Which Teacher gets more Catholic School teachers or Public School Teachers (Charlotte: relocate, insurance)

[morena47]

Hi
My family and I are planning to relocate to Charlotte next June. I was looking at both catholic and small district public schools. I was wondering how much does a teachers get paid in a catholic school and in a public school? Especially a teacher who holds two masters, one in special education and is a fluent Spanish speaker.What are the benefits in both school setting? Does a teacher's children get to go to the catholic school for free or is there a discount? Feel free to answer.
Thanks
Morena47
P.S. Not looking into Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, reminds me too much of NYC Dept of Education.

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by morena47

Hi
My family and I are planning to relocate to Charlotte next June. I was looking at both catholic and small district public schools. I was wondering how much does a teachers get paid in a catholic school and in a public school? Especially a teacher who holds two masters, one in special education and is a fluent Spanish speaker.What are the benefits in both school setting? Does a teacher's children get to go to the catholic school for free or is there a discount? Feel free to answer.
Thanks
Morena47
P.S. Not looking into Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, reminds me too much of NYC Dept of Education.

Is this a serious question?

Guess I thought it was just always understood that Catholic School teachers are THE most underpaid of all teachers on the teacher totum pole - it's always been that way in the south, not sure about the rest of the country. Fortunately for the kids in Catholic Schools most of their teachers aren't there for the money

[morena47]

Yes this is a serious question. Thanks for the information. True most teachers are not there for the money. Teaching is a calling One of the reasons why I love the teaching profession. We are there for the kids

[muffinman]

The link below will take you to the NC teacher salary page. Teachers are paid a standardized salary....a teacher who applies to teach in Elizabeth City, NC would earn the same in Char-Meck, save one thing. Each county can offer a supplement to increase the salary. This would be the only difference. Char-Meck's supplement is higher than other counties in this area because it has the largest tax base.

Salary Guides

As far as I know, two additional master's degrees don't bring any more salary than a single master's degree. That being said, a master's brings about $300 extra a month from the state's bank account to yours. What NC really pays big for is a teacher with a National Board Certification.

CMS does have a large bureaucracy but there are many good schools in the system. There are no 'small district public schools' because all NC public school systems are county based. Thus each county has a separate school authority instead of many school systems within a county as is common in NY, OH, MI, etc.

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by morena47

Yes this is a serious question. Thanks for the information. True most teachers are not there for the money. Teaching is a calling One of the reasons why I love the teaching profession. We are there for the kids

I would say you should still give the Catholic Schools a look see, they used to have a hard time finding qualified Spanish teachers Also, check out nearby Cabarrus County schools - I like them best for their smaller size and general overall good schools

[morena47]

Thanks so much everyone. This information was very helpful. My kids and I are looking forward to making this big move.
Thanks

[TheEmissary]

Originally Posted by morena47

Yes this is a serious question. Thanks for the information. True most teachers are not there for the money. Teaching is a calling One of the reasons why I love the teaching profession. We are there for the kids

morena47 - loves is right - pay in the Catholic schools everywhere, leave a lot to be desired. If you're thinking of moving down here to teach, with your qualifications, you'd be welcomed with open arms, but fairly empty wallets. The religious demographics here are very different than the New York area. There are just not as many Catholics here, as you'd find in a Northeast State. Most of the local parishes consist of just the church with no school. I'm originally from NJ, where Catholic churches and their associated schools seem to be on every third street corner, in larger towns and cities. Here, they are a relative rarity. A great percentage of the Catholic population is Hispanic and not terribly affluent, so there is no movement to build the high schools and grammar schools that you'd see in the Northeast. The few Catholic schools in the Charlotte area tend to service the upper-middle class in South Charlotte.

You would find your salary in a Catholic school to be very low. Even with your impressive qualifications, you might be starting out in the high 20's or if you're lucky the low 30's. NC schools' salaries are controlled by the state and are low compared to other areas of the country. There was a recent effort to boost teacher's salaries to the national average by increasing the tax on cigarettes, but it was defeated. Some teachers find the restictions on teaching styles by the administrative portion of many school districts to be a bit heavy-handed. If you have a family that requires medical insurance, a good portion of your salary ($300 or so for spouse $650 for family) will be paying for it.

Now, if you are not discouraged by the above paragraph, you will find teaching jobs easier to come by than in the Northeast. Bilingual special ed teachers are probably worth their weight in gold. You should put in an application ASAP in the counties you are interested in. Another hiring swell seems to occur in Sept, so if you don't hear anything instantly, don't get discouraged. I wish you the best of luck in your job search! Some school system will be lucky to get you!