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I have honor roll students that attend MO schools. Our schools are awesome, absolutely great schools, great teachers, amazing programs, modern buildings, fascinating teachers, well funded. Etc.
I would never say that the schools in suburban KS are not as good than the schools my kids attend because I’m sure they are just as good, but I honest to god (PS, we don’t try to preach religion in schools) think that my kids are getting the absolute best public education they can get in a public suburban school district.
And I honest to god think that my kids are getting the absolute best public education they can get in a public suburban school district.
So to a great extent, it's perception. I don't know what the comment means about preaching religion in public schools. We are not Christian. A large percentage of the kids in our school are - but we are certainly not alone and I would be among the most vocal critics if religion were being pushed in our school. (Incidentally, how recently did the Liberty school district decide to recognize Martin Luther King Day as a holiday?)
JoCo is a wealthy county (and I always have to remind people that this does not mean that everyone here is wealthy) and there are pros and cons to this. Our schools have an abundance of parental involvement - which I think is a plus. Some see JoCo as rather bland - but I see many different cultures and people in my neighborhood. Being in this area, our college-bound rate is often higher and our dropout rate is often lower. Test scores are difficult to compare because the states measure differently. I'm sure there are good schools in MO, I've never said otherwise. But we made our choice as to what we felt was "best". We don't look down on you for yours. That is only your perception.
If asked, I will talk about what I like about our schools and why we chose them. It doesn't mean I look down on yours. We chose what we felt was "best".
What I find insulting is the constant assumption that because I live in JoCo, I must be a snob. Is the MO side really this insecure? If you love it there, good for you! Talk about why you love it. And I will do the same. But you are as closed minded as you accuse JoCo of being.
It can be. On the KS side, I wouldn't choose to live outside Johnson County. And JoCo can be more expensive - but in my humble opinion, it is worth a little extra to live here. Many vocal critics will disagree and say that you can find just as nice a house in just as nice an area with just as nice of schools. But there are several hundred thousand people who don't think so.
Another vote for Johnson County. It is a little more expensive, and there's a reason for that. It's nicer here. Our roads are cleaned off after a storm (I used to work in Missouri and when I would drive to work the roads would be clear till I hit the state line - then snow/ice covered). You won't see trash blowing down the streets. We have street cleaners that actually come and sweep the streets. People take care of their property (not saying that no one in Missouri does, but Johnson County as a whole is kept up very well). We have codes enforcement that doesn't allow you to paint your house bright blue or purple. You can't just stick a shed anywhere on your property, it has to be certain dimensions, in the back yard, painted to match your house). You can't park cars on the lawn or boats in the driveway. You can't have animals running loose. You can't have old junk furniture sitting on your porch. If your lawn gets too tall the city will come and mow it and send you a bill. Personally, I like the enforcement of things like that, but most people who live here don't need Codes to tell them to take care of their property.
If you are open minded and don’t just look at Johnson County, but the entire area, 9 times out of ten, you will purchase a home on the MO side.
People in Kansas think Prairie Village or Mission is urban, when they are nothing but 1960’s low density suburbs.
Um, I don't agree that 9 times out of 10 you will buy on the Missouri side. Nope. There is NOPLACE on the Missouri side, in my opinion, that compares with Johnson County. If you like it over there, fine. But some of us want to be in Johnson County and I think Johnson County would appeal to newcomers to the area much more than the Missouri side. At least people who think like me. If I moved to a new city I would want to see out the "Johnson County" of that city, and that is where I would move. The low crime and great schools in Johnson County are two reasons.
I never considered Prairie Village or Mission urban. I don't want to live in an urban area. Urban to me is Kansas City, Missouri. Blech.
The truth is, Prairie Village was designed by J.C. Nichols and Prairie Village was named the Best Planned Community In America.
Actually, Lee's Summit is eerily like JoCo, but people in JoCo never want to admit that a town in Missouri could ever be that way. Oh yeah, that J.C. Nichols designed half the city of Kansas City, MO, and most of those neighborhoods are very much in tact, and some of the best in the entire metro. I kind of like Prairie Village and Roeland Park, but there's other places that are just as nice, if you don't want or need to live in Kansas. If I worked in Kansas, I'd live there, but since I work in Independence, I don't see paying the premium of JoCo just so I could tell myself that my kids are somehow getting a better education than they would otherwise.
Here in Independence, we have codes that are enforced, but that's not to say there are a lot of rednecks who don't take care of things. My neighborhood, and the ones around it, don't have shacks built everywhere, there's no wildly painted houses, our streets are cleared off after the alleged snowfall we get in the area... and so on, but JoCoer's continue to make it sound like I live in a third world country with no operational education system.
And I honest to god think that my kids are getting the absolute best public education they can get in a public suburban school district.
So to a great extent, it's perception. I don't know what the comment means about preaching religion in public schools. We are not Christian. A large percentage of the kids in our school are - but we are certainly not alone and I would be among the most vocal critics if religion were being pushed in our school. (Incidentally, how recently did the Liberty school district decide to recognize Martin Luther King Day as a holiday?)
JoCo is a wealthy county (and I always have to remind people that this does not mean that everyone here is wealthy) and there are pros and cons to this. Our schools have an abundance of parental involvement - which I think is a plus. Some see JoCo as rather bland - but I see many different cultures and people in my neighborhood. Being in this area, our college-bound rate is often higher and our dropout rate is often lower. Test scores are difficult to compare because the states measure differently. I'm sure there are good schools in MO, I've never said otherwise. But we made our choice as to what we felt was "best". We don't look down on you for yours. That is only your perception.
If asked, I will talk about what I like about our schools and why we chose them. It doesn't mean I look down on yours. We chose what we felt was "best".
What I find insulting is the constant assumption that because I live in JoCo, I must be a snob. Is the MO side really this insecure? If you love it there, good for you! Talk about why you love it. And I will do the same. But you are as closed minded as you accuse JoCo of being.
The religion thing was just a jab at Kansas because when I travel people are always saying something about how the schools in Kansas don't teach science. So I have to tell them that I live in MO since so many people associate KC with Kansas only. I know the school board has fixed that issue, but people only remember the negatives and Kansas was making a fool of itself for a while and indirectly making all of KC (since people think KC is all in KS) look the same.
I agree, our schools are the same. They are similar. Parental involvement can borderline on overkill. Some of these soccer moms need to let the schools teach and let their kids breath a little if you ask me. But we have the same issues. My wife teaches in the KCMO School district where the parents are a total joke and are 99% of the problem with that district. Our kids however go to schools where parents, grandparents and everybody else shows up for the smallest things and getting to go on field trips is like winning the lottery for parents.
I don't even know if you said your schools are better, but I have heard it dozens and dozens of times how the schools are better in KS than MO and it's not true. Most people blow it off, I usually do, but I will eventually say something.
There are some bad school districts in MO, the urban districts are real bad, the rural districts don't offer as much IMO, but the suburban districts that ring the MO side of the area are just as good as those in the KS suburbs and there is nothing that would convince me otherwise. A kid that goes to Park Hill or Lee's Summit should be just as ready for college as a kid that goes to Olathe or Shawnee Mission.
KCMO is a horribly run district. I think some people can do well there and some parts of the district are ok, but for the most part, it's a horrible district. So for decades, people, mostly the real-estate industry, have been using that as a way to make the KS suburbs look good. For years, it's been "stay out of MO", Move to KC, but live in JoCo, the schools in MO are bad. It has really hurt the MO side because when a new family comes to town, they are driven to JoCo even though there are many very good districts in MO. The bad districts (or schools) are a small fraction of the MO side. And that has hurt the region as so much of the economy has followed those people to KS. The MO side still has ¼ of their taxes going to fund regional needs while the KS side acts like they are a small town in the middle of nowhere with zero metropolitan financial responsibility. There is no place else in the country where so much of a city gets a free ride. We all pay ticket prices, but as MO residents, we pay thousands more per year to support the stadiums, museums, transit, health care for the poor, theaters, the zoo etc.
I honest to god think that people that live on the MO side are more "kansas city" than those on the KS side. I think the Kansas side people are more "Kansas" than KC and the MO side people are a bit more "KC" than Missouri. So I like to see people move to the MO side where they have a better chance to get to know the city rather than ***** about how bad the city is. Plus, you get to vote on things that make the city what is and then pay for them if they pass. While in KS, you just get to rip the city for not being like Overland Park, but have no problem coming over and entertaining yourselves on the MO side or claiming the MO side when you want people to understand that you are from a major metro area not a farm in Kansas.
A good example of this is how everything on the MO side is named “Kansas city” not Missouri, the KC Chiefs, KC Zoo, KC…. And the one attraction that gets built in Kansas is the Kansas Speedway. Totally makes sense. The aquarium proposed in Mission has already been named the Kansas Aquarium. They renamed the MO repertory theater just to appeal to the JoCo crowd and make it seem more like a metro KC attraction as many JoCo donors didn’t like Missouri in the name. That is a fact.
PS, I don't give a rip if JOCO is wealthy or not. I have lived in poor parts of KCMO and wealthy parts of KCMO. I have lived in the east side and the plaza. I have lived in the ritzy parts of Platte County and near Lakewood.
None of those areas rub me the wrong way like joco does.
I guess the difference is you are still in MO, most of the time you are in the city of KCMO. Kind of hard to look down on the area you live in. But even in the upscale and expensive parts of KCMO and suburban KCMO like Brookside, Briarcliff etc, you can get a sense of resentment toward JoCo if you stick around long enough and overhear or bring up a conversation about.
I think the bigger question is why do so many people resent Johnson County?
Raytown is a mess and high crime. Prairie Village is nice and low crime. And your racial stereotype is wrong. I have white friends who live in Raytown. and I have black friends who live in Prairie Village.
A good example of this is how everything on the MO side is named “Kansas city” not Missouri, the KC Chiefs, KC Zoo, KC…. And the one attraction that gets built in Kansas is the Kansas Speedway. Totally makes sense. The aquarium proposed in Mission has already been named the Kansas Aquarium. They renamed the MO repertory theater just to appeal to the JoCo crowd and make it seem more like a metro KC attraction as many JoCo donors didn’t like Missouri in the name. That is a fact.
I think the bigger question is why do so many people resent Johnson County?
Think about that.
Okay, now that is silly. As far as I know, it was not up to the residents of Kansas, Wyandotte County, Johnson County or whatever to name Kansas Speedway. I'm thinking that must have been Nascar's call, so maybe you should take it up with THEM and ask why it wasn't called Kansas City Speedway. Texas Speedway isn't named after a city either. I don't know the names of all the tracks but I know some of them are named after the state they are in, not the city they are in. I don't know if western Wyandotte county really qualifies as "Kansas City" either. Likewise, I don't think it was up to the residents of Kansas to name the Kansas City Royals or the Kansas City Chiefs, I think that in MLB and the NFL that is the way teams are named, after the city they play in. How are the residents on the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro to blame for that, as if it is a reflection of their attitudes toward the city? That doesn't even make sense!
So you are complaining that things on the Missouri side are named Kansas City and things on the Kansas side aren't? But now you are complaining because the Kansas City Repertory Theater is named Kansas City and not Missouri? As to your theory of Johnson County investors not wanting "Missouri" in the name - I have never heard that and I did a google search and couldn't find one reference, even on a blog, discussion board or anything, about that.
I think so many people resent Johnson County because they are jealous.
Actually, Lee's Summit is eerily like JoCo, but people in JoCo never want to admit that a town in Missouri could ever be that way.
Again with the mischaracterization.
Lee's Summit is a lot like JoCo (and they have the higher taxes to prove it!) I know people who live there and they love it. I'm happy for them. If I had to live in MO, I'd seriously consider that area, mostly for the schools, they are among the best on the MO side from what I understand.
But given the choice, I like where we are even more.
The religion thing was just a jab at Kansas because when I travel people are always saying something about how the schools in Kansas don't teach science. So I have to tell them that I live in MO since so many people associate KC with Kansas only. I know the school board has fixed that issue, but people only remember the negatives and Kansas was making a fool of itself for a while and indirectly making all of KC (since people think KC is all in KS) look the same.
You'll get no argument from me on that! That was quite an embarassment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kcmo
I don't even know if you said your schools are better, but I have heard it dozens and dozens of times how the schools are better in KS than MO and it's not true. Most people blow it off, I usually do, but I will eventually say something.
I think most of the time the comparison is between JoCo schools and KCMO schools, where it's no contest. People do forget about the other MO-Sub districts - and I agree some of those would be quite comparable. Choosing where to live is a "total package" kind of thing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kcmo
There is no place else in the country where so much of a city gets a free ride. We all pay ticket prices, but as MO residents, we pay thousands more per year to support the stadiums, museums, transit, health care for the poor, theaters, the zoo etc.
Again with the "free ride" thing. Our state income tax is higher (even if you add in the city earnings tax) and our property taxes are generally higher. I don't get what your beef is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kcmo
I honest to god think that people that live on the MO side are more "kansas city" than those on the KS side. I think the Kansas side people are more "Kansas" than KC and the MO side people are a bit more "KC" than Missouri.
That may be true. But a great many people who live in KS work in MO so I don't really see what your point is. When I come to MO for entertainment, and I pay $5 for 10 cents worth of diet coke, I don't really feel too bad for MO. When I tell people where I'm from, my answer varies with the perspective of the listener. I don't feel like I have to impress anyone.
Quote:
PS, I don't give a rip if JOCO is wealthy or not. I have lived in poor parts of KCMO and wealthy parts of KCMO. I have lived in the east side and the plaza. I have lived in the ritzy parts of Platte County and near Lakewood.
None of those areas rub me the wrong way like joco does.
For whatever reason, you seem unable to conceive of someone from JoCo who would NOT look down on you. So the issue may not be with JoCo. <shrug>
Quote:
I guess the difference is you are still in MO, most of the time you are in the city of KCMO. Kind of hard to look down on the area you live in. But even in the upscale and expensive parts of KCMO and suburban KCMO like Brookside, Briarcliff etc, you can get a sense of resentment toward JoCo if you stick around long enough and overhear or bring up a conversation about.
I think the bigger question is why do so many people resent Johnson County?
Think about that.
That's a pretty good question. A few MO residents have admitted to me that JoCo bashing is just a pasttime and that any true resentment probably has a lot to do with envy.
I'm not saying that's necessarily true, but I haven't seen much to convince me otherwise.
(FWIW, I've also noticed MO-bashing as just a pasttime in JoCo. But I have not seen the same true resentment and hostility toward MO, that I have seen coming from the other direction.)
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Another vote for Johnson County. It is a little more expensive, and there's a reason for that. It's nicer here. Our roads are cleaned off after a storm (I used to work in Missouri and when I would drive to work the roads would be clear till I hit the state line - then snow/ice covered). You won't see trash blowing down the streets. We have street cleaners that actually come and sweep the streets. People take care of their property (not saying that no one in Missouri does, but Johnson County as a whole is kept up very well). We have codes enforcement that doesn't allow you to paint your house bright blue or purple. You can't just stick a shed anywhere on your property, it has to be certain dimensions, in the back yard, painted to match your house). You can't park cars on the lawn or boats in the driveway. You can't have animals running loose. You can't have old junk furniture sitting on your porch. If your lawn gets too tall the city will come and mow it and send you a bill. Personally, I like the enforcement of things like that, but most people who live here don't need Codes to tell them to take care of their property.
That doesn't even make sense!
