Teaching: VA or MD? (Charlottesville, Fairfax: 2014, middle school, salary)

[Ranae319]

I'm a veteran teacher from Florida and plan to relocate to VA/MD area. I'd like to know if licensed VA teachers can teach in MD/DC as well (since its a tri-state area). Additionally, housing in NOVA is quite pricey.....is housing more economical in MD? I'm not sure of distance/commute between the states, an idea of the nearest cities/town between the two states would be appreciated.

[DCVA66]

I work for Fairfax County school system and although I am not a teacher (IT) I am pretty sure that you would need to have a license for Md. if you were to teach there. Just because we have a tri-state area, licenses from one state does not apply for D.C. or Md. As for traveling, you will find that traffic can and most likely will be a nightmare if you were trying to go from Md. to Va. or vice versa or around D.C.

My suggestion would be to pick a area and focus on that area. I can't speak for Md. or D.C. but we here in Fairfax County are bracing for another tough year with massive budget cuts. We've already gone about 5 years with no raise. Maybe other school systems in Va. are better right now? Hope this helps a little.

[CaliTerp07]

You cannot teach in any of those states/cities without the licenses matching in those states. Each has slightly different requirements.

Virginia: VDOE :: Licensure
Maryland: Certification
DC: Teacher Licensure | osse

Housing is quite expensive anywhere within easy commuting distance to DC. If you are a teacher, you can work where you live and do not need the added expense of DC proximity. I'd look at the further out communities--Prince William or Loudoun (or further) in Virginia, Howard or Anne Arundel in MD (or further). You may be able to find housing cheaper at the edges of Montgomery (MD) or Fairfax (VA), but realize that in this area there are no "hidden deals". You get what you pay for. If an area is cheap, it is either sketchy, the schools aren't very good, it is a miserable commute into the city, etc.

I would look at which state you want to be in first (or apply to places in both, if you don't mind dealing with paying for/applying for multiple licenses). Maryland has adopted common core, Virginia has not if that makes a difference to you. I'm not sure the different stances on unions, the different pay amongst districts, etc.

I teach middle school algebra in fairfax county. If you have specific questions you'd like to ask, feel free to PM me.

[Grsz11]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

I would look at which state you want to be in first (or apply to places in both, if you don't mind dealing with paying for/applying for multiple licenses). Maryland has adopted common core, Virginia has not if that makes a difference to you. I'm not sure the different stances on unions, the different pay amongst districts, etc.

Virginia is one of five states (with NC, SC, TX, GA - all of these things are just like the other) where teachers unions are ILLEGAL, and thus you don't have the collective bargaining you do in other states.

As far as getting a license here, it depends on what the requirements were when you got your current license and what qualifications you have met. My wife was not required to take the subject Praxis (PA used another test) but when we moved here she had to take that and still has to take the VCLA.

[tgbwc]

While Virginia is a Right To Work state and we don't have collective bargaining, there are teachers' unions and associations, so they are not illegal. you don't have to join.

As far as housing costs and other costs of living, keep in mind that there is another thread on this board in which there is a lengthy discussion about whether a salary of $51k is ok for this area. That's a salary you would make after 7 years with a BA. How many years of experience do you currently have? Do you have an advanced degree? Overall, I have no doubt that you would much prefer the current system in VA over what you deal with in FL., but salary-wise it's not the greatest (I've gone backwards) depending on your family size, spouse's job, and current expenses you carry. Some outlying counties such as Prince William, have salary scales that are more favorable considering the surrounding housing costs.

I have taught elementary grades in Fairfax for 21 years. Like CaliTerp wrote, feel free to PM me.

[tgbwc]

This report comes out every year and gives some good information. It's mostly VA schools, but does include Prince George's County and Montgomery County, MD.

http://www.fcps.edu/fs/budget/wabe/2014.pdf

[Ranae319]

Thank you all so much for the good info. CaliTerp07 and tgbwc: I appreciate the firsthand account of FCPS. I plan to come up for the Feb. 22 job fair. I hope this fair is smaller and more personal (with principals in attendance) than the one held back in March at UVA in Charlottesville. There were far too many states/districts and very chaotic - with little chance of scheduling appts with many of the districts.

Not knowing the area, I am at a loss for knowing which District to focus on. I prefer living farther out from the hustle of city traffic, with the school within a 20-25 min drive, going against the heavy flow of traffic, if possible. I have no problem teaching in at-risk schools and pray there is a need for my certifications: Eng 5-9, Eng 6-12, Reading K-12, and ESOL K-12. I taught middle sch for 2 yrs, but have been at HS level for past 8 years (11th & 12th).
I have applied for the VA license. There were a few trainings (CPR/FA/Defib and Child Abuse) I had to take/pay for, along with license fee; but it all went well. There is reciprocity between FL and VA, so obtaining a license should be a simple process. The VDOE will let me know if I need additional courses with respect to the history of the state.

Florida is NOT the place to teach! It is mind boggling how political it has become, even moreso in the last 3 years. I know all states are experiencing budget cuts, but FL is far beyond the realm of believable. In addition to a 6 yr period w/out a raise (like other states), we have had a planning period eliminated (now we teach 6 of 7 periods - we used to get additional pay for taking on a 6th period, now it's mandatory w/out compensation), added paperwork in the form of monthly "data" assessments, which takes hours to complete, reduction in the "raise" recommended by our wonderful Gov, increase in health ins premium (which counteracts the "raise"), and worst of all, a descent towards eliminating tenure!

New teachers and Annual contract (AC) teachers have no chance of becoming tenured. This step ensures most teachers will remain at the beginning salary level ($36,540) because not many will stay longer than 2 yrs. In the state's attempt to keep salaries on the low end, they are sacrificing student education, as it would be a difficult task for a school full of 1st & 2nd year teachers to handle the numerous and varied classroom situations as a veteran teacher would (many veteran teachers have opted to leave or retire). This is a move they will surely regret five years from now.

[choff5]

Be sure to keep checking with HR in FCPS regarding the job fair as from my understanding it's by invitation, or at least you have to have an appointment, not just show up. Don't expect it to be any less chaotic. I've helped interview there and while it is just for FCPS, they take over the high school with lots of interviewing going on. They do have great informational tables for all the information you need. If you want to be further out, check into Loudoun County Schools. They are growing fast as well and from what I hear have a higher salaries now than FCPS. I just retired from FCPS so am finally out of the stress. But some of the frustrations you mentioned are also here as well, such as paperwork and the continual emphasis on data collection, not to mention a budget short fall prediction at this time. Did I say how glad I am to be out of it?!

[Ranae319]

LOL! That's what I hear from some of my friends who retired when we heard we'd be required to teach an additional period w/out pay. Many of them said, "Goodbye" and they are so glad they did!

Teaching can be just as stressful as it is rewarding, but the bureaucratic nonsense is what makes it stressful for me, not the kids. I can handle them just fine. However, I'm in a District that tends to "enable" them. I don't think it's fair to them, because when they step into the "real world", there will be no one out there bending over backwards to give them 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chances because they "forgot" their homework, overslept because alarm clock didn't go off, missed the bus 3 days in a row, or didn't study and want you to let them re-test. Administration frequently asks us to "motivate" them to do their best. In my day, graduation day was motivation enough, and if I seemed to forget, my parents reminded me (in various ways) how difficult it would be without earning a diploma. I'm not quite sure what today's parents do???

I will check Loudon county as well. What cities should I focus on in that county for housing? Of course, I'm still floored by the cost of housing up there!

[tgbwc]

I think you could land a reading specialist or ESOL job today if you wanted one.