Northwest PA towns - good/bad? (Pittsburgh, Erie: movers, lawyers, house)

[puff5655]

Hi all. My family is moving back to NW PA, to be closer to my parents who are in Dunkirk/Fredonia NY. My husband is a math teacher, we’re just waiting on his certification to be approved and he can start job hunting. We’re looking at anywhere from Erie east to Allegany (Warren area). Just wondering if there are towns/schools we should stay away from for any reason. Or which have a good reputation.

Also, hoping this isn’t a touchy topic but thinking about long term- we’d like to end up closer to my family in NY, but have heard taxes in NY are far worse than PA. Truth to this? Property taxes don’t seem too different.

[Wells5]

A math teaching job especially with a computer science endorsement is easier to get than other teaching areas but by no means easy. I would first find an opening before deciding on a place to live. And don't be too selective as there is intense competition for openings at the more academically high performing schools.

[puff5655]

Oh definitely not being picky, we will go wherever we need to for the first year. But if we do have options we want to be able to make an informed decision.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by puff5655

Oh definitely not being picky, we will go wherever we need to for the first year. But if we do have options we want to be able to make an informed decision.

I would advise, if you are hired in a small district which most are in NWPA, that you not live in that district.
Ex: teach in Brookville, live in Punxsutawney. Twenty miles distant between towns but they are fairly large districts in area, although small student census, so you can live in one and be eight miles from your work.

[puff5655]

Thanks, what's the reasoning for this?

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by puff5655

Thanks, what's the reasoning for this?

Teachers are highly educated, caring, and selfless. They are also the highest paid individuals (other than doctors, lawyers and random CPAs) in much of not just the NW quadrant but much of PA.

As such they are the target of ire by many people when their tax bills arrive in the mail. I can name, off the top of my head, likely a couple hundred movers and shakers in that area who despise teachers. That's not counting just the regular people.

I went to high school with guy who dropped out. When he was qualified age wise to do so he ran for a seat on the local school board and won. His campaign theme? "It's time for some payback". He continued to be reelected until he died. And he was successful in fulfilling his theme.

If you don't live where you teach that means that you can probably go to a pizza joint and have a beer with your meal without someone calling your Principal to tell him/her you're so drunk you're falling down. This happened to a friend of mine a few years ago and she got so pissed off she quit. Thirty plus years down the toilet.

Your wife can drive a nice car where you live, while you drive the POS to work, without someone bringing you up by name at a school board meeting as evidence that teachers should not get a raise and ought to really take a pay cut.

You can buy a nice house elsewhere without worrying that your students' parents make that an issue.

I grew up up there. I saw each of my examples play out, plus many more, over the years. Teachers are hated in many of those areas.

I pumped gas with my high school Chem and World History teachers when I was in college. People would come in and say crap to them like " Must be nice to be so greedy when us poor people pay you so much". That was one of the nicest things.

[bluecarebear]

Why not move to NY? The COL is almost the same. PA is very poor. We pay high taxes (infrastructure is a money pit) but there never are any visible results. NY has the reputation for higher taxes but the money gets to the local governments and businesses. You didn't mention if you have kids. One perk for moving to NY is their free college tuition. There are requirements for the free tuition but it is worth it.

[rowhomecity]

I would focus on the Erie area. More opportunity.

I honestly think your best bet though would be the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh. You are still fairly close to NY. And lots of opportunity in a thriving and growing area.

[rowhomecity]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

Why not move to NY? The COL is almost the same. PA is very poor. We pay high taxes (infrastructure is a money pit) but there never are any visible results. NY has the reputation for higher taxes but the money gets to the local governments and businesses. You didn't mention if you have kids. One perk for moving to NY is their free college tuition. There are requirements for the free tuition but it is worth it.

Pennsylvania is not 'very poor'. Rural America is poor, which the pockets of rural Pennsylvania and rural Upstate NY reflect the same demographics by almost all standards.

Pennsylvania has the second wealthiest zip code on the East Coast and 6th wealthiest zipcode in the nation. Amongst other commanding facts.

Is rural America struggling. Yes.

Is all of Pennsylvania struggling. Not by any means.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by rowhomecity

Pennsylvania is not 'very poor'. Rural America is poor, which the pockets of rural Pennsylvania and rural Upstate NY reflect the same demographics by almost all standards.

Pennsylvania has the second wealthiest zip code on the East Coast and 6th wealthiest zipcode in the nation. Amongst other commanding facts.

Is rural America struggling. Yes.

Is all of Pennsylvania struggling. Not by any means.

A couple things:

The OP is looking for a teaching job, so growth in Pittsburgh wouldn't necessarily translate to more teaching jobs opening.

The other thing: a three hour drive (from Pittsburgh to Freedonia, NY) through the mountains isn't "fairly close".