[brokensky]

I post on the Charlotte, NC forum. We are getting inquiries regularly from teachers in MI who are considering re-location. Our salaries are not as high as those for teachers in MI, but we have a great quality of life here . . . and we welcome out of state teachers.

So just wanted to say . . . if you are ready to think about a move, consider the Charlotte metro area. Charlotte is the 10th fastest growing city in the nation, according to the latest stats.

And no, I don't work for the school system, LOL.

[CortlandGirl79]

I'm gonna guess you are getting a lot of posts from Ohio and PA too. Unfortunately, our 3 states produce way more teachers than are needed. My brother teaches school in jacksonville and lives w/5 other teachers. All of them are from NE OHIO and i believe all of them graduated from the same small (D-3) liberal arts college in Alliance, Ohio, Mount Union. I also know a ton of people from my hometown who are currently teaching school all over the state of NC, many are in the Raleigh-Durham area.

[Quemonius]

I have never been to NC but I have always dreamed of living there.

I am trying to convince my husband to move out-of-state. He's not so sure. Metro Detroit is a security blanket for us because both of our families are settled here.

As a laid off teacher, I am really not ready to fight all the thousands of applicants for a position and then get kicked in the teeth again. I want to feel welcomed, needed and appreciated. I hear NC is offering that.

However, I don't want to jump through more hurdles and hoops for certification. I fought tooth and nail, grew gray hairs, and went into more educational loan debt trying to secure my professional teaching license.

All to be laid off after 10 years.

Sigh.

[HighlandsGal]

NC teaching salaries are way, way, way lower than Michigan's. I could not live as a teacher in NC

[jaynarie]

Originally Posted by HighlandsGal

NC teaching salaries are way, way, way lower than Michigan's. I could not live as a teacher in NC

They really aren't THAT much lower. New teachers in my district start at 32K, which is only a few thousand lower than Michigan. And, if you teach in the city, you could start at 35-36K. Plus, they have been giving a 4% increase to the base pay every year for the last few years. If they do that again, a new teacher will start around 33K in my school next year.

[Cato the Elder]

Make sure it's an apples to apples comparison. Do you work in an "average" district with a Bachelors? Also, what are your benefits like?

My sister started in a middle class district outside Philadelphia at $42k with a Bachelors, and this was 5 years ago. AFAIK, only parochial schools in the decent suburbs of metro Detroit pay around $30k. I have a friend who started in Southfield last summer at just above $40k, after making in the low $30k's at a Catholic school. Add ~$10k more for someone lucky enough to snag a Birmingham job. I would venture to guess that the benefits are significantly better too, so that magnifies the difference even more.

Most states are better for getting a job, period, but few can measure up to the pay/benefits/cost of living that established teachers in MI enjoy.

[jaynarie]

Originally Posted by Cato the Elder

Make sure it's an apples to apples comparison. Do you work in an "average" district with a Bachelors? Also, what are your benefits like?

My sister started in a middle class district outside Philadelphia at $42k with a Bachelors, and this was 5 years ago. AFAIK, only parochial schools in the decent suburbs of metro Detroit pay around $30k. I have a friend who started in Southfield last summer at just above $40k, after making in the low $30k's at a Catholic school. Add ~$10k more for someone lucky enough to snag a Birmingham job. I would venture to guess that the benefits are significantly better too, so that magnifies the difference even more.

Most states are better for getting a job, period, but few can measure up to the pay/benefits/cost of living that established teachers in MI enjoy.

The state of North Carolina has a state wide salary guide. Districts then add a supplemental income depending on the county. My county is below average. The NC base salary is $30K. I was never fortunate to get a teaching position in MI, so I can not compare benefits accurately. Employees are paid for in NC, and I'm not sure the rates for adding dependants.

Then, add the $700 I save a year in car insurance.... And I almost make what an MI teacher makes, LOL.

[Cato the Elder]

Originally Posted by jaynarie

Then, add the $700 I save a year in car insurance.... And I almost make what an MI teacher makes, LOL.

If it makes you feel better, knock yourself out. It still doesn't change the fact that IF you can get a teaching job in MI, it pays significant more than most states. In the states that pay more, you're priced out of the neighborhood. All the teachers I know in places like MI and PA can own a safe house within a 15 minute drive of their schools if they choose to do so. You can't say the same thing about the teachers I know getting jobs in places like AZ, CA, and MA. Hopefully, it's better in NC as I think it's terrible that teachers are relegated to such a low rung on the professional ladder.

[jaynarie]

Originally Posted by Cato the Elder

If it makes you feel better, knock yourself out. It still doesn't change the fact that IF you can get a teaching job in MI, it pays significant more than most states. In the states that pay more, you're priced out of the neighborhood. All the teachers I know in places like MI and PA can own a safe house within a 15 minute drive of their schools if they choose to do so. You can't say the same thing about the teachers I know getting jobs in places like AZ, CA, and MA. Hopefully, it's better in NC as I think it's terrible that teachers are relegated to such a low rung on the professional ladder.

That IF is the problem. I would be in Michigan if it were possible. But, two years subbing all while working full time somewhere else to pay bills (including the newly incoming student loan bills) was no life for me. If it ever gets better for teachers, I will return. If not, it is not as awful as some may think. I actually work in the country (where I could rent a house for dirt cheap) and choose to live in a wealthy town on a lake (where I pay triple the rent I would if I lived near my school) and commute an hour each way. So, it is not the same as states like CA where you can't afford to live where you teach.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by jaynarie

That IF is the problem. I would be in Michigan if it were possible. But, two years subbing all while working full time somewhere else to pay bills (including the newly incoming student loan bills) was no life for me. If it ever gets better for teachers, I will return. If not, it is not as awful as some may think. I actually work in the country (where I could rent a house for dirt cheap) and choose to live in a wealthy town on a lake (where I pay triple the rent I would if I lived near my school) and commute an hour each way. So, it is not the same as states like CA where you can't afford to live where you teach.

I think the problem is that teachers in Michigan make so much, as much as doctors in other states and if someone went into that field to get that kind of salary, they don't want to accept what is teachers pay elsewhere.

Giving up a $100,000 a year income to go down to $40,000 would be a big cut.