TX teachers, how do you enjoy teaching in your state? Also TN and NWA teachers, what is your opinion? (Howe: insurance)

[Jen.matthews78]

I've posted this on a couple of other forums, but I thought I would put it here as well in an effort to get more responses.

I've read some very informative posts and insightful comments on all three states (Tennessee, Northwest Arkansas, and Texas), but everyone's situation is unique. Ultimately, I think it will just be more efficient to post my own thread and see what turns up.

For numerous reasons, my family is planning to relocate and we're really only looking at the 3 states I've named. I think our family could be happy in any of the 3 states although--of course!--everyone in our family has his or her preference. Hunny bunny prefers Texas because he's lived there before, is comfortable with it, and has some family there. Dad (my parents will also be moving) votes for Arkansas because it's beautiful and hasn't reached the boom level of Texas brought on by the California exodus. We also have a slight connection to Tennessee because I have a friend in the Nashville area and we also have family friends who moved to Cornersville about 6 years ago.

At the end of the day, and given that I would like to be in place by the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, the deciding factor will likely be which state I can get a decent teaching job in. Still, I do want to continue investigating. A lot of information can be looked up on district websites and state department of ed sites and I have looked into some of those. However, I'm looking for some experiential input that isn't so readily available in those arenas.

TEACHING QUESTIONS:

1. All three states are in the top 15 states in the country for teacher quality (wage, student ratio) according to an article I read in USA Today. If you have teaching experience in any of the states, what were the advantages and disadvantages?

2. Are there many opportunities for teacher leadership? What kinds? Are these opportunities valued or encouraged by administration? Granted, there is a huge variety of teaching contexts, I'm just curious as to your own experiences in these states. My current district is tiny and affords many opportunities to wear several hats: new teacher mentoring, revision of district's master plan for EL success, or training of other teachers. I don't necessarily want or need those extra duties to begin with, but it's nice to know they exist.

3. I have taught both middle and high school for 13 years in a rural school that was close to a city. I teach both ESL/ELD and Spanish. I would like to stick to rural or suburban schools. I think TX will have many jobs posted for my skill set, what do you think my chances are in TN or NWA? Is there a specific region, county, or school district you would recommend?

4. The general administrative set up in TX and NWA seems fairly similar to what I've worked with in the past (State--> county/region --> local school district --> school site), but TN seems to be different. Some counties seem to operate as the school district and other (more populous, maybe?) counties seem to have school districts. Does that have much of an impact on day-to-day life for teachers? If so, is one better than the other? Why?

5. A common concern for most people regardless of profession is healthcare. In my current position, I cannot afford healthcare for me, my husband, and my 18-month-old, so just me and my child are covered. That leaves hunny bunny with minimal, cut-rate coverage with sky-high deductibles that isn't even worth the monthly premiums he pays. I'm sure that theme is common in TN, TX, and NWA. What are some work arounds that teachers do? I've heard of teachers having 2nd or even 3rd jobs to swing healthcare and housing. I've also heard of teachers opting for school district healthcare for themselves and buying private insurance for their families to save some money. Any input or opinions on this?

6. I've seen some jobs listed as 9, 10, 11, or 12 month positions. Is this specific to the number of paychecks a teacher would receive per year, or based upon the number of working days or what? It seems like if it's just the number of pay warrants, then a teacher would receive the same annual salary per years of service, it would just be distributed differently. Yet, I thought I saw on a pay scale that the 9 month position paid a substantially lower annual salary than the 11 month position for the same number of years of service.

[RSTX]

1. Never taught anywhere but TX.

2. You will have many opportunities in TX to lead if you so desire.

3. Lots of ESL positions in TX, as you surmise.

4. Not sure how to answer.

5. I am on my wife's insurance plan, not the local ISD insurance. No help here.

6. I'm on a 12 month contract. I get paid twice a month every month.

I'm sorry I'm not much help. There are many teachers here. Someone will be able to answer.

Best of luck to you.