OT: Living in Arizona (and aliens)

[ClassLessCoyote]

Regarding the schools in Arizona, I don't pay that much attention to the rankings unless they're graduate school rankings. It's even silly to have rankings for schools in the K-12 range as almost any educational institution has both smart and stupid students coming out regardless if they get that lovely piece of paper known as a diploma/degree or not. Every school has its share of people passing on through the system that are either sucessful or not in life regardless if they graduated or not.

Getting an education is important but it's certainly overhyped today, especially when more and more students are graduating from college with lots of student loan debt and yet can't get a high paying job let alone a job period right after college.

 

[Matsi]

I'm sorry, I don't live in AZ and probably won't ever move to the U.S. but I'd like to express just how much I love it. It is such a beautiful state, with much more natural diversity than most people think. I love the high altitude pine forests, your clear mountain lakes and the fascinating history.

Arizona is my favorite travel destination. As for the cities I love Sedona the most, by far. Tucson is nice, too, as well as Pinetop-Lakeside. Not very fond of Phoenix, way to hot and muggy.

I've been to the Fort Apache (White Mountain Apache) and San Carlos Apache Reservations a couple times. San Carlos is desolate and I can certainly understand why no one ever wanted to live there. Fort Apache with its National Forest is truly a beautiful place, and Fort Bowie National Historic Site is a must for anyone who visits southern Arizona. Coronado National Forest is worth a longer stay as well, but unfortunately I spent only a day there.

I will certainly return as soon as I have time and the money, and I'll definitely also make a trip to New Mexico next time.

 

[doaner]

Regarding the schools in Arizona, I don't pay that much attention to the rankings unless they're graduate school rankings. It's even silly to have rankings for schools in the K-12 range as almost any educational institution has both smart and stupid students coming out regardless if they get that lovely piece of paper known as a diploma/degree or not. Every school has its share of people passing on through the system that are either sucessful or not in life regardless if they graduated or not.

Getting an education is important but it's certainly overhyped today, especially when more and more students are graduating from college with lots of student loan debt and yet can't get a high paying job let alone a job period right after college.

The rating of our schools is a good thing. I don't know who does it or determines which school is #1 in the district, but it lets parents know how the schools fare. I'd much rather have my kid go to the #1 school in my district then the last rated one.

 

[XX]

The rating of our schools is a good thing. I don't know who does it or determines which school is #1 in the district, but it lets parents know how the schools fare. I'd much rather have my kid go to the #1 school in my district then the last rated one.

The problem is that the #1 rated public school in AZ is embarrassing by national standards. Our national standards are embarrassing compared to the rest of the developed world. School days should be longer, harder, and with fewer vacations. Teachers should be paid more, meet higher standards, and generally be viewed as having a position of prestige, not stigmatized. We know this works because that's how our university system is set up, and it's the best in the world by far.

You can judge a society based on how much they value education and the future of their children. America doesn't value it at all, AZ even less so. It's the first place budget makers raid when they need to make cuts. That has to change, along with a lot of other factors.

The teachers union is one I'm not fond of. They are obstructionist in nature. Watch "Waiting for Superman" if you want to see how absurdly hard it is to fire a bad teacher.

 

[doaner]

The problem is that the #1 rated public school in AZ is embarrassing by national standards. Our national standards are embarrassing compared to the rest of the developed world. School days should be longer, harder, and with fewer vacations. Teachers should be paid more, meet higher standards, and generally be viewed as having a position of prestige, not stigmatized. We know this works because that's how our university system is set up, and it's the best in the world by far.

You can judge a society based on how much they value education and the future of their children. America doesn't value it at all, AZ even less so. It's the first place budget makers raid when they need to make cuts. That has to change, along with a lot of other factors.

The teachers union is one I'm not fond of. They are obstructionist in nature. Watch "Waiting for Superman" if you want to see how absurdly hard it is to fire a bad teacher.

Yeah. I agree. Year round school is what we should be going to. Part of the reason we are home schooling our kids this year. My wife taught in the flag unified school dist and it was horrible. She taught 1 year and left. Her support staff was ridiculous and behaved more like high school girls. Too bad we can't just print more money, like the Feds do. Then we would all be set!

 

[ClassLessCoyote]

The rating of our schools is a good thing. I don't know who does it or determines which school is #1 in the district, but it lets parents know how the schools fare. I'd much rather have my kid go to the #1 school in my district then the last rated one.

Except there usually isn't any schools within district lines to compete with. Usually the child has no choice but to attend the school in their district or get home schooled or attend a private school if allowed by law. If anything, some areas of the country allow students to learn in another district within a certain radius of where they live.

Yeah. I agree. Year round school is what we should be going to. Part of the reason we are home schooling our kids this year. My wife taught in the flag unified school dist and it was horrible. She taught 1 year and left. Her support staff was ridiculous and behaved more like high school girls. Too bad we can't just print more money, like the Feds do. Then we would all be set!

I'm at the point where if I do have children in the future that getting home schooled is the only way to go as I don't have any faith in the public school system anymore. Maybe a private school but even then I'm going to be careful there as well.

 

[SniperHF]

Except there usually isn't any schools within district lines to compete with. Usually the child has no choice but to attend the school in their district

This is true. There are ways to get exceptions but most of the time you end up where your location puts you. Some people game the system for athletic programs.

For example in grade school I had 2 options. In middle school I had 1 option. And in High school I had 2 options.

 

[GiveAFlyingPuck]

My kids started in the neighborhood school. Got placed in the gifted program and changed to a different school (provide your own transportation). The next year they were going to move them again to a different school. We put them in a charter and stayed there. Still had to provide the transportation but there was no more moving around.

 

[zz]

Except there usually isn't any schools within district lines to compete with. Usually the child has no choice but to attend the school in their district or get home schooled or attend a private school if allowed by law. If anything, some areas of the country allow students to learn in another district within a certain radius of where they live.

That's just simply not true. I've had my kids in both Scottsdale and PV school districts. Sure, you have to get organized, apply early, deal with waiting lists sometimes, but neither of them has ever gone to the neighborhood schools, which suck. It's been charter for a couple years (which can be hit or miss), and various public schools.

One of my kids is in the CREST program, graduating in a couple years. It's a special highschool focused on engineering, biotech and sustainability. Yes, he had to compete with other kids to get there, but it's really good, great teachers, it's free and part of the public school system. He's already had the opportunity to learn the scientific research process and show his work at ASU as a sophomore. And guess what? They're dealing with recruitment issues, not enough kids are applying.

My colleague's friend went to public school all the way and received a full-ride scholarship at Barrett's.

The bottom line is, despite Arizona's awful education record, there are opportunities out there. It's up to parents and their kids to stop blaming the system and take advantage of them.

 

[doaner]

I'm at the point where if I do have children in the future that getting home schooled is the only way to go as I don't have any faith in the public school system anymore. Maybe a private school but even then I'm going to be careful there as well.

Yeah. That's the way to go! The cool thing too is when they are at the high school age, they can compete in varsity sports. I plan to keep my son (4) in hockey, so he can play on the local teams here.

When politicians try to have too much influence on my kids life, there is a problem! Homeschooling gives you more control on the curriculum your child learns.

 

[zz]

Homeschooling gives you more control on the curriculum your child learns.

Homeschooling is awesome is one parent knows something about teaching and the family can function on one income. It's a big sacrifice for most people though. I know I couldn't do it.

 

[doaner]

Homeschooling is awesome is one parent knows something about teaching and the family can function on one income. It's a big sacrifice for most people though. I know I couldn't do it.

This is true! If she had to, my wife could always sub on my days off.

 

[XX]

It's up to parents and their kids to stop blaming the system and take advantage of them.

You dealt with the two wealthiest districts. Congratulations. Sadly, they are in no way representative of other districts (PV is night and day with even middle class areas). Charter schools like the one you described are the future, but not one the unions are thrilled about.

But the system sucks. It's unacceptable. I appreciate your success story and trying to frame it in a positive light, but by every objective measure, the system sucks. Just starting off in those two districts, you had more doors open to you. It's obvious you have income available to you to spend on your kids, so there are some more doors. The goal is not to make the system great for 5 or 10 percent of the population. How the poorest neighborhood in the city does is much more important to the overall well being of society than the richest, who will always find a way to be successful. How many upper class kids are worried about being saddled with 100k worth of debt to attend a 4 year institution?

I honestly wouldn't have gone if all I had available to me were the 6.8% loans. I got by on a mix of subsidized loans, grants, and three full time years worth of saving. There are no more 'subsidized' loans because our fine politicians in D.C. let that lapse. Banks can borrow at the fed window for zero interest, but apparently our kids should be in debt well into their 30s. The system is fundamentally broken and it will collapse on itself within a decade. I see corporate America screaming about not having enough college graduates to fill their ranks yet few are hiring and even fewer are able to attend in the first place because the deck is stacked against them.

One year at ASU, full price, is less than what my baby boomer father paid for his entire higher education, which included medical school. That's adjusted for inflation. You could get a Ph.D. for the same price as a full time community college student today. The price of college, even after adjustment, has gone up something like ten fold since the early 90s. It's just not going to sustain itself for much longer.

America has a very serious education problem. Some of you are so far removed from it that it's hard for you to understand. But we will all pay for it somewhere down the line.

 

[Howler Scores]

Strange lights spotted over Tucson, Kansas City spark UFO speculations

Read more: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/regio...sas-city-spark-ufo-speculations#ixzz2apO9iKrU

 

[Desert Ice 11]

Strange lights spotted over Tucson, Kansas City spark UFO speculations

Read more: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/regio...sas-city-spark-ufo-speculations#ixzz2apO9iKrU

 

[ClassLessCoyote]

http://www.businessinsider.com/safe-cities-in-america-2013-7

2 Arizona cities made the Top 20 most safest cities in the United States list. Scottsdale is ranked 6th and Chandler is ranked #9. Any surprises there?

 

[Summer Rose]

http://www.businessinsider.com/safe-cities-in-america-2013-7

2 Arizona cities made the Top 20 most safest cities in the United States list. Scottsdale is ranked 6th and Chandler is ranked #9. Any surprises there?

Can't say I'm surprised at all.

Arizona really is a mixed bag of things. I like it that way.

 

[ClassLessCoyote]

Can't say I'm surprised at all.

Arizona really is a mixed bag of things. I like it that way.

What is really interesting is the fastest growing cities in Arizona right now are also seeing a rise in crime overtime. Those cities are Buckeye and Phoenix. Interesting because criminaligists say that a rise in crime is associated with a rise in population.

 

[zz]

It's obvious you have income available to you to spend on your kids, so there are some more doors.

I've lived in North Phoenix for 12 years until I moved in at a friend's house in Scottsdale recently. Union Hills & Cave Creek. Nothing Fancy. No better than Glendale or Mesa. I can't afford private school for my kids. When they went to Scottsdale School District, that was a 16 mile commute one way. Everything I've mentioned DOES NOT REQUIRE MONEY. My kids have gone to charter and public schools only. It's not perfect, it could be much better, but there are options. The idea that the neighborhood school is the only one available is ludicrous.

I honestly wouldn't have gone if all I had available to me were the 6.8% loans.

We were talking about public school districts. College is a completely different discussion. Yes, the current university system in this country is insane. My kids will have to get into serious debt, I can't afford it. I'm doing everything I can to get them to get grants, scholarships etc...

 

[SB164]

Have any of you ever been to the Phoenix Art Museum? One of my favourite paintings is displayed there, and I wonder how it must look up close.

Painting in question:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollice_Verso_(Gérôme)

 

[Vip]

Have not. That looks awesome though.

 

[MP]

Have any of you ever been to the Phoenix Art Museum? One of my favourite paintings is displayed there, and I wonder how it must look up close.

Painting in question:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollice_Verso_(Gérôme)

The museum is well worth visiting if you get the chance. I remember seeing that painting when I went--as you might imagine, the picture doesn't do it justice. The style and subject don't usually interest me, but just seeing works like that firsthand is amazing.

 

[Desert Ice 11]

Aliens

Ok..Back to this..

"High-altitude testing of the U-2 soon led to an unexpected side effect -- a tremendous increase in reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs)," the report states.

http://gma.yahoo.com/area-51-revealed-cia-spy-plane-documents-115407496--abc-news-topstories.html

 

[Semin]

http://www.businessinsider.com/safe-cities-in-america-2013-7

2 Arizona cities made the Top 20 most safest cities in the United States list. Scottsdale is ranked 6th and Chandler is ranked #9. Any surprises there?

Have a family house in the Chandler area. Amazing place for vacationing.

Wish I had more time to get down there, have never had in run ins with people where I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth. Lots of things to do around the area.

Trip to go catch a Yotes game felt kind of long. I think its more of me being use to living in WPG where it doesn't take too long to get around the city.

If I could permanently drop my WPG life and was able to find work in AZ I'd move there in .5 of a second

 

[GiveAFlyingPuck]

My first supervisor in the USAF in 1984 got a "classified" assignment to Nellis AFB outside of Las Vegas. We were working nuclear missile security at the time so I imagine he was doing some sort of security for Area 51.