VA Teaching certificate! Which District/Schools? (Arlington, Alexandria: apartments, rent, condo)

[Ranae319]

I just received my VA teaching license in the mail and I'm excited. I'm not sure where in NOVA to begin my search. Subject areas are HS English, MS English, and ESOL K-12. My preference is High School and ESOL, but I'll take what I can get. VA Dept of Ed didn't include my Reading Endorsement because I haven't finished my Masters.....can't be Reading Specialist without it & it seems Intensive Reading is not a course like it is in FL. (Hope that's a good thing and VA students are reading on a higher level & don't need much remediation!)

I hear Fairfax hires the largest number of teachers. My colleague, who also received her license, and I plan to attend the Alexandria district job fair on April 26th. Does this district hire as many teachers as Fairfax? Can anyone recommend a district that would be interested in English/ESOL teachers?

I would really like to sign a contract during my visit, as I would like to move up in June (to acclimate prior to Fall & possibly work summer school....that would be a great way to begin!). Also, I'm anxious about housing. I have a big dog (Black Lab/Border Collie mix) & a college-bound daughter, who will be only home during breaks. I would like to have at least a 2BR/2BA w/fenced rear yard....(don't want to get in trouble for dog getting loose & roaming the streets).

Any info on schools or complexes that allow big dogs will be greatly appreciated. Thanks all!

[CaliTerp07]

It will be extremely hard to find a 2 br/2ba with a yard. 2 bedrooms is basically restricting you to a condo/apartment. You will need to go to 3 bedrooms to find a fenced yard (either a townhouse or a SFH). I would not even begin to look for housing until you know where you're going to be teaching! I don't want to be super negative, but if you are going to be paying the rent by yourself, it is going to be extremely hard to afford a yard on a teacher's salary. Many, many people have dogs in apartments here because that's what they can afford.

The top 3 school districts in terms of size are Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties. I would apply to all 3. Alexandria is quite small (only 1 high school) and Arlington is pretty small too (only 3 high schools I think). They are also hard to break into without experience.

And don't worry, Virginia kiddos struggle to read just as much as Florida kiddos. They probably just name the courses something different We offer "read 180" and "action literature" at my school for struggling readers.

[Ranae319]

Thanks for the info. We have Read 180 here as well, along with Voyager and Reading Plus. Course names are sometimes different, but same remediation. I prefer 3BR, but figured it would be even more costly and I could make do with 2BR. Now, I live in a 3BR/2BA for $925, unheard of there! But I'd be willing to pay the cost to live in a decent place with a fenced yard (leaving my dog is not an option), so I'll just have to bite the bullet. I also tutor on the side to supplement my income and I do well here, so I thought I'd be able to do just as well or better there since it's a larger area. For now, I'll focus on getting a contract and worry about housing afterwards. Thanks again!

[Fredesch]

Good luck in your search. Today's Washington Post has a front page article on some teachers in Fairfax. If you are just starting in teaching you will make close to $40k. You will need to make $100 k in this area to avoid a horrendous commute.

My wife is a Fairfax county public school teacher and I would not recommend you work for FCPS at this time, pay has been stagnant for several years and you will be expected to work many hours outside of contracted time.

[won'tbestill]

Congrats on your teaching license! I work for FCPS I love the school I am at. The county does hire a lot of teachers, this year there is a huge budget concern but that isn't suppose to affect the classroom. Summer school positions closed last week, I think, but you could check the web site and see if it is still open. My advise applu online and then if you aee a position you are interested in and can see the school it is located at go ahead and email the principal. I can't remember if you will be able to or not being outside the county. I can because I am employed there already. Cost of living is very high we pay 1708 for a two bedroom apt 30 minutes from work if leave at 6 a.m. If I wait and leave just 15 minutes later I am late for work at 7. Many teachers I work with love in Fredricksburg or Haymarket and drive in. One lives in Stafford and makes the trek everyday arriving at 5:30 a.m. to beat traffic. You'll start out at a good salary and depending on the school will have lots of opportunites and support to grow. If you are going to have a room mate (ever single person I know does) rent won't be so bad but you'll have to learn the rush hours times and work around them if you want to stay sane. Also a good thing about FCPS is if you don't like the position you are in (principal, staff, kids etc. whatever) it is fairly easy to move about the county once you are in. Just remember don't bad mouth anyone or any school because eventhough it is large it is very very small and word travels fast. Good luck in your search!!

[Ranae319]

For the info. I will bring in 10 years of teaching experience, so I hope to earn more than 40k. Rent is outrageous I see! How bad is a commute from Woodbridge to a Fairfax school. Is there a particular school closer to Woodbridge city line? I'm not too particular, so I could begin my search there. I'm moving from Fl, so I'd like to keep the commute and the rent reasonable, at least in the beginning. Thanks for all the input.

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by Ranae319

For the info. I will bring in 10 years of teaching experience, so I hope to earn more than 40k. Rent is outrageous I see! How bad is a commute from Woodbridge to a Fairfax school. Is there a particular school closer to Woodbridge city line? I'm not too particular, so I could begin my search there. I'm moving from Fl, so I'd like to keep the commute and the rent reasonable, at least in the beginning. Thanks for all the input.

It depends on what part of Woodbridge to what part of Fairfax County. Driving from just south of Occoquan to Halley ES or South County HS could take 15 minutes. Driving from Potomac Mills to Chantilly HS...I don't know...an hour+?

[won'tbestill]

FCPS has schools that are in clusters. This will typically give you schools within a decent commute to the area you live in . If you go to FCPS Home Page Redirect Page there is a way to see list of schools in a particular cluster and it even provides a map. I actually started FCPS above 50 with less than 10 years so you should be fine. Where t live is entirely up to you, I like Woodbridge but would not like the commute to Fairfax. Of course working near where you live is always ideal but I have learned it doesn't always work out that way and have found myself much happier across town. Good luck with your search.

[Fredesch]

If you have 10 years of experience you should get closer to $60k than $40k. I believe FCPS has 23 high schools, look up South County and Hayfield HS. I am not sure if there are any closer high schools to Woodbridge.

[Middlin]

Why not apply in Prince William County? Salaries are close but housing is much cheaper not to mention reducing your commute time.