potential teacher to relocate (Phoenix, Chandler: transplants, apartments, for rent)

[smileez89]

Hi everyone! I'm really glad I discovered this site! I had an accident 2 years ago that resulted in me fracturing the right side of my face. Since then I have had problems with migraines when pressure systems come into play. It's only taken 2 years of going to specialists for them to figure it out. I can predict the weather better than most meteorologists though! The summer ones are the worst when the humidity and heat combine and linger for days . Winter ones are easier to manage. When I fell the surgeon told me I would want to relocate to a drier climate and the time has come for me to seriously consider it. Medications don't seem to be working at managing the symptoms enough for me to function.

So, when the last round of storms came through I decided to post my resume in Arizona. I hadn't gotten any bites from it in Nevada over the past year. However, in less than 24 hours the Foundation for Blind Children in Phoenix called me and conducted a phone interview. Now I'm planning to fly out for a face-to-face interview in the next couple of weeks. I've never been to Arizona, but I liked the dry climate in Nevada in the spring, winter and summer. I currently reside in NYS and this is a HUGE decision for me, so I have LOTS of questions!

Storm systems linger here - how bad are the monsoon storms?

I realize allergies are going to be anywhere and I get allergy shots. Most of my allergens I would not be exposed to in Phoenix. However, how bad are allergy symptoms for most people and what are the primary allergens?

How bad is the air pollution?

Are there better areas to avoid the "smog" than others?

My understanding is teacher salaries aren't great and the salary would be somewhere in the mid 40's for 9 months - what should I budget for rent, utlilities, etc? What is a decent salary for the Phoenix area? I am a music therapist, special education teacher and a teacher of the visually impaired. What is a good part-time job to have for a supplemental income if necessary?

The FBC is located on East Harmont Drive - though they have 2 locations in the Phoenix area and I'm not sure if that's the one I would be in. What's a good, safe location for me to look at places to rent when I come out for the interview? I do have 2 long haired dachsunds, so it needs to be someplace that allows pets. I also want to be in an area where I can meet people because I no absolutely NO ONE in Phoenix.

I have a GPS system - has anyone found them to be unreilable in Phoenix? I know sometimes when cities are constantly undergoing development and expansion the maps are not current.

Is there anything else I should be asking or concerned about?

All of this will happen VERY quickly if I decide to make this move for my health. I will have to sell my townhouse, figure out how I'm going to move my things across country, find a place to live and set up a classroom and curriculum before school starts in the middle of August. Unfortunately, I'm committed to work a summer program in NYS until the middle of August! No problemo ! I realize some things won't quite work out that way, but I want to make sure I'm making the right decision for my health before I uproot myself from my family, boyfriend, friends, house and career in NYS. Any information you have to share is appreciated! Thank you!

[Mom_2_specialneeds]

Not sure exactly where to begin, lol.

First of all, I will say that if you were to come and work for the Foundation for Blind Children that would be wonderful. My daughter has Cortical Visual Impairment due to suffering a massive Brain Injury when she was 11 months old. Her first year of preschool was at FBC. She blossomed unbelievably. The school is very active and they always have something going on. They do have a Day Treatment and Training program there during the summer. Also, many of the teachers and aides did respite and habilitation for the students to supplement their income. With your also being a music therapist, they are in high demand ESPECIALLY during the summer as the Department of Developmental Disabilities just started to approve the service.

As for allergies, I moved here 12 years ago from Kansas. This is the only year that I have ever had issues with them (I have them horribly when in Kansas) and that only lasted a few weeks.

In regards to smog/pollution, it can be bad but there are advisories but it's not as bad as cities like LA.

I would actually recommend residing near the school as it is essentially in the heart of the Valley. The metro area is weird. You may see a neighborhood that looks like a dump but then you take one turn and you in the middle of a gorgeous neighborhood. And Vice Versa.

I hope you do take the opportunity to come to the valley and work with the special needs population, we desperately need good people.

Also the salary is average for here, too. Condos/Townhouses are relatively inexpensive in the heart of Phoenix. Their other location is in Chandler which has become pricey.

[Finger Laker]

tons of opportunities for teachers and it's a lot easier to get in than it is in NYS

my allergies are worse here than any where else I've ever lived - usually syptoms for all of december and then again from Feb - June .......... don't know what my exposure is as I have never been to a specialist ........ maybe soon though

i only know one person who had GPS here and they didn't have issues with it ........ it's not needed though, a giant grid and when you get you N/S & E/W indicators figured out you'll be fine ...... not uncommon for a road to go 40 miles out here

if you are in NYS until mid-august ask what time they start - the schedule is much different out here - many teachers need to report at the end of July for classes to begin first week of august with most schools ending before memorial day ........in NYS i think they are still going to do regents about now

best of luck - lots of teachers move here for jobs so you should have a network built in

[smileez89]

Thank you so much for sharing the information about the school and your daughter. The majority of my current caseload has students with CVI. I appreciate the information you provided and am glad to hear the positive feedback about the FBC, particularly from a parent perspective! It speaks volumes! Do you have any specfic areas I should look at near the FBC while I'm in town? My only concern is the humidity and storms systems associated with the monsoons. I'm hoping some occur while I'm visiting so I see how my migraines are. Thanks again for the information!

[smileez89]

I'm surprised to hear you say it's easier to get into teaching in AZ than it is in NYS. I just printed off the reciprocity teaching requirements and I have no idea what the AEPA or the SEI are and if any of the tests I took in NYS are equivalent to them. NYS also doesn't have reciprocity for fingerprinting and I can't figure out what I need to do about my TVI certification! I haven't even looked into my music therapy license! You are correct - regents week is finishing up and this is the last week of school for most of the schools. I still have a couple students that I see next week. The school systems run on completely different schedules, so it doesn't look like I'm going to get a summer break at all this summer! Thank you for the information on allergies!

[Mom_2_specialneeds]

I definitely recommend the central phoenix area. The school is in a great area for commuting. You can find great places nearby. It's hard to really pinpoint an exact place because I don't know what your "tastes" are. There are some nice gated communities literally around the corner from the school. The staff at FBC are very very nice and will be more than happy to give you a good idea on where to go. It's also VERY close to the Biltmore area which is VERY nice and affluent with places to walk to. There are apartments and condos that are relatively close by.

Also, as for meeting new people, this city is full of transplants, I definitely recommend joining Real groups make a real difference - Meetup.com and you can meet a wealth of new people here in the valley!


The monsoons, however, do get really muggle but it is NOTHING like the rest of the country's humidity!

[ibarrio]

Special Ed teachers with experience can get a better salary then the mid 40's. Don't sell yourself short...shop around...Think of yourself as a commodity.

[smileez89]

I appreciate the encouragement in that department. I'm not always great at advocating for myself and I need to be. I have 3 areas of certification as I mentioned before and I'm going to be starting another graduate program for vision rehabilitation teaching in the spring of 2009. I have 8 years of teaching experience as a special education/teacher of the visually impaired and an additional 4 years in special education as a teacher assistant and music therapist. Any suggestions on where else I should be looking?

[Prinny]

I used to teach but I wasn't a SPED teacher so I can't what the school you'd be teaching for is like in regards to that compared to a public school. AZ. depends on the district you teach for but I think a teacher w/ a Bachelors minum starting is a little over 30K then they go by how much education you have after that and if you are making a lateral tranfer most places don't go more than 5 years experience in terms of pay.

As far as allergies go, I get bad allergies every few years. This year I am having very bad allergies. Last year my sinuses didn't bother me at all and I just finished antibiotics for sinus infection. Sometimes I wake up and go outside and start sneezing and other days I'm fine. I think you'd just have to see. The dry climate thing isn't the way it used to be when Dr.'s told people to move out to AZ. It can be really bad in terms of sinus irritation for me. Living in Phoenix I love so much though so it doesn't bother me when I think of that aspect of it.

[LivinginSDagain]

Originally Posted by smileez89

I'm surprised to hear you say it's easier to get into teaching in AZ than it is in NYS. I just printed off the reciprocity teaching requirements and I have no idea what the AEPA or the SEI are and if any of the tests I took in NYS are equivalent to them. NYS also doesn't have reciprocity for fingerprinting and I can't figure out what I need to do about my TVI certification! I haven't even looked into my music therapy license! You are correct - regents week is finishing up and this is the last week of school for most of the schools. I still have a couple students that I see next week. The school systems run on completely different schedules, so it doesn't look like I'm going to get a summer break at all this summer! Thank you for the information on allergies!

SEI is Structured English Immersion. I finished an equivalent here in CA. AEPA is just Arizona's Basic skills test for teachers.

I have heard NY can be a hard state to get credentialed in (as far as reciprocity goes). I think in would be easy to get your certification here. I am certified in NH, CA and pending AZ certification.

Check out the arizona dept of education website.