Special Ed. teacher looking to relocate (Columbia, Charleston: transplants, job market, best school districts)

[harrison21]

I moved to CO from OH for a teaching job about a year and a half ago. Even teaching special ed, the job market for teachers is impossible in OH. The job market is great for us in CO, and for that reason I have really tried to like it here- but I just absolutely hate it. The major reason is that there is 8-9 months of winter and it seems all people are interested in is skiing/snowboarding. I'm mostly looking at the southern east coast states as possible locations, and right now I'm just trying to gather as much information as possible so I can decide which state's licenses to apply for and start job searching in. So if you can answer any of these questions, that would be great! I did do a search, but a lot of the specific information I was looking for was a couple years old, so I wanted to get the more current info. I've read a lot in various southern state forums about low pay, no unions, no tenure, etc. Just to get that out of the way- CO already has all of that and more. We're actually 50th among the states in teacher pay compared to cost of living- so I have nowhere to go but up. We also have merit pay based on test scores, budget cuts (I took a salary cut this year and pay more for my benefits, and if I stayed I'd be taking another BIG cut next year). I just want to get that out of the way so I don't get a bunch of posts about low pay/budget cuts and things like that.

1. How is the job market for special education? I currently teach k-5 for students with mild/moderate disabilities. I'm willing to do any elementary grade, but I want to do mild/moderate (as opposed to severe/profound). I will have 2 years experience at the end of this year, I have great references, and I have good data to show a lot of growth in my students. How realistic is it to expect to find a job in a good school in SC? I don't want to go through applying/paying for my license and everything only to find out the job market isn't that great.

2. I'm 24 and would be moving alone. How is single life for people my age? What about the nightlife? Is it easy to meet people (not just for dating, friends too). Not sure if this makes a difference, but I am female (apparently based on my username, a bunch of people in another state's forum thought I was a guy and that tailored a lot of their responses). Which areas would be the best? My ideal location would be close to a city as well as close to the ocean. I'm willing to look in various places, but I am not willing to move to a rural area.

3. I'm not sure anyone would know unless they're a special education teacher themselves- but what are the programs like? I know it can vary by district, but answer if you can. I have a few "non-negotiables" when it comes to the type of program. Right now I'm in a pull out program where I take the students to a resource room and do my own instruction. I really like that type of program. However, I know in OH this is very rare, and most teachers do "push-in" or "full inclusion" instruction where as the special ed teacher they go into the regular ed classrooms to work with the students. I don't like the system because generally the special ed teacher ends up being treated like a para pro (managing behavior, walking around and answering questions for students who need help, pulling one or two students aside in the classroom to help them with an assignment) and doesn't get to do much if any actual teaching. Are the programs in SC geared more towards pull-out or push-in?

Thanks for your help!

[innovator82]

I'm not an expert on what you are asking re: special education, but one resource you may want to look at is:
CERRA || Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement || Home (http://www.cerra.org/home.html - broken link)
From their website, they "provide leadership in identifying, attracting, placing and retaining well-qualified individuals for the teaching profession in our state." It is associated with Winthrop University in Rock Hill, which is very involved with and highly regarded in teacher education here in SC.
It looks like they do a teacher expo every year (I am assuming job fair?) and it says that special education is a "critical needs" area in SC. (I have heard this before - that special education, foreign language, sciences, etc. are deemed critical needs in SC - and I'm not sure but there may be some sort of program through the state Dept. of Education to attract teachers to teach in these areas in certain districts.) South Carolina Department of Education

As for your ideal location for meeting others and building your life: start with the main metros of Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston and their suburbs which are most likely to have the most young professionals/shopping and dining/other transplants/best school districts. There is also the Fort Mill area which is a fast-growing suburb of Charlotte, NC as well as Myrtle Beach which would put you at the ocean but in a more touristy area.

Hope this helps. Good luck!