Teaching And Living In Sc (Columbia, Charleston: real estate, foreclosures, house)

[ean85]

I'm new to the site and I was just wondering if anyone had information on what it's like to be a teacher in SC.

My fiance has his bachelors degree in History with a minor in political science and only has a year left in finishing up his certification courses in Secondary Education, with certifications in: history, political science, and social studies. We're from Michigan, which is one of the top producers of teachers in the country, and there is NO job market here for him. We've already accepted that we will have to move out of state for him to find a job, and he's had advisors and friends in the program tell him that NC, SC, FL, and AZ are pretty "desperate" for teachers. So, I just had a few questions:

1) Does SC really hire teachers who aren't even certified? (that's what's going around the rumor mill here)

2) What is the pay like there for teachers? (Michigan teachers are the 5th best paid teachers in the country, how does SC compare?)

3) What's the cost of living like down there? (I'm just assuming it's less expensive than here in Michigan)

4) What are your winters like? (personally I HATE snow, so anywhere that doesn't get a lot, or any, is alright in my book)

5) What's the housing market like there? (Michigan has the third highest foreclosure rate in the country right now)

6) And overall, do you like living in SC? (We just want to start a life and raise a family in a place that doesn't have such a bleak future, like Michigan's is shaping up to be)

Any information you could give me would be greatly appreciated!!!! And I'm sorry if all of this has been asked before,

[Tommy1981]

SC is definitely desperate for teachers. I'm not sure about hiring non-certified teachers. The pay is probably alot lower than MI, but the pay most jobs in SC is much less than other areas of the country. The cost of living in SC is among the lowest in the nation. SC has a few mountains in the North West Corner. Thats the only part of the state that gets snow on any kind of regular basis, and then its usually 1-2 storms a year with the total snow fall usually 6" or less per season. The majority of the state doesn't deal with snow much at all. The same 1-2 storms a year will usually bring sleet/freezing rain for the rest of the state. Its generally a very mild winter in SC.

The housing market in most places is fairly strong. I just bought a house. Its defeintely a buyer's market, but a few times I ran into other buyers that contracted a house before I could get an offer in. Prices are down, but only by 5% or so. Much better than some places around the country.

I'd say SC is a great place to raise a family. I guess I'm partial since I was born and raised in SC. As a whole, there are fewer people and less urbanization in SC. There are few bigger cities, but our largest (Columbia, the state Capitol) isn't in the top 50 in the nation.

In our school system, there is a pretty wide gap between top and bottom. If you get into one of the better school districts I'm sure you'd have a much better experience than the lower ones. You can find rankings of our schools online. Most of the areas with good schools will be good places to live with better shopping, cultural and social opportunities.

[BeachTeach07]

From what I gather, your fiance wants to be a high school social studies (history) teacher. Do not be fooled. There is a decent need for teachers in SC but NOT so much with high school and DEFINATELY not with social studies. I live in Horry County and had to go to neighboring Marion County for a HS social studies position. Sure, there are some positions that open up in the summer but nothing is as "desparate" as some make it seem.
As for upstate SC, i think there are more HS openings than near the beach. I think teachers that get hired who aren't certified are those who can teach science and math which are in fact the critical needs subjects here. Those teachers would have to go back ASAP and get certified.
As for the pay, it's not the greatest but the cost of living makes up for it. To give you an example, I am a first year teacher with a masters degree and my salary is around $34,000. Again, I am in a poorer county and would be making more upstate or in the county i live in. I hope this info helps. Let me know if you have anymore questions i would love to help. : )

[sc teacher]

I am a teacher that has just moved from MI to SC...I can tell you that you are in for a HUGE suprise if you accept a teacher position in certain areas of SC. I am in the North Eastern portion of the state...and the children are the worst I have ever seen...Im not even sure that Detroit Public could compare! I have had desks thrown in my classroom...two fights in my room as well as numerous fights in the hallway...during the one yesterday, two boys were rolling around in the hall pummeling eachother and one was slamming the others head into the floor! I have even been threatened by a student! The culture shock is also more than I planned for!
So, while it is true that SC needs teachers...be VERY picky about where you choose to work! My advice is that you sit in on a class and make sure that you can handle it. As for living in SC, the cost of living is really about the same in my area as it was in MI. It is very pretty here and the weather is nice...but I am not happy with my job...I (stupidly) took this job over the phone and drove down here...over 12 hours...The pay is lower than the average MI school, but I thought I could "make a difference" in the lives of my students here. You should look in NC...where the pay is higher...also I would NEVER send my child to ANY school within 40 miles of this area...Please learn from my mistake and do your homework!! Furthermore...I only teach 5th grade...can you imagine what a highschool class would be like?

[smalloch]

I taught in SC 15 years ago and it was the worst experience of my life. There are so many social problems there and teachers have no rights whatsoever in the classroom. All of my friends who were teachers are now doing something else with their lives. I know there are bright spots here and there but I remember thinking that I would never let my own (future) child go to the school where I was working.

[Geechie North]

Bottom line is that you can teach in SC and you can live in SC, but you cannot do both.

[raising3boys]

I was a teacher in SC up until this school year. ( We are relocating back to Ohio.)
To answer some of your questions:

1. Yes, SC does hire HIGH school teachers that are not certified. They end up going into a program called PACE. You already have to have a degree in the area your are specializing in plus you do have to "jump" over hoops.

2. Pay depends on the area/location that you teach in. I taught in Darlington County and the pay scale is on their site. You can get the pay scales on most district sites. Unions are not in SC school districts.

3. Property taxes in some areas are cheaper. Food costs are most likely the same. I "think" cost of living is cheaper in SC.

4. Winters are very mild, however it has snowed in the PeeDee region( middle of the state). It can get cold,but the weather changes quickly!

5. I would say it depends on the region. I can only speak to the area that we lived in. It is not a buyers' market. We sold our house and got almost asking price. It was on the market less than 45 days. You can find out buy looking at real estate sites depending on the area you want to teach in. Near the larger cities, beaches, etc. I am sure the housing is a lot more expensive and more foreclosures.

6. SC was just "ok". I cannot say that I loved living there. We lived near Charleston for a short time and I think that was better. It depends on the type of atmosphere you are looking for in the long run. Where we lived in Darlington County was super to raise kids. It was a very small town.

My two cents: If you LOVE teaching and your heart is in it- it doesn't matter where you are.Sure some places have better schools, benefits, etc. but in the big picture if you Love what you are doing it doesn't matter. I have worked at a title 1 school and a school that was rated best in the county. Both schools hand there challenges, but the bottom line- I loved my job.