North Carolina is poised to take away Master's pay for teachers

Most people from the north think this. I can understand when moving from the Metro NYC area, or NOVA for that matter, but other than that, it is quite comparable to most places, if not more expensive.

 

The original question asked where else this was happening and I came across this article today. Ignoring the merit pay part-if you look on the left hand side they summarize what the policies are by state.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130707/NEWS04/307070102/New-TN-teacher-pay-plan-is-hybrid-of-other-states-plans?gcheck=1

 

I found the property taxes on my home to be less, but everything else was comparable to VA, where I came from. But in VA, I made a ton more money than I'll ever make here.

 

So the median home prices in VA were comparable to those in NC?

 

This just made me cringe. :sorry:

It would take me 25 years in NC to get my current salary. I feel for the teachers of NC. :unsure:

 

What is killer here in NC is the insurance. Anything that is "considered" a coastal county here (pretty much anything east of Raleigh, and Goldsboro is NOT coastal under any other standard) now pays exorbitant prices for wind/hail coverage on homes. In fact, regular insurance companies no longer cover that within the homeowner's policy, it is excluded and has to be written under the NCJUA. This happened immediately after hurricane Irene, when I was working on my teaching credentials and simultaneously working as a secretary at Farm Bureau. That was NOT fun dealing with that hassle of spiking premiums.

 

People from places like Long Island who live...on an Island, have high insurance, live on a lot that is 0.34 acres, have a home that is 2,540 sq. feet, worth nearly $600,000, and pay $8,000 in taxes. 1

This not on the water, and it's in a pretty middle class community too. The cost of living is much lower in NC than it is in the metro NY area. Yes, our salaries are higher, but it is not proportionate. While there are, of course, more expensive areas of NC to live in than others, it is cheaper compared to most parts of Long Island. I've known many families who have moved to NC from NY for this reason.

 

NJ cost of living is crazy. This is what a million bucks gets you in my county.

http://www.realtor.com/realestatean...e_NJ_07450_M60967-83100?row=47&ex=NJ566041266

 

Jerseygirlteach-in my area of NC, that house would be at least $750,000, so it is not that different. Sure taxes are less, but the wages are WAY less.

Back in 2007/2008 I always loved to look at the single wide trailers circa 1970 that were listed for over a million if they were lake front. The market for them have crashed, but they still want a lot for a trailer!

1985 Single wide trailer- $399,000 Pre-market crash, a house like this would have been listed for at least $1,000,000 since it is lake front.

This double wide (albeit nice), was originally listed for $1,500,000

 

It is beutiful and I love old homes...but yikes!

 

You're not paying for the homes in those cases, you're paying for the land. Those are not typical prices for homes in NC.

 

I don't really think you can compare(as in NY is far higher) the median home prices of NC to that of NY. You can find high priced homes anywhere, but wouldn't the median home prices tell a better story?

What is the median home price in the New York city metro compared to Charlotte?

 

Whatever the median home price in NC, their teachers are grossly underpaid.

 

North Carolina looks to be very teacher unfriendly.
Looks like they need to go through a teacher shortage.

 

But the difference is that teachers in the NYC metro make more than teachers upstate NY. In NC, they make the same whether they are rural piedmont, or in the upscale areas.

 

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I suspect the wealthy, poor, and middle class areas of NC are all very near each other. By this I mean, I suspect there are million dollar homes in Charlotte and 15 minutes away are homes for less than 100k.

NYC isn't upscale, it consists of all groups, yet the median home price is much much higher than Charlotte....I imagine

 

http://www.trulia.com/home_prices/North_Carolina/

I just pulled the quickest link. It is for median listed home priced. My county's median is over $340,000. Guess what? I get paid the same here, as I would if I were in Rockingham, where the median is $115,000.

Granted, $340,000 is not terribly high when comparing NYC. However, the fact that the home price is triple other county's prices with the same pay is where the issue lies.

 

I give up. I challenge you to move to NC and try it out for yourself.

And, to answer your question, there are small pockets like you mention in Charlotte where there are highly priced homes with cheaper houses nearby. Outside of the city, that is not as common. I don't live in Charlotte, but in a very wealthy 'sleeper' community about 30 miles from Charlotte. Unless you find a dilapidated trailer, you are not getting a home under $100K for at least a 45 minute (25-30 mile) radius.

 

I know this. However, when there is a lake that spans 4 counties and has 520 miles of shoreline, the home values reflect this even if they are not directly on the lake. And, again, the teachers in this area make the exact same as the teachers in other areas.

 

You may be speaking for yourself on that one. I know many teachers who are union represented. I, for one, would now welcome union representation as would every teacher I know in the western mountains. We are completely powerless with no representation and no influence in the close minded and politically corrupt Republican run legislature. The current legislature is openly inimical to teachers.

In many states tenure equates to a permanent job. In NC it only means they have to tell you why they are firing you, and it is not at all difficult to remove even popular veteran teachers.

 

Funny you mention that...

We had a decent teacher shortage until about 2006ish. At least that was the case in my area. I was in school from 1992-2005 and that whole time seemed to be characterized by teacher shortages. There was also a sever sub shortage too.

But don't take my word for it...here's an article I found about it:
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/112466/

 

Ridgewood is not necessarily typical of the housing market in our county. yes, pricey, but similar houses in other towns don't cost as much.

 

Do you think a teacher shortage would be beneficial to the teaching environment in NC?

My first thoughts are that it would be a benefit.

 

I'm really not sure. It may help, but I don't know. Why do you think it would be a benefit?

My initial thought is teacher quality might go down, but I doubt many of our leaders care about quality as long as "results" are produced. I also doubt a teacher shortage would cause any kind of incentives or raising of salaries. But maybe I'm just being pessimistic.

 

I suspect that politicians SAY how important good teachers are, make you jump through credentialing hoops..etc.

IMO, teacher quality can't go down, credentialed teacher is credentialed teacher. So I "think" one of 2 things would be possible, they would have to find a way to attract new teachers financially OR lower the standards for teaching. Either way may be better to get to the crux of that issue.

I know in California, they are making it more difficult to be a teacher, more hoops, to me it means more job security.

 

I would say there was a teacher shortage through the 2008-2009 school year. By 2009-2010, there was no shortage. In 2010-2011 we hit the over-saturated mark because of all the budget cuts and lay offs. Pay has not increased since 2008-2009. 2009-2010 was the first 'frozen' year.

North Carolina's government is ran differently. By law there cannot be a deficit. The budget MUST be balanced. This usually means huge cuts to education.

 

When I say a teacher shortage I am not talking 1 year, I am talking something that requires recruitment, changing of teacher qualifications..etc..multiple years.

Do you think this would help the situation?

 

I said through 2008-2009. It went on for at least 8-10 years. I would say it was a critical shortage from 2004-2005 - 2008-2009 with signing bonuses, moving expenses, and out of state recruitment.
At this time, wages were increasing, enrollment was up, and you were even paid bonuses for test scores.
2008-2009 was the last year for test score bonuses, as well as our last raise. Layoffs began at the end of the year. The summer of 2008 was still a 'shortage', but the budget changed so much during that year that they began layoffs in the spring of 2009.

 

Ok, so it did work. Thank You.

 

I came to NC the last year of the shortage, in 2008. I pretty much got job offers in my sleep and had districts offering to pay my moving expenses. I think the bonuses (ABC checks, weren't they called?) ended in 2007 because I wasn't eligible. By the next year, 2009, everyone was scrambling to keep their jobs. As a first-year teacher in 2009, I still am amazed I was able to hold onto my job. I think I missed a layoff by just a matter of days, due to the date I signed my contract. The teacher across the hall from me was let go that year.

 

Some of what you're mentioning must have been just in your district. A county over from you was not experiencing those things at the same time. There was no teacher shortage during those times in my area of NC. In 2008 I attended a job fair for educators and Mecklenberg county wasn't even present. If they were, they were hiding away in a corner somewhere, lol.

In 2007 in particular there were lots of teachers that were waiting for positions in NC elementary schools. That same year there were at least ten high school teachers looking for jobs. All willing to relocate within the state.

I think you're being so close to Charlotte may make things a bit different than in the rest of the state. You are describing things that are much different than in my part. Which surprises me since you have UNC-Charlotte right there which I am sure is cranking out teachers left and right.

 

I don't live in Mecklenburg County and I actually teach closer to Winston-Salem than I do Charlotte. However, I know all the counties near me (Iredell, Cabarrus, Rowan, etc...) experienced this.

I had 15 job offers in the summer of 2007. 14 of them came from a job fair in Gaston County. I could have potentially had more, but I canceled all of my interviews once I secured a position- which was my 2nd interview besides the Gaston County fair. There was very much a teacher shortage in 2007-2008. Maybe it was just elementary, but it was there.
My district also hired over 150 teachers in the summer of 2008, but layoffs started occurring in May of 2009.

 

September of 2008 was the last ABC check. You had to teach during 2007-2008 to receive it.

 

And Pisces numbers match mine as well and she is in another part of NC!

 

I'm not in CMS, either, nowhere close. I am in a very large district now, just not CMS

 

I'm so confused... Why does it seem like Pashtun and 2ndtimearound just want to argue??

 

Who cares? You can't control the educational environment. It's kind of like the stock market and the housing market: there are lows and highs. I don't see why you are concerned with something you can't control. Unless you have some kind of "teacher-shortage" rain dance to perform... And if so, you should share it with the rest of the country because teacher jobs are hard to come by.

Not trying to offend anyone- just giving me 2¥... I mean cents.