I also want to mention the college loan forgiveness program! Very cool if you are in a high risk district and teach in an area of need as I listed before.

Great post and Bless you! I knew about most of those things, but will check into Teacher Next Door... that was new.

Oh yea, and the latest thing is that I have to be fingerprinted. It's a new state law. I'm glad it's there now, but it's interesting that I've been doing this for so long and they are just now making this a requirement. :rolleyes:

Wow! I think that is so important - you can never be too safe. I've been fingerprinted 3 times - practicum, student teaching, and when I got my job :eek: NJ is crazy! It was practically my first check if I combine the three times haha

In Texas it's like $43 if you are a new teacher. I'm lucky in that since I'm sort of "grandfathered" in, the state is paying for it. ;)

Interesting! This hasn't made it to NC yet, but I am sure it will. We do have a photo ID machine for visitors, which is nice.

I'm teaching in Maryland for my 4th year and have my masters in literacy and am a certified reading teacher. You start off 45k-ish with your masters. It's cheaper to live down here though than Westchester or LI NY though. However, you start off making almost 20K more in those districts:eek:

No matter where you go you will never get paid enough for what you do, so you have to make sure you can afford that. I'm keeping my options open because my hubby is also a teacher.

I was really busy this weekend and just saw your post.

I live in South Mississippi and have been a High School level special ed teacher for 16 years. I am finally at $35,430 this year (16th year with a BS degree). That includes the $1,000 dollar supplement that I get for coaching girl's soccer.

The pay here is a joke. I still live month to month considering my bring home salary is only around $2,400. I am still paying off my student loans.

The thing that keeps me teaching is not the money, it is the knowledge that I am making a difference in the lives of these kids around here. I can't tell you how bad the poverty is here and how many kids are from generations that have survived off of government assistance. So many of these kids dont have a single person telling them that they can be somebody, that they can go to college, until they run into a teacher that actually cares.

I am not just a teacher here. I am a mom to every kid that needs me, I am a counselor, I am a nurse on occasion, and I am the only person that believes in some of these kids.

When I think about quitting, I can't because I don't know who would be here to dry tears, give encouragement, bandage scrapes, and push these kids to get out of this small town and make a life for themselves.

So many people think that teaching High School is so hard, but I'm telling you these kids are still kids, even if they are 6'2 and 280lbs. or 17 with 2 kids. They still need someone that cares about them.

I will never be rich teaching, at least not financially. But I will be able to look back and know that I really did something here on this earth that made a difference. You can't take money with you when you leave this earth anyway, lol. So I'll just keep trudging along. My kids and I have enough food to eat, a warm house to live in and pets to love us to death. My car may be 10 years old but it still runs. I'm blessed in so many ways that the financial aspect is something I can live without.

Teaching 16 years and making a difference one day at a time!!!

Wow, this thread is super old but the info on it remains the same. Luckily I live in MI and the pay is not bad. I have been teaching for 8 yrs, 2 yrs at a charter school, and then 6 yrs with my district. I do have my Bachelors, my Masters, and plus 15 credits on top of that. I currently make $67,000 and should be counting my blessings that I even have a job in MI. It's horrible...our district is consolidating this year and my elementary school is a supposed one to close. Scary!!

I teach Kdg and it's a blessing....not easy by any means but just so incredibly rewarding and never a boring a day huh???

Smiles-
Snick & Viv