Teacher from UK

[Crew Chief]

My wife, born & raised in Germany but now a U.S. citizen, teaches German (and must sometimes teach the ENGLISH grammar that her native-speaker colleagues omit...) in a middle school in a Dayton, OH suburb. Our district is one of the better ones in the state, as many of the students are from families where both parents are working in the professions and value education. Teachers in this area start out in the low $30,000 range (with a bachelor's). Your pay will rise rapidly as you gain your Master's (if your education isn't already equal to a Master's like my wife's German Magistern was). The cost of living here in the Midwest is far less than most of the East Coast (especially the Northeast) so your standard of living may be somewhat higher here. However, (IMHO) I believe that places like NYC, Philly, NJ, and the rest of the surrounding states offer much more cultural and historical diversions. But living in the Midwest isn't all that bad either. We LOVE the Western U.S. but find the cost of living much higher out there, too. We can always visit there again...

As far as landing a job, I believe luck plays a large role in your ability to get hired by a school district. My wife had actually applied for an English teacher position at a neighboring district but the one that actually hired her had asked around at neighboring districts when they desperately needed a German teacher. My guess is that ability to teach math, science or a foreign language might open more possibilities. But all of the disciplines are needed at one time or another.

[PDLW]

Thanks for all the info guys!! Much appreciated.

I've been teaching 8 years in the UK and I have reached a fairly respectable position, that pays pretty well. I really don't fancy have to go back to studying for a masters degree. Especially as it wouldn't make me a better teacher!

[DeaconJ]

Have you looked into the VIF Program? I taught in London for a year through VIF...and have taught with several VIF teachers in Atlanta from England, Canada, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, etc. Just a thought...VIF International Education

When I taught in London, I took about a $10,000 pay cut from my salary in Atlanta...but that was in 2003. Apparently salaries have increased quite a bit since then or either you have several years of teaching experience? **I just notice your statement above about 8 years of experience. For comparison purposes...in Fulton County, Georgia (an Atlanta system) your salary would be $48,000.

You might need to consider cost of living in addition to salary, as it varies widely in the U.S.

[PDLW]

Thanks Deacon, very useful.

I thought about VIF. Isn't it a temporary programme though? If I move I want it to be permanent, so I can settle down and have a family in a fantastic part of the world.

[PDLW]

One other question.

How different is the curriculum over in the US. I know this won't necessarily be an easy question to answer, but after a few years of teaching GCSE I'm getting a bit stuck in my ways!!