Soon there will be no incentive to work. Eventually, as Margaret Thatcher stated we will "run out of other people's money". The United States of America will then be no better than the third world dictatorships that these illegal invaders fled. That I am afraid is the future for the United States. It's the direction we've been heading in for decades.
Last edited by Ex New Yorker; 01-10-2015 at 09:36 AM..
I've lived in the area 35 years & 6 in Peekskill. Re schools: They're only as good as the kid you put in them. Put in a good kid with drive to make it, and she will. The town is beautiful, offers great transportation options. I recommend it. To see some excellent overview of the town, check out youtube's 'The Peekskill Channel'.
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