Good small WA towns for a new teacher? (Spokane, Vancouver: apartments, rentals)

[awoo.crouse]

How's it going everyone, I'm currently located in the Southwest and on track to get a high school English teaching degree in the next year. I'm wanting to relocate to the Northwest soon after. I love Washington and Oregon, but I've read on here that WA is a much better state for teachers.

My question is, can anyone give recommendations for towns to look at?
Ideally, I'm looking for small to medium in size, woods-y, outdoorsy, and preferably with cheap housing/apartments as I'll be fresh from college. I'm also very into hiking, so great hiking trails are a huge plus.
If anyone is in education, any towns you'd recommend for specifically for teaching?

I've heard that the best idea is to blanket my resume around multiple towns in the state, and move upon receiving a job offer, but I'd like to get some recommendations from y'all first.

Thanks in advance!

[Diana Holbrook]

Depends what you mean by small to medium. Starting with bigger towns, there are a lot of good growing school districts in the greater Olympia/Lacey/Tumwater area, and it would be worth checking out the smaller towns out 20 miles to the South, West and East to see if any of them seem interesting to you. Our small timber towns were hit hard by changes in the logging industry a few decades ago... but they're recovering and finding their way again.... Towns like Shelton, Tenino, Rochester, Winlock, Rainier, all have positive growth happening again, and a small town feel that appeals to many people.

[texasdiver]

In addition to what Diana suggests, I'd look at all the districts in SW Washington from Vancouver to Longview. There are a variety of small towns with school districts that tend to hire: Ridgefield, La Center, Battle Ground, Woodland, Kalama, Kelso, and Longview. The further you get from Portland the less competition you'll have for jobs.

All the districts do their recruiting and application process online using the same system so it is easy enough to apply everywhere from long distance. You can't just send out resumes, you have to actually go through the online application process for a specific opening you are qualified for and they demand A LOT of background materials so not a bad idea to start collecting all that information now. Also start the process to get your WA Teaching Certification now. All the information and instructions are on the WA State Board of Education web site.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by awoo.crouse

Ideally, I'm looking for small to medium in size, woods-y, outdoorsy, and preferably with cheap housing/apartments as I'll be fresh from college. I'm also very into hiking, so great hiking trails are a huge plus.

If using <$750/mo as a somewhat arbitrary measure of "cheap", you should be looking at (and surrounding areas):

* Spokane/Spokane Valley (50+ rentals)

* Moses Lake/Ephrata (32 rentals)

* Yakima/Selah (22 rentals)

* Longview/Kelso (14 rentals)

* Centralia/Chehalis (7 rentals)

* Tri-Cities (6 rentals)

* Lakewood/Parkland (6 rentals)

* Aberdeen/Hoquiam (6 rentals)

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_ren...951_rect/6_zm/

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by awoo.crouse

How's it going everyone, I'm currently located in the Southwest and on track to get a high school English teaching degree in the next year. I'm wanting to relocate to the Northwest soon after. I love Washington and Oregon, but I've read on here that WA is a much better state for teachers.

...
Ideally, I'm looking for small to medium in size, woods-y, outdoorsy, and preferably with cheap housing/apartments as I'll be fresh from college. I'm also very into hiking, so great hiking trails are a huge plus.
If anyone is in education, any towns you'd recommend for specifically for teaching?

I've heard that the best idea is to blanket my resume around multiple towns in the state, and move upon receiving a job offer, but I'd like to get some recommendations from y'all first.

Thanks in advance!

as above...texd...
consider SW WA, Vancouver, WA and region (and up your housing budget), there are MANY school districts to canvas.
Look into the outlying areas for less expensive housing (Washougal, Skamania, Stevenson,
Amboy, Yacolt... )

It will be worth it to be near PDX (airport and Portland events / activities / 10+ colleges)
1 hr from Oregon Coast, Mt St Helens, Mt Hood, or Hood River, OR, 20 min to great hiking in Columbia River Gorge

Consider other housing options (renting someone's guest house / apartment in shop or daylight basement). My SIL has done house sitting in Hawaii for 30+ yrs, no apartment required! She has a group of wealthy people who travel a lot and she hops from home to home. A C-D poster got a 12 week house sitting gig last yr in Camas. (There are MANY gigs, as people here like to be GONE (usually in winter)! and plenty of retirees who snow bird) If you are a teacher... you can pick up an AK fishing job! extra $30k / yr. (during 6 weeks of summer), or travel blog writer for summer escapes.

I would recommend you also apply in WY and AK schools. (both well funded and good recreation states with no Income Tax) Can also do (income tax free) WA, AK, or SD tribal schools and get student loan forgiveness.

For a great teaching gig... consider USA DOD schools worldwide (maybe after a few yrs experience). Teacher friend who do that, seem to say... If ONLY I would have known to become DoD teacher at start of my career... (if you like to travel and have quite disciplined students!)

[mistyriver]

Snow or no snow?
Newport, WA is a small town with great access to outdoors, mountains, right on the Pend Oreille river, and a stone snow throw from Idaho and all of that outdoors goodness and skiiing