Need To Leave Teaching...Not Sure What To Do Next

There are many districts in CA that pay 90k to over 100k per year.

 

What I'm understanding is that your current school in Oregon is terrible and that your previous school in Cali was wonderful? Wow. I taught for many years at a Cali school district that's considered troubled but am now at a great district in this state. Teachers and students who came to the latter from Oregon said that the schools were great there as well. I heard nothing but wonderful things especially about Portland and Eugene in general. It seems like in any state, if you happen to get a teaching job at a school with no parent involvement and an administration that doesn't support teachers, then what probably will happen is that the school will be an awful place to work at.

 

To earn that amount per year, would a teacher need a master's degree as well as units beyond an advanced degree? Do teachers in Cali also need about 15 years of experience before they can make that salary?

 

Thanks! I have heard of them, but like you said, I find programming kind of soul-crushing. I need to be working on physical things with my hands or doing calculations. I feel like EE is a nice mix of both, and I have some experiences that I've really enjoyed, not to mention plans to enter some fields within EE that haven't yet taken off, but I feel might be very exciting in the near future, and areas that I specifically have experience in.

 

I've never heard of districts in CA paying that much, but I imagine you would have to have at least 20-30 years of experience, a Masters (or more than one), National Board Credentialing, maxed out on credits, etc.

I've heard of administrative positions paying that much though. Maybe that's what they mean.

 

You can check online. I would suspect in most cases it is going to be a masters and require at least 10 years to achieve that salary.
My district is like 75k a year after 1o years with just a bachelors.

 

Yes. It doesn't matter what state it's in. There are some really great schools in California, but there are also really bad ones. I've worked in both, and all of those experiences (good and bad) were all within the Bay Area, so it's not even that the entire Bay area is bad or good. There are tons of differences even within that small area, and between schools which are only a few miles away from each other. A bad school is a bad school, and there are probably great and bad schools in any state. I am not in Portland or Eugene exactly. I'm in a rural area, which might be part of the issue.

 

Teachers' pay are public information. You just need to dig a little more on line. Anyway, my mom was a teacher. She taught almost 100 kids each school year. They didn't have computers, not even laser printers then. The pay was never the top tier compared with many other career choices. But there're so many other positive sides about teaching.
Cheer up!

 

Districts in Silicon Valley, which I think of as southern San Mateo County (Menlo Park/Hillsborough) and northern Santa Clara county (Palo Alto), can pay six figures at around 15 years. Northern San Mateo county, San Francisco and Alameda counties generally pay less. Not sure what pay is like in Marin.

 

Holy cow. I stand corrected. You can make almost 100K in Palo Alto Unified School District if you have maxed credits only after 7 years. First year teachers with NO experience make 63K. Yowzas.

If I ever go back to teaching, I know where I'm moving.

 

I am familiar with Palo Alto and I have seen in recent summers what the students are like in that area. They are very respectful and actually go to school to learn. You won't see graffiti, purposely damaged equipment, or anything of that nature in their schools or in the community for that matter. None of the parents let their children run wild. However, I'm basing these observations on my own experience as well as what I have heard from people who grew up there.

 

How hard is it to get hired in these great paying districts, though?

 

I feel like $100k in Palo Alto would be like $30k or $40k elsewhere. The cost of living is so ridiculously high in that area, it's insane.

The highest paying districts I've seen in CA, relative to the cost of living, are in the central valley. They pay well and have VERY inexpensive housing. Yes, other districts pay more, but have extremely high COL. I lived in Orange County for years. Their salary scales are mostly very impressive, but their COL is ridiculous.

 

Because of these districts' excellent reputations, there are about 50 applications for every opening. This number doesn't include applications from people who don't have their credentials in hand yet.

 

That's true about the COL in Palo Alto. In Orange County, CA I found that some parts (especially the northern region) were relatively affordable, such as Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and Anaheim.

 

Maybe, but the affordable parts of those cities are not necessarily where you'd want to live. And Brea and Yorba Linda are northern but NOT cheap.

 

Rentals are expensive. There're teachers commuting from San Francisco, or even tri-valleys to South Bay every day. Generally speaking, CA pays teachers more than a lot of other states. As someone who's still an outsider, I really want to encourage you to hang in there. A lot of other high pay jobs really meant for young people. Experiences don't count much. But not for teaching. The more you teach, the better you become, the nicer life quality you get. I've seen what my mom and many other teachers going through. Believe me.

 

Their parents or grandparents could have bought their house under Jarvis and now their children or grandchildren live in that house and thus pay lower property taxes. I know a few people in Palo Alto whose 1400 sq feet homes on a small to average lot now have a market value of $2M. Their parents or grandparents bought their homes around 1965 for...(drum roll, please) $30,000! They joke and say their own homes are a dump--actually, a $2M dump. For the record, $30,000 in 1965 for a house of that size was the average price all over CA.

 

For anyone else interested... I did do a Zillow search on homes in Palo Alto. I was just curious. There was one, and only one, home under 600k for sale. It is the one below. This home is selling for 595k.

 

To the original OP, I been feeling the same way kinda. I work in a public school. Idk maybe its because i'm still very new to teaching but I'm just stressed out and overwhelmed. Most of the time I think its just me. I feel like I never get a break, my "to-do" list never ends, deadline after deadline. I just want to have a life. Somedays I feel like do I need to just suck it up, or is this really for me? I also don't know if I have the patience. From the kids to the adults, I know thats on ANY JOB or ANY Career your going to have challenges. But I feel like I give soo much, emotion, time, effort. Also there is a lot of politics in education that also gets to me too. So I've been thinking about it. Idk if I can hold out another two years to even make the 5 year mark. This is my 4th year teaching 3rd year in a public school...

 

Just to give you my experience.

I went to college for special education. When I graduated I decided to leave America for Asia. I've taught in Thailand, South Korea, China and Vietnam. I've had more experiences living abroad than most people will ever have in their life. TBH, I don't know why most people don't go abroad. The money is great, the cost of living is cheap, and it's mostly tax free. I was able to save money that I'm going to invest in my real estate portfolio.

When I returned I took an Aide position at a special needs school in my area with the promise that when there was an opening I would be considered for the position. In the meantime, I was selling on eBay and Amazon. I've seen videos on YouTube about people who make a decent amount of money selling on these platforms. In my case, I have done so well that I've abandoned teaching for now. I'm going to break 6 figures by the end of this year. That's $100k plus from selling on those both platforms.

I've since left my aide job and I haven't looked back. I don't need soneone else's retirement. I don't need their 401k. I don't need their medical benefits. Why? Because i'll make my own. I'm currently working online with mentors who are multi-millionaires and who have never set foot on a college campus.

Fear and doubt. Remember those words because most people live in a state of fear and doubt. You can change your life if you truly want too. If teaching is making you miserable than leave. You're not a tree. You can move and do amazing things if you want. Will it be easy? No. But, the best things in life are rarely easy.

Good luck.

 

CA teachers are paid more becauae the cost of living is so high. Plus, the more you make the greater the taxes. $100k isn't much money anymore. I don't care what state you live in. An educator who make $120k pays 35% in taxes and has a $3k mortgage with a car payment you find that $120k really isn't much money.

Having a mentor is important. I have a mentor whose a multi-millionaire. I used to think small. Now, I'm like how can I make $500k this year. I'd like to make more money so I can give back. That would be a great thing to do.

 

If you need to make the same amount of money, any change outside the district is going to be difficult. I would try to find a job in the central office as a teacher on special assignment or something.

 

Assuming you're referring to Pallas' blank post. He probably edited and removed the text. I don't remember what was written, so I don't remember why I liked it.

 

I too, for reasons already stated, have an exit plan. I'm tired of going to work every day feeling like this. I love to teach, but it simply kills my peace of mind, self-esteem, and sense of self-worth. Sadly enough, I'm pretty darn good at the job, too!

My question to teaching-is-hell: What is your highest level of education? You can teach university level with a M.A. or M.S. -- the searching might be difficult, but there are jobs out there.

 

Finding the another area in which you really interested in a case if you don't have any interest in anything please follow your heart and have faith in God.

 

I can relate. I've been teaching for 7.5 years. I left teaching after 3.5 years for the same reasons plus the bad pay. Came back after 1 year away, taught the last 3 years, and I'm at the same juncture again. My mistake was I didn't have a definitive exit plan and went back to what was familiar after a year in outside sales burnt me out. If your going to leave though don't make the same mistake I did and leave without a serious career plan, goals, and contingency plans. Don't rush the decision, but don't make it half heartedly like I did.

 

Unfortunately, teaching has not worked out for me...
Hello ,
I found your post by mistake and noticed that it was written almost a year ago. I am very curious to know what was your next step, did you quit teaching. I would really be interested to know!

 

The OP hasn't been back for over a year. You could start a new thread regarding this topic if you'd like.

 

Except the cost to buy a home is likeba million dollars or more there now! I guess there is alwys commuting though.

To

 

I'm still wondering what the girl selling on amazon and making 6 figures was selling!!!

This is discouraging....I'm studying frantically (well, thats just cause I work a lot and am really busy), to past the cset tests to get into a special ed program this spring. I know I could not handle a full regular classroom. I like special needs and hoping smaller classroom although I know the job is very demanding and stressful....now I'm worried about the stories of loss of self esteem, burn out, the always to do list (I have that at home and it drives me nuts)....do the summers off not make up to some degree for all the intense effort?

 

Summers off are very, very nice as are fall and spring breaks. However, there is a reason that everyone doesn't teach. The time off usually doesn't fully "make-up" for the regular year's stress. I will be leaving the traditional classroom in two years (2019) because of it, and will be teaching online.

 

My sped friends say they are under more stress the gen ed teachers. I've not been a sped teacher other than the inclusion students (usually without support) that I've had so I can't compare. We don't have any special ed classrooms. It's all push in.

I get about six weeks off in the summer. During the school year, the minimum hours I work during weeks I'm not feeling well is 50 but contract is 42 hours. My typical week is 60-65.