Detailed reasons for why you wouldn't live in Prince Georges County...

[Anonymous]

NP here. I call BS. Do you live in either MC or FC? Do you know what people who own the nicest houses pay in taxes? Do you realize that this money is spread county wide? Do you realize that the upper tax brackets get no more for their dollar in the public school systems than those who are say, renting a sub standard house in the same neighborhood?

If it were based per town, I could see your point, people would be shut out. No way is it true in FC or MC, especially compared to other geographical areas in the U.S. Your point as it stands makes zero sense. Cry me a river.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people on this forum are afraid of Black people. They talk about PG under the guise of "bad schools," etc. in order to avoid saying it plain and clear.

In some cases that might be true. However, I think it is more complicated than just people are "afraid of Black people."

My observation has been that while some parents have no problem interacting with minorities, that when it comes to their children's education, they detour in favor of "better schools" that still have diverse student and teacher populations. What's wrong with that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Why so many folks on here against the area? Not asking to be argumentative, looking for some solid info from people in the area.

PG is majority African American and parts of it are relatively poor. Property values are generally lower than in other area jurisdictions which impacts tax revenue and school funding. As you would expect, poorer localities suffer from higher crime rates. A lot of the negativity here, IMO, is knee jerk reaction to Fox (and other) news reports of incidents of crime "in PG County" and the broad paint brush is applied to the County as a whole. There are very nice parts of it too, certainly. Spending time there and making up your own mind is really the way to go if you're thinking of moving there.

So it is a vicious circle. The poor cannot afford houses with high property values, therefore revenue from property taxes is too low to maintain schools, and so even in Maryland we have a large segment of population who receive a very poor education. Gingrich thought he could solve the problem of ghetto education by making kindergarteners do manual labor in school. Most Americans are OK with this and I am amazed that nobody is even angered by this inequality

+1. Of course it is a vicious circle...and I have been pretty ticked about the lack of equality for a while. Hence why I worked in education policy for many years. It's embarrassing that even within Fairfax and Montgomery, there are schools that suffer from inequality just because of the area immediately surrounding it. Yes, they have the same curriculum, but we've segregated schools again based on socio-economics. And it's a damn shame.

Sorry, tangent, but it gets under my skin.

So if blacks receive a sub standard education on socie-economic grounds then they are not being discriminated against, and nobody can say that the educational institution in America is racist?

I didn't say that. Of course there is a part of that. We've gone backwards, though. We claim to be equal, when CLEARLY we are not. Race/Ethnicity is strongly tied with socioeconomics - it just is.

And as another poster said, go out to WV or rural parts of the country - it does boil down to socioeconomics in that case, as well.

And I live in FCPS - yes, I know what people pay in taxes. I'm well acquainted with how this system works. Doesn't mean we don't still have schools with highly concentrated poverty. Ever heard of Dogwood in Reston? Yes, they get resources from the county. But by concentrating poverty in one school, you put that school in a tough spot deaing with issues the middle class and above schools just don't have. This is a case where turning a school into a magnet or something of that nature would be a good thing rather than keeping EVERY school a "neighborhood school." There are schools in MoCo like this, too - I know because a family member lives in one of those school zones and won't send their child to the neighborhood school and instead pays for private.

[Anonymous]

I thought a civilization was supposed to spread. Clearly education will not spread with this set up. Heartbraking.

[Anonymous]

Way to simplify things. Some parents are involved in a good way. Some are not. If one so needs to simply.....

[Anonymous]

Eh, folks, I don't think that most "white folk" are afraid of black people, not in the old-style way of thinking about things. Folks with aspirations and the means to attain them choose neighborhoods where the people around them are also very, very likely to be attaining those same dreams (not just aspiring to them: attaining them). And the risks associated with crime are real, not imagined, and that motivates people's choices, too. Maybe the risk of environment to any specific individual is lower than presumed, sure... but with choice comes, well, choice for less risk. Again, it is not blackness or "other ethnicity" that is at issue for most people, I don't think.

Send your kid to a school where 90% vs. 50% are reaching even the low state standards for being "on track"... well, c'mon, think about it. That's a big margin.

Live in a neighborhood where gunshots are nearly zippo versus in a place where folks know to hunker down at night. Hmm, almost a no-brainer.

I lived in DC by choice. Then I had kids. And then I got out, because I couldn't afford the options for a really good education or to live in a neighborhood that was safe enough--it's all relative risk, of course. But the differences in quality of ed and neighborhood safety between where I was in DC and where I am now are real.

I am a strong proponent of affordable and integrated housing, social supports, etc., to have much less economic segregation and isolation. But I'd like to see that implemented on a large scale--a few "volunteers" are but drops in the ocean.

[Anonymous]

I think education in DC is getting better due to the improving socioeconomic situation of families in the district - that is the #1 factor in determining student success.

Charter schools offer a safe option regardless of where you live in the district once you're able to get in. School is #1 in determining where we live - then our family life/commute. Determine what you think is best for your family and go from there. I don't know PG schools from 1st hand experience, but am comfortable in our DCPCS option and we plan to stay in the district for it even though we could get a much nicer and bigger house for less only blocks away...

[Anonymous]

How is the socio economic background the number 1 factor that determines educational success?
Is the childrens intelligence tied to parents income, or is it the vicious cycle of an overcrowded school with less resources?
Or is this a fancy round about way to explain what nobody wants to say out loud, the difference in skin color

[Anonymous]

Corruption and poor government services. Under Jack Johnson, it got to be like DC in the Barry days. But the new county executive seems like a reformer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a resident of PG County- having moved here from NOVA. I don't really understand all the negativity surrounding PG County at all. First, Maryland as a state is more diverse and liaberal than VA- which we greatly appreciated. The commute from our neighborhood into DC or Bethesda is a cinch- either by rail or car. Our commute from Pentagon City on the blue line downtown was god-awful... trains were always packed and delayed, and the summer tourists are disgusting. Then there's the good part of Arlington that is a concrete jungle- complete lack of green space. It is the complete opposite in MD... there are so many public parks, with real playgrounds and space and splash parks, etc. Homes in University Park are beautiful, same as Arts District Hyattsville, and Historic District of Hyattsville.
The only thing that stinks is the high property tax rate... buttwe aren't moving back to NOVA just to save 2k/yr on property taxes.
I should also mention... public schools in PG are NOT all bad. And Prince Georges has some very nice private schools that don't reach 30k a year.

Other than Hyattsville and University Park, what other neighborhoods are beautiful? PG county is Ward 9.

My neighborhood is gorgeous, quiet, inexpensive, adjacent to a huge park, and I live in Lanham. Enjoy your million dollar shoebox in NOVA or whatever, lady.

Apparently these people have never heard of Accokeek MD fro a real estate business perspective makes other neighborhoods in Maryland look like a dump. Take a look at the neighborhood in Accokeek called The Preserve.

[Anonymous]

Arts District Hyattsville resident here. My neighbors are educated, friendly, and diverse. We live in a very walkable area (78/100 walk score) and within a mile of two metro stations. We can walk to parks, arts, and culture.

I also used to live in VA and agree with a PP. We love it in PG and we are very happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How is the socio economic background the number 1 factor that determines educational success?
Is the childrens intelligence tied to parents income, or is it the vicious cycle of an overcrowded school with less resources?
Or is this a fancy round about way to explain what nobody wants to say out loud, the difference in skin color

Most data coming out now seems to suggest that this is the case. Smart people make more money and tend to have smart kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is the socio economic background the number 1 factor that determines educational success?
Is the childrens intelligence tied to parents income, or is it the vicious cycle of an overcrowded school with less resources?
Or is this a fancy round about way to explain what nobody wants to say out loud, the difference in skin color

Most data coming out now seems to suggest that this is the case. Smart people make more money and tend to have smart kids.

I call BS. Show me two peer-reviewed references?

[Anonymous]

DC is more fun and it's easier with young children because everything is in walking distance or metro. If you win the PS lottery, your child can start school at age 3. DH can walk home from work. Great "pools, parks and playgrounds," to borrow a phrase from "Kipper." So many other reasons that I can't even count them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a resident of PG County- having moved here from NOVA. I don't really understand all the negativity surrounding PG County at all. First, Maryland as a state is more diverse and liberal than VA- which we greatly appreciated. The commute from our neighborhood into DC or Bethesda is a cinch- either by rail or car. Our commute from Pentagon City on the blue line downtown was god-awful... trains were always packed and delayed, and the summer tourists are disgusting. Then there's the good part of Arlington that is a concrete jungle- complete lack of green space. It is the complete opposite in MD... there are so many public parks, with real playgrounds and space and splash parks, etc. Homes in University Park are beautiful, same as Arts District Hyattsville, and Historic District of Hyattsville.
The only thing that stinks is the high property tax rate... but we aren't moving back to NOVA just to save 2k/yr on property taxes.
I should also mention... public schools in PG are NOT all bad. And Prince Georges has some very nice private schools that don't reach 30k a year.

Other than Hyattsville and University Park, what other neighborhoods are beautiful? PG county is Ward 9.

Cheverly is gorgeous and VERY diverse!