Moving/Teaching/Living in Phoenix (Mesa, Glendale: environment, relocate, apartment complex)

[rogetsthesaurus]

Hello Phoenicians -

I'm 26 and ready to leave Indiana. Grew up here, went to college here, and have taught high school here for four years. I will be visitng Phoenix (and AZ) for the first time in mid-March. I am going to apply to as many high school districts as I can. I would welcome your input on:

Gilbert High School District
Deer Valley Unified School District
Dysart Unified School District
Peoria Unified School District
Glendale Union High School District
Phoenix Union High School District
Tolleson Union High School District
Tempe
Paradise Valley
Scottsdale
Mesa
Chandler

Pros? Cons? Any schools that you know will NEVER hire out-of-state applicatnts? Any schools to stay far, far away from? I teach both English and social studies and have sponsored/coached a lot of academic teams & clubs.

I guess it's way too early to think about places to live. How far away are some of these suburb schools from downtown Phoenix? I would think downtown Phoenix is the place to be if you're in your 20s...or am I wrong?

I'm moving from a small liberal college town in southern Indiana, which I love, but it's getting too small now. I need a new change of pace and environment. I've taught for four years so I am hoping that gives me a slight advantage to other job applicants, although I'm daunted by how much AZ paperwork I have to have completed prior to interviews. It's not that way in Indiana...

ANY ADVICE & COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED!

[ibarrio]

How far away are some of these suburb schools from downtown Phoenix? I would think downtown Phoenix is the place to be if you're in your 20s...or am I wrong?

Scottsdale and Tempe are the places to be if you are in that age group.

As for teaching, Arizona does reciprocal credentials but they are usually only good for 1 year.

You will have to get fingerprinted then apply for the reciprocal.

When get your AZ reciprocal it will tell what you need to do to clear it. Usually some SEI training, an Arizona Constitution course or test, and the one or both sections of the AEPA.

[Finger Laker]

it's a pretty easy transition down - if going into dysart or glendale I would be very sure of what school I am teaching in - especially glendale

i would avoid tolleson altogether

[Great Joy]

We purposely chose to buy a home in Peoria because we heard about the great school system here. Now that we're here, I'm happy to say that I'm glad we chose this school district. While no district is perfect, our friends that are teachers here are very happy. I think approximately 1/3 of the teachers in Vistancia Elementary School are single, so you would have that in common with them. Since the entire NW valley is continuing to grow, I know we need more teachers, so you would be very welcomed. Best wishes in your search!

[MotleyCrew]

We have a son that will be graduating from a Peoria high school in May. We have been very happy with the results. We also chose n.Peoria to live due to the high scores the district has.

[kiowa65]

My wife and I have been in the valley for about nine years, we relocated from Oklahoma and are both special education teachers and are identifiable Native Americans. Our experiences have been good for the most part. However, when we went to apply with the Paradise Valley Unified School and the Fountain Hills School District the secretaries handed us classified applications when we said we were wanting to apply to the districts, "Things that make you go hum." Eventually we went to work for a private educational consultant company.

[rogetsthesaurus]

Thank you very much for all of the replies. I had a very successful visit with Peoria schools today and I am excited about that prospect. Where would be a good place a single guy in his 20s to live if teaching in Peoria (probably not in Peoria, right)?

I am also meeting with Boulder Creek, Sunnyslope, Sandra Day O'Connor, Barry Goldwater, Pinnacle, Chaparral, Paradise Valley, and many schools in Deer Valley...any thoughts on those?

[Great Joy]

Congratulations on your Peoria meeting!

For places to live, I would recommend condos, apartment complexes, or homes in northern Glendale, northern Peoria, or Surprise. If the Peoria job becomes Vistancia Elementary, then I recommend Trend Homes inside Vistancia because I know of "younger" people living there. About condos, apartment complexes, or other home areas for singles, I'm sure others here can provide more helpful details.