Teaching in Arizona (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Peoria: job market, public school, college)

[jzcrandall]

I am curious to know what the teaching outlook is in Arizona. I moved away over a decade ago, and I find myself sometimes missing the area. I am certified in Special Education, which does open a lot of doors for me, but I am curious to know more about teaching in Arizona.

[Finger Laker]

such as?

the job market isn't as good as it was a few years back .... but it's still better than a lot of other places for teachers (as far as finding work)

your experiences will vary greatly from district to district, charter vs traditional public vs private

special ed will open up more doors ... i have a friend who currently teaches S.E. ...... while she likes it for the most part, it definitely does wear on her a bit

[Texan2008]

I was wondering the same thing. I currently live in the Dallas / Fort Worth area and state budget cuts decimated teaching jobs here. The local districts that make up the Metroplex for the most part have pretty good starting pay in the nice districts of $46,000 right out of college, but the yearly increases are extremely small on the range of $700-950 so that after working for 20 years, you are barely near $60,000. What about the local Phoenix districts including Scottsdale? They seem to start low in some places where you would think the pay better (Scottsdale for example with an affluent base I would assume).

[charlesT]

Originally Posted by Texan2008

I was wondering the same thing. I currently live in the Dallas / Fort Worth area and state budget cuts decimated teaching jobs here. The local districts that make up the Metroplex for the most part have pretty good starting pay in the nice districts of $46,000 right out of college, but the yearly increases are extremely small on the range of $700-950 so that after working for 20 years, you are barely near $60,000. What about the local Phoenix districts including Scottsdale? They seem to start low in some places where you would think the pay better (Scottsdale for example with an affluent base I would assume).

They've cut teachers' pay in Arizona by making them put more away into their pension funds. It's not a direct cut, but you get the idea. They "take care" of the money for them, for a while. Although, this is nothing compared to the drastic pay deceases seen in other states. I have four kids in elementary-level school right now, and my wife used to be a teacher. It can be hard supporting a family on a teacher's salary alone, anywhere.

[brittZ]

Originally Posted by Texan2008

I was wondering the same thing. I currently live in the Dallas / Fort Worth area and state budget cuts decimated teaching jobs here. The local districts that make up the Metroplex for the most part have pretty good starting pay in the nice districts of $46,000 right out of college, but the yearly increases are extremely small on the range of $700-950 so that after working for 20 years, you are barely near $60,000. What about the local Phoenix districts including Scottsdale? They seem to start low in some places where you would think the pay better (Scottsdale for example with an affluent base I would assume).

Awesome!! Teachers do not make anywhere near that here. Starting pay at some of the biggest district is as follows:

Peoria: $33k
Deer Valley: $33k
Scottsdale: $33,700
Dysart: $32k

I pulled these from current published salary schedules on each districts website. I currently teach in the Peoria District. My pay has stayed the same from last year to this year. However, the previous 2 years my pay was cut each year. I make less now than when I started. The law in AZ has also changed so that teachers can no longer earn tenure. This is good and bad depending on how you look at it, but you should be aware.

[observer53]

To the OP (original poster):

Are you asking about Arizona in general, or the Phoenix area in particular?

[Stokes172]

Originally Posted by brittZ

Awesome!! Teachers do not make anywhere near that here. Starting pay at some of the biggest district is as follows:

Peoria: $33k
Deer Valley: $33k
Scottsdale: $33,700
Dysart: $32k

I pulled these from current published salary schedules on each districts website. I currently teach in the Peoria District. My pay has stayed the same from last year to this year. However, the previous 2 years my pay was cut each year. I make less now than when I started. The law in AZ has also changed so that teachers can no longer earn tenure. This is good and bad depending on how you look at it, but you should be aware.

WOW!~ Up here teachers can make 60 grand just after a couple of years on the job..regular public School boards....all's they do is complain about low wages