I'm So Lost...help (educators, county, university, class)
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Hey Everyone,
I am Special Education teacher for the past 10 years at the same school in NC. I love my kids, but it is a tough job. The pay is horrible, especially what they did to veteran teachers. There is a lot of poverty so we have low parent involvement. It also seems the harder I work, the more they add on, and the less others work, the less they do. I feel needed here so I have stayed and toughed it out. Recently, I lost my family due to a traumatic event. I know I need a fresh start and I am open to anywhere. I have a great resume including department head. If anyone has some suggestions that sound like a place I would like I would really appreciate it.
- I love hiking and out door activities
-rain hurts me so less is better, warm is nice
-mountains, lake, or pretty landscape
-suburban to slightly rural, but I need to be close enough to fun activities
***Here's where it gets difficult*****
I made the mistake of going to a college out of state. I accrued almost 100,000 is student debt. That is over 1000 a month in loan payments, which is half of my take home. Not to be greedy, but to hopefully break these shackles, I need good pay at lower costs of living. I know different areas give supplements, sign on bonuses, and benefits, but it's not advertised.
Again, thanks so much for your help. [COLOR="rgb(255, 0, 255)"][/color]
Last edited by toobusytoday; 02-28-2017 at 06:05 AM..
Reason: fixed typo
I'm not a teacher. Aren't there programs where you work for ten years in lower income or more needy areas and you get your student loans forgiven after ten years? I know a couple of people who have done that in other fields. The placement wasn't too bad or too rural. Look around for a program like that.
Holy smokes, I feel your pain. I have about the same amount as student loan debt, my own, plus parent loans for my kids. I moved to Florida and it's like a joke what they pay teachers and I made a HUGE mistake coming here.
I'm sure you feel life spiraling out of control!
I've researched so much I could write a book. Places I've seen (and of course, this is just off my research, facts could be different in the field) that have (relatively) decent teacher pay with low cost of living are Ohio, parts of New England, parts of Virginia and Maryland. I hear Pennsylvania is good, but hard to find a job. I just saw something about Washington state that looked appealing, but I do hear the weather gets to you. I've always worked in Title I schools so never had too hard a time finding a job.
Holy smokes, I feel your pain. I have about the same amount as student loan debt, my own, plus parent loans for my kids. I moved to Florida and it's like a joke what they pay teachers and I made a HUGE mistake coming here.
I'm sure you feel life spiraling out of control!
I've researched so much I could write a book. Places I've seen (and of course, this is just off my research, facts could be different in the field) that have (relatively) decent teacher pay with low cost of living are Ohio, parts of New England, parts of Virginia and Maryland. I hear Pennsylvania is good, but hard to find a job. I just saw something about Washington state that looked appealing, but I do hear the weather gets to you. I've always worked in Title I schools so never had too hard a time finding a job.
I have tried to explain to people that the $60,000+ I could make here (Northern Virginia) is not near as lucrative as the $43,000 I made in small town Kentucky. However, the best place to be a teacher is not always the one that pays the best, including when adjusted for COL. Jefferson County (Louisville), Kentucky is high on the list, as it always is, but they struggle every year, including during gluts, to get qualified teachers in every classroom. To my knowledge they have never actually managed it. It was amazing how many teachers took pay cuts to transfer to surrounding districts when they had an opening. The problem isn't how the district treats its teachers, they are actually pretty generous and fair, it's the population created by the past busing "fixes" dictated by the Feds as a result of lawsuits in the 70's.
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In terms of pay and job opportunities, it's hard to beat certain parts of Virginia for teachers. Northern Virginia is always hiring, and the pay is good. Although the cost of living is very high, the pay in the counties and districts on the fringes of Northern Virginia, where living is cheaper, or where you can live even further out and commute in, is comparable to pay in the more central areas. Try Loudoun County and Prince William County school districts. Their pay scales are online. In both of those places you can get a 1 bedroom apartment for less than a thousand, with prices getting cheaper the further west or south you go from DC. Avoid Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria - higher costs of living there, without significantly higher salaries. Loudoun would also fit your slightly rural suburban requirement.
Also, try Charlottesville, VA. Teacher pay is much higher there than surrounding areas, due to the University, but the cost of living is more in line with southern Virginia, which makes for a good ratio. It's also rural/suburban, and very pretty.
Job Fairs are happening now, so this is the time to apply.
In terms of pay and job opportunities, it's hard to beat certain parts of Virginia for teachers. Northern Virginia is always hiring, and the pay is good. Although the cost of living is very high, the pay in the counties and districts on the fringes of Northern Virginia, where living is cheaper, or where you can live even further out and commute in, is comparable to pay in the more central areas. Try Loudoun County and Prince William County school districts. Their pay scales are online. In both of those places you can get a 1 bedroom apartment for less than a thousand, with prices getting cheaper the further west or south you go from DC. Avoid Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria - higher costs of living there, without significantly higher salaries. Loudoun would also fit your slightly rural suburban requirement.
Also, try Charlottesville, VA. Teacher pay is much higher there than surrounding areas, due to the University, but the cost of living is more in line with southern Virginia, which makes for a good ratio. It's also rural/suburban, and very pretty.
Job Fairs are happening now, so this is the time to apply.
This is where I live... that I know of, not in any part a single woman would want to live. It's in the $1200-1400 range. Most end up having to have roommates, at least the first couple of years.
__________________
When I post in bold red that is moderator action and, per the TOS, can only be discussed through Direct Message.
Moderator - Diabetes and Kentucky (including Lexington & Louisville)
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