May 19 2008
Trouble in Forest Hills?
I’ve noticed that there seems to be an unusual increase in homes going on the market in Forest Hills in East Allegheny County over the last month.
Forest Hills is a good area to reside. It’s reasonably safe, and the borough does a nice job of keeping the streets clean during the winter. It has a small-town feel and quite a few amenities for an area its size - parks, community swimming pool and tennis court, and a business district that’s undergoing a revitalization.
It’s centrally located so you don’t have to travel very far to get to Oakland or downtown or Monroeville. Housing prices are reasonable. However, all of this is supported by fairly high property taxes - high, at least, for East Allegheny County.
So, the increase in new listings may just be a fluke. Or purely coincidental to the recent problems the Woodland Hills School District has been experiencing. Or not.
Over the last few months, the high school (located in Churchill) and the junior high (in Turtle Creek) have seen an increase in violence. It’s reached the point where the school district has found it necessary to keep police on hand to keep an eye on things. All of this will, of course, have an effect on how residents perceive the quality of education for which they’re paying.
Woodland Hills is certainly not the only school district to experience an increase in violence. Let’s face it - we live in a violent world. Aside from the wars that are being fought all over the planet and reported on in the media, we see it on television shows and video games (BTW, I am not for censorship of these outlets). Then there’s the gang violence. All of us - and I think especially children - can (and often do) get caught up in the Zeitgeist: the spirit of the times.
The other issue is how kids are dealt with who exhibit signs of behavioral problems, including violence, attention deficiency and depression. The method of choice in many cases is to feed them mind-altering drugs. I’m very leery of this approach - and that’s an understatement.
While doctors and Big Pharma may claim this is the best way to treat these kids, there has also been ample evidence that the drugs only exacerbate the problems in the long run. Do a Google search on this issue and you’ll find some very interesting perspectives.
But, back to the problem at hand. The usual question is, who’s to blame? Certainly parents need to be more proactive with their kids and their schools. And the school district should take a hard look at how they’re inspiring kids to come to school to learn and how the material is being taught.
It would be a shame if the problem in the Woodland Hills district is not adequately addressed.
For a recent Tribune Review article:
www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_565546.html
Post Gazette:
www.post-gazette.com/pg/08120/877371-52.stm
