[Rae78]

My husband and I are considering moving to Florida, but we are not sure where to start looking. We would like to be near the beach, and we also need to be able to find teaching jobs. I am a special education teacher with a masters and a CAGS making 63K a year in Massachusetts. I understand that I will probably not make this much down there, but I am looking for a nice, safe area, near a beach, with good teaching jobs. Any suggestions???

[Retiredcoach]

Originally Posted by Rae78

My husband and I are considering moving to Florida, but we are not sure where to start looking. We would like to be near the beach, and we also need to be able to find teaching jobs. I am a special education teacher with a masters and a CAGS making 63K a year in Massachusetts. I understand that I will probably not make this much down there, but I am looking for a nice, safe area, near a beach, with good teaching jobs. Any suggestions???

Stay where you are. You will be hard pressed to find a job in Florida for teaching, even with salaries that a fraction of what you are making now.

[BioAdoptMom3]

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I am a teacher too and wanted you to know that in every district as far as I know, there are hiring freezes because of the budget. A very dear friend of mine, who happens to be my grade level partner has a DH who is a pastor, who was transferred across the state (3 hours from here) last summer (year before last). She is still driving back there every Friday afternoon, and leaving there every Monday morning at 4 to get back here to school. She stays in a small apartment the rest of the week because there are NO teaching jobs anywhere. It is impossible for her to transfer. Our education budget cuts in FL are incredible!

Nancy

[SoFLGal]

Ya know, I thought there was a hiring freeze for Sarasota county and they even laid off a few teachers at the end of last year. But then at the beginning of this year there are like seven new teachers. I'm not too sure how that happened. My kids attend Pine View School for the Gifted in Osprey, FL. It's a public gifted school.

[KoZmiC NinJa]

Ive posted this before, so I apologize for the redundancy.... Florida only 'teaches' to the FCAT. High steps on the Masters scale will hurt you more often than not. Realistically, a teachers aide can fulfill all the requirements to get kids to score ok on FCATS. When hiring, a first year teacher is most likely going to get preference over an experienced educator in these types of budget years. You will be shocked at the 'system' coming from NE If you do get contacted by a school in West Palm, be very careful and do your research. Some of the schools here would be a very undesirable work situation.

[Rae78]

Thanks for all of the info. The other possibilities are that I could work in a college, and I have certification as an assistant principal. How are those prospects down there?