Teacher wants to relocate to Tampa Area (Sarasota, Bradenton: renting, house)

[Mbrittman]

My wife and I are very active outdoorsy people and we have two children, 3 and 9mo that love to be outside. We live just south of Indianapolis and are tired of the weather. It's miserably wet and cold through the winter and blazing hot and humid in the summer. Fall and spring some years comes and goes in a weekend or two. So, we are contemplating a move to the Tampa/Sarasota/Bradenton area. I am a high school Biology teacher and my wife is a pharmacy technician. I assume she could find a job relatively easy but finding a teaching job anywhere is never easy.

How difficult is it for a teacher from another state to get licensed in Fl?
What school districts in the area should I avoid as a teacher and as a parent?

We currently live in an 1800 sq ft 4 bedroom house we bought for $140000. We'd like to stay in the 1200 sq ft 3 bed $100-140000 range. There appears to be a lot of great deals in Fl but looks can be deceiving.

We also have a great trail and park system where we live and would like to move to an area with that as well.

We don't need or care for night life. We are looking for an area with young family's ( I just turned 30 my wife is 29) and outdoor lifestyle. Sidewalks for running and biking with the kids, quiet neighborhood, with friendly neighbors are what we're used to and looking for.

Bradenton seems to fit that description well but I worry that I'd have a long commute for work, asumming I can even find work. Its also close to Tampa which has all the amenities of Indy and then some. What neighborhoods in Tampa would you recommend?

Thanks for the help!

[lavender]

I think you can find somewhere to live, but check the situation with employment, this is an area that is not putting a lot of money into schools just now, there could be some instability in Education jobs just now.

[Mbrittman]

I went to the Florida DOE and most of the job postings were for charter schools or schools in areas I wouldn't want to live and teach in. However, most schools won't post openings until June when they know who retiring/leaving so I kind of expected that.

[crazynip]

Florida is about the worst state in terms of being a teacher. I would find somewhere else to move... you will regret it.

[indytoflgirl]

We moved from Bedford Indiana about 4 years ago. We are both teachers and I found a job quickly (Special Education) and my husband who has a social studies degree is still teaching out of field as a science teacher. The governor dislikes teachers and leads the legislature into rather punishing laws. We teach in Tampa and are in a evaulation process funded by Bill and Melinda Gates, it's in its second year and still not conpletely understood by anyone (including administration). I would suggest you go to Hillsborough School District website and look at the EET site, along with the Employment Opportunities...to be considered, you must put in an application soon (the site tells you the dates). From my friends in Indiana, it sounds a lot like not my man mitch is copying Florida. The Hillsborough School District has not laid off any teachers which is a testament to their planning. We live in Odessa and my husband was able to find a teacher's job in the first September we were here (English), but he had to drive the equivalent of driving from Bedford to the north side of Indy everyday. He was able to transfer after the first year and now on a good day, he drives 35-45 minutes. I drive about 20 minutes. The area is huge, Hills is the 8th largest school district in the nation. We LOVE it here!!! Certification isn't that big a deal and with your science teaching degree, you certainly have a better chance!

[things and stuff]

What are the salary and benefits like at these private charter schools? Not sure how it works in Florida, but I can't imagine that they're very good for those who aren't connected with the administrators.

[crazynip]

Originally Posted by things and stuff

What are the salary and benefits like at these private charter schools? Not sure how it works in Florida, but I can't imagine that they're very good for those who aren't connected with the administrators.

Probably terrible salary and little benefits. Private schools in Florida pay horribly. The only thing they offer is USUALLY better kids. Ghetto scum kids cant afford private schools so you get kids who usually want to learn.

[Mbrittman]

@indytoflgirl - that's funny! My wife and I are from Salem. In the late 90's I was giving BNL a hard time on the hardwood.

Yeah, Mitch and the State Sup are pushing through some major nonsense. However, I think everyone's freakin out prematurely. Most of the reforms are actually good, the grade scoring system doesn't account for a lot of things and performed based pay is always a bad idea. But I digress.

I drive 30 minutes now from Greenwood to Martinsville.

So just putting in a resume with the school districts is the best route to go?

How exactly did you guys find work?

Thanks.

[indytoflgirl]

Small world, huh!? Hiring is very different here, the principals actually hire so you need to contact individual principals, but what you need to do is sign up for Hiring Day (sometime in late June). It is only by invitation after your qualifications are examined, no way around that..right now, teachers arre being hired on a temp basis til the end of the year. What you need to do is start the application process. I was very lucky, my cousin worked at a school that needed a special education teacher and she was able to help me. My husband just kept sending resumes to principals. We are used to tiny districts, Hills ONLY hired 600 teachers last year (usually twice as many), amazing!! We have a wonderful realtor, too, who would be happy to talk with you and your wife about housing. If you are fortunate enough to get a position, then you could start house shopping/renting process, hope this helps!!!

[corvidae]

Originally Posted by crazynip

Probably terrible salary and little benefits. Private schools in Florida pay horribly. The only thing they offer is USUALLY better kids. Ghetto scum kids cant afford private schools so you get kids who usually want to learn.

"Ghetto scum kids?" Just because you don't live in a wealthy neighborhood, it doesn't make you scum. Let's not be hateful, Crazynip.