Texas peoples

[capella]

So I'm doing a little research. What is the Fort Worth area like? I am thinking of moving to Texas to teach since the salaries are MUCH better and the nonsense is the same everywhere. I have looked at housing costs in the area and it seems so much more affordable than where I am.

Yeah, it could be a "grass is greener" thing, but I am not opposed to change if it makes my quality of life better. Just looking for info.

[analogman]

A college buddy of mine now works at a defense contractor in the area. He said the people there (maybe just the people he worked with) were rednecks. He is not white and had some trouble feeling comfortable at the beginning. I think he likes it there now (I have become less redneck tolerant after moving to CA).

We don't really talk about things like entertainment because he's too busy to go out but I know his rent is quite reasonable. Fort Worth is close to the Texas state fair which is supposed to be pretty cool (one of the few places he went to and we talked about).

I think it can get pretty cold during the winter (maybe 20/30s with a frost here and there), cold for Texas and Florida standards :huge:

That's my tiny bit of information for you :)

[wordsmith]

DFW has always struck me as fairly affluent. I could be wrong.

[txgal]

Guess I will finally quit lurking and speak up. I live in the 'burbs outside of Dallas.

As far as the rednecks, yep there are some here but the majority prefer small towns which are at least an hour or so away from the major cities.

To me, Ft. Worth has always seemed cleaner then Dallas. They are more on upkeep and appearances. Dallas seems to be more work-oriented

They are really into cowboys and rodeo. They have the Stockyards there and some kind of festival type thing every year (not really into that kind of stuff so I don't know all of the details). Billy Bob's is really big. It is a rodeo arena/club. It is really strange but kinda cool.

Weather is hot during most of the summer. Expect several 100+ days during the summer. I think we went a two week stretch this year plus some other odd days mixed in there. Also, get ready for tornado season. If you never have been in that type of weather it can be really freaky. Ft. Worth got hit a few years back but it didn't do too much damage, F-3 I think. But there will definitely be tornados that damage something in the vicinity every year.

There is always plenty to do and see. I have lived in the area most of my 26 years and still haven't done/seen everything.

Oh yeah, I am pretty sure that you have to be a Cowboys fan. VERY BIG around here. And yes I know how they are doing this year and in the past seasons - no feedback needed.

[MollyMe]

Traffic is better in Fort Worth than Dallas. Fort Worth is thought to be safer than Dallas.
It is more laid back than Dallas. There are many things to do in the area.
Housing is really affordable.
It is hot.

[lonestar]

I have never been a teacher in Texas, but I have friends who teach or are school administrators in the DFW area, and they all have come to the concensus that Rick Perry and George Bush have screwed up the education system in Texas. Teachers in Texas have to teach to THEA and TAKS standardized test standards (Texas Higher Education Assesment) and it is a major cornerstone of the Gubernatorial debates this year. Basically there is big debate that teachers have to teach kids to pass TAKS and other standardized state tests and it is hurting the education system here...

[capella]

I have never been a teacher in Texas, but I have friends who teach or are school administrators in the DFW area, and they all have come to the concensus that Rick Perry and George Bush have screwed up the education system in Texas. Teachers in Texas have to teach to THEA and TAKS standardized test standards (Texas Higher Education Assesment) and it is a major cornerstone of the Gubernatorial debates this year. Basically there is big debate that teachers have to teach kids to pass TAKS and other standardized state tests and it is hurting the education system here...
*Sigh* I know most of that already. It's not just Texas that is screwed up. It's the same story everywhere thanks to NCLB. We have the same crap here in Florida. We just call it the FCAT instead of TAKS. A rose by any other name..... would stink just as much. The education pendulum has swung too far in this ridiculous direction. I would like to see it balance back. I hope I last long enough in teaching to see it balance back because I love the actual teaching part. From my online research it seems teachers with equivalent experience in the Fort Worth area make about 10K more a year than I make and housing is ridculously less expensive.

But it's a huge step to consider and I am just researching. I came to Florida mainly to get certified with less hassle than in other states. It doesn't mean I need to stay. I like it here just fine, however, I do not make enough and this area is crazy expensive now. It's not going to be getting much better anytime soon either. So..... eh, just looking at options is all. :)

[wordsmith]

it's the same everywhere, Lonestar. NCLB is a federal mandate, all states have their version of mandatory standardized tests that measure results as compared to state standards, and determine "deservingness" of funding. In Illinois, they're called the ISAT (Illinois Standards Achievement Test, for elementary school) and PSAE (Prairie State Achievement Examination, for high school). Here, like other states, the standardized testing only covers certain areas, and due to teachers being required to spend a lot of time teaching toward the testing alone, a well-rounded education typically suffers.

[capella]

Well, I think I've made up my mind. I just sent off $177 to have my credentials reviewed in Texas. I have a realtor coming today to look at my house and see what it's worth and how long it'll take to sell.

My husband says he's on board too. I think he's just as sick as I am of working our tails off and never getting anywhere.

It stinks because I like Florida. But I got here after it became an expensive place to live. Unless you live in podunk... it's not cheap. I live too close to podunk and I really don't want to raise kids in this town. Nor can I really afford them here anyhow. I'd pay out half my check for day care and I couldn't afford to quit and stay home.

I hate working in this town. And I don't want to drive an hour each way to work where I would prefer. I can't afford to move where I would prefer to work. I'm tired of going in circles. I will miss the beaches if I move, but I never get to see them anyhow!!

Thanks Ember for the great advice and info on PM. It sounds great to make 10K more a year (times two because my husband would too) and have cheaper, nicer homes and a nice metro area. I'm not that big on Orlando anyhow.

Thoughts? Advice? I'm scared out of my mind to be thinking of making this big a change. :eek:

[EmberMae]

A college buddy of mine now works at a defense contractor in the area. He said the people there (maybe just the people he worked with) were rednecks. He is not white and had some trouble feeling comfortable at the beginning. I think he likes it there now (I have become less redneck tolerant after moving to CA).
I don't think it's very redneck-ish and I think it's gotten less redneck over the years. When I was in middle/high school there were alot of people in FFA who wore cowboy boots, hats, and big belt buckles, but as my suburb has grown, there's fewer and fewer people like that. It is fairly conservative compared to, say, California, with the exception of the very urban part. and the colleges. But my current job is at a non profit, I have worked on and off at the library, and I was a teacher, so I don't feel this stifling aura of conservatism.

I think it can get pretty cold during the winter (maybe 20/30s with a frost here and there), cold for Texas and Florida standards :huge:
Yeah, weather in the winter is really unpredictable. Summer, I can forecast for you: Sunny, high 90s, low 100s. Winter...who knows. You will have days in the 30s and days in the 70s. Possibly in the same week.

DFW has always struck me as fairly affluent. I could be wrong.
Well, it is pretty varied like any metropolitan area. But our low cost housing means that people can move here from say Cali, or the northeast, sell their 1700 sq foot 3 bedroom house for half a million or whatever absurd price they're going for, and buy an absolute mansion here, and still have money to spare on monster SUVs (which there are a lot of, despite the fact I can't think of a place you'd need 4 wheel drive LESS). This happens a lot. Most people in DFW are not natives.

They are really into cowboys and rodeo. They have the Stockyards there and some kind of festival type thing every year (not really into that kind of stuff so I don't know all of the details). Billy Bob's is really big. It is a rodeo arena/club. It is really strange but kinda cool.
I guess it depends on who you hang out with, because I don't know anyone into that stuff and neither does my fiance. I've heard of Billy Bobs, but never been. I'd say DFW is pretty diverse and you have a wide variety of choices. You will fit in here, somewhere, no matter what you are into.

Things i like about DFW: cost of living. lots of different things to do.
Things I don't like: heat. traffic.

Amy I am happy for you and glad I could help! It is really scary moving this far but I think in the end it will be worth it. Don't know what else there is to do at this point except wait until the spring when next year's positions get posted...