Possibly Moving From CA to PA (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh: low income, crime, homes)

[sfranciotti]

My family is considering making the move from central California to Pennsylvania. We have family in the Bangor area and loved it when we visited a few years ago. A few important details: we are both teachers so need to find a place where we can both be hired, my husband is also a wrestling coach and would love the Lehigh Valley area or other popular wrestling area, we are moving from no snow so would prefer to move to an area with lower snowfall to make sure we transition to the colder weather, safety and education are our top priorities because we have 4 daughters. We would love some recommendations on places to look into moving. Thanks!

[Wells5]

California and PA both belong to the "NASDTEC' teacher reciprocity agreement. I don't know too much about it and if you will also be required to take the "Praxis" or "ETS" tests.


Depending on your teaching area, you should know that getting a tenure track teaching job in PA is pretty difficult. PA teachers are among the highest paid in the USA and you'll have lots of competition for job openings in desirable locations.


Substitute teachers in PA must be certified and the pay is good. Lots of young teachers who can't find jobs substitute teach. School administrators favor substitutes who loyally come when called for tenure track job openings. You don't have to teach in the district to be a coach or even be certified. Coaches' salaries can be in the $20,000+ per year range.

[bridge12]

The least amount of snowfall will be found in southeastern Pennsylvania (Philadelphia metro) which is probably going to be the easiest transition in terms of culture and lifestyle from California, as well. The Lehigh Valley is a growing area, has good school districts, and is close to major metropolitan areas. It's a good a place as any in PA for you. The Lehigh Valley area is just north of the Philadelphia metro and does receive more snow, but still significantly less than the western or nothern part of the state.

[sfranciotti]

Thank you both for the information. I will be contacting the PA Dept. of Education before we move forward with anything else.

[Charley Barker]

SW and SE PA are not that different in totals each year. The difference is in the average snowfall event totals which tend to be lower but more frequent in SW and higher and less frequent in the SE due to coastal storms.

https://images.app.goo.gl/GfcbWbzcoLzoWnXq5

I don't know anything about teaching jobs (sorry!) except that PA is generally known to pay well with good pension plans in many districts.

[ambradley]

Where are you in Central California? Are you in an agricultural area or a city (Modesto/Fresno/etc.)? My wife and I moved from Elk Grove, CA (Sacramento area) to Mount Joy, PA (Lancaster area, about 1.5 hours WSW of Philadelphia). It helps that she grew up here and we've visited her family here many times over the years. Crime statistics are actually worse in much of Lancaster than Sacramento, but where we're at has been quiet and feels very safe.

Neither of us are teachers so I can't help with that, but feel free to ask any questions since I've recently made a similar move.

[jdhpa]

OP: be aware that the alternative to snow is often cold rain. When I lived in Pittsburgh we always joked about it being 33 and raining, but it's actually pretty accurate.

Good luck on your move.

[toobusytoday]

Teaching - Your education will be accepted per the reciprocal agreement, but you will need PA certifications. Right now the PA state department of education is being innundated with requests by districts for emergency certification for long term subs. Most schools in the Lehigh Valley are either virtual or hybrid right now. Some districts are requiring teachers to teach from the schools or from their homes, no matter which way they are teaching. Salaries can vary widely because of the way the school taxes are calculated. There are 500(!) school districts in Pennsylvania, and each one is unique. Athletic coaches are valued differently in each district. In mine, the coaches are given a stipend of just a few thousand, and are often not teachers. In some they are not paid at all, and different sports are valued differently. As another poster said, teaching jobs are competitive. If you have certification in a STEM field, you have a much better chance of being hired. https://www.education.pa.gov/Educato...s/default.aspx

My recommendation would be to wait until after COVID if you value your sanity. Also, when you look at homes, make sure you get all the information about taxes, that also varies widely. While the homes in PA, will most likely seem more affordable up front, the taxes are not low in any area that has good schools. Your best chance for a job is in the city schools, which, ironically pay less.

[JakeinChina]

Originally Posted by ambradley

Where are you in Central California? Are you in an agricultural area or a city (Modesto/Fresno/etc.)? My wife and I moved from Elk Grove, CA (Sacramento area) to Mount Joy, PA (Lancaster area, about 1.5 hours WSW of Philadelphia). It helps that she grew up here and we've visited her family here many times over the years. Crime statistics are actually worse in much of Lancaster than Sacramento, but where we're at has been quiet and feels very safe.

Neither of us are teachers so I can't help with that, but feel free to ask any questions since I've recently made a similar move.

Lancaster the city is mostly low income people, but the surrounding areas like Manheim Township are excellent with little crime.

[PBToast]

Right now is a good time for teacher relocation in that many teachers here have retired or left due to the pandemic. Most districts need staff. I have heard they might relax some rules to get people. But that depends on how you feel about teaching in these conditions. There will definite be openings though.

In fact that is going to apply to a number of types of jobs. Many people in various areas in gov jobs are retiring rather than return to work. There’s a mass exodus of boomers from the work force. I speak personally from the numbers leaving my husbands and my sisters wor places by year end.