Advice for a disenchanted public school teacher

[Born2beagator]

I've been teaching in polk county public schools for near 9 years. I make 47,500. I currently pay rent with my parents at 800 dollars a month. Pretty good deal considering I get access to everything else and a nice house in a safe neighborhood. I assume eventually this house will be mine as I like where i live and don't intend to leave. I just started investing this year with my dad, I put 5000 dollars in an LLC to try and grow some money. don't know the name off the top of my head, would have to get the papers for you. But me and dad are investing together and he's a logistics guy and has been all his life in various companies so I trust him.

Lately I've been frustrated with increasing class sizes, and starting teachers making near as much as I do with no increase to my pay as a veteran, and it has me turning my attention to the future and being worried that I will not be able to survive on this paycheck.

Advice?

 

[gardnerwebbgator]

Look for employment at a charter or private school.

 

[Born2beagator]

Look for employment at a charter or private school.

Looked into both. Pay is near 10k less at the private schools here. Benefits less too. The charter schools here apparently don't have good job security talking to people I trust

 

[Altitude Gator]

Sounds like the decision is difficult, but you either need to accept less money for better working conditions or find a different profession that pays better or stay miserable where you are.

Was in a similar situation in the past. Decided to change careers. Took time and money, but was the best choice.

 

[Born2beagator]

Sounds like the decision is difficult, but you either need to accept less money for better working conditions or find a different profession that pays better or stay miserable where you are.

Was in a similar situation in the past. Decided to change careers. Took time and money, but was the best choice.

Id be happier for sure. But 10k Less when I make 47k isn't practical.

 

[Detroitgator]

I've been teaching in polk county public schools for near 9 years. I make 47,500. I currently pay rent with my parents at 800 dollars a month. Pretty good deal considering I get access to everything else and a nice house in a safe neighborhood. I assume eventually this house will be mine as I like where i live and don't intend to leave. I just started investing this year with my dad, I put 5000 dollars in an LLC to try and grow some money. don't know the name off the top of my head, would have to get the papers for you. But me and dad are investing together and he's a logistics guy and has been all his life in various companies so I trust him.

Lately I've been frustrated with increasing class sizes, and starting teachers making near as much as I do with no increase to my pay as a veteran, and it has me turning my attention to the future and being worried that I will not be able to survive on this paycheck.

Advice?

You are probably going to have to add a skillset (that is an actual useful skill) by either getting another degree, or professional certification/skill. Any of those will mean less time for you on boards like this, but you can do almost all of them while still teaching (there is no reason to quit any job when making a transition in life if you can keep your stable current job/benefits while preparing to make a change).

First question: what is your degree in and what do you teach now?

Here are my quick thoughts:

• On the teaching front, do you have your Master's degree? I know that the main reason why my wife did the combined BA/MA teaching program at UF is because starting pay for teachers at that time was $5000 more per year if you had a Masters. Not a ton, but that's more than a 10% increase for you. If you don't have a Masters and want to go that route (and you can online), see my comment below regarding getting it in Administration instead of the same field as your BA.
• To stay in education (whether public or private), have you thought about getting a graduate degree in Administration and move into that side of the house?
• Also in education, as a kid of the 70's/80's, we had quite a few teachers that got their real estate licenses and did real estate on the side. I know that's a tighter field today than it was then, but ideas like that that would allow you to keep the stability of the teaching salary/benefits and schedule while supplementing the income and possibly making the jump some day to the side gig permanently.
• If you are math or science, also as a supplemental (but you can make pretty damn good money if you are a good one that gets a good reputation), you could look into online (or in person) tutoring. On the official UF family pages, even with Study Edge in Gainesville, parents are ALWAYS looking for good math/science tutors and many of them do it remotely. If that's a possibility, you could do it for students at UF, USF, UCF... Personally, there was a local HS math teacher (but also really smart on chemistry and physics) here that had a permanent booth at Whataburger and tutored kids on math/science/SAT/ACT every night. We had two hours a week (1 hour on 2 nights) blocked off with him for our kids... his booth was always occupied, he made really good side money and loved the time with kids who actually cared about their education.
• Other than things like that, you'd have to do some kind of full time training/schooling to get a different skill or degree that would allow you to make radical change.

The short answer is, there is no "quick fix." Like anything good in life, you need to set a goal, make a plan, and execute it... and be willing for it to take 3-5 years... it's a lot like turning a football program around. ;)

 

[Born2beagator]

Yeah I feel like my degree is worthless. It was elementary education and got certified for middle school...I'm not sure I want to deal with being an admin with the BS mine go through. I don't know. I just know right now I'm not happy and come into work every day and see a new student added.

I feel like the only option is getting out of education with how this field is going but I've no idea how or what to do. I've always been fascinated by science and how the world (specifically life science and earth and space) works.

 

[Detroitgator]

Yeah I feel like my degree is worthless. It was elementary education and got certified for middle school...I'm not sure I want to deal with being an admin with the BS mine go through. I don't know. I just know right now I'm not happy and come into work every day and see a new student added.

I feel like the only option is getting out of education with how this field is going but I've no idea how or what to do. I've always been fascinated by science and how the world (specifically life science and earth and space) works.

OK, here is the "kick in the ass" version...

1. You are YOUNG.
2. You have no wife and no kids.
3. Therefore, you have ZERO responsibilities and therefore ZERO excuses for making a life change, in ANY direction you choose, other than that you won't get off your ass and do what is necessary to make that change.
4. Go fukking do it! (just don't expect it to happen in a day)

 

[Born2beagator]

OK, here is the "kick in the ass" version...

1. You are YOUNG.
2. You have no wife and no kids.
3. Therefore, you have ZERO responsibilities and therefore ZERO excuses for making a life change, in ANY direction you choose, other than that you won't get off your ass and do what is necessary to make that change.
4. Go fukking do it! (just don't expect it to happen in a day)

I know that's why I'm asking. I'm just not sure what to change too

 

[Detroitgator]

I know that's why I'm asking. I'm just not sure what to change too

Ya kinda did.... " I've always been fascinated by science and how the world (specifically life science and earth and space) works."

So make a plan, look at online degrees from UF (or USF, or... anywhere) and do it.

 

[Born2beagator]

Ya kinda did.... " I've always been fascinated by science and how the world (specifically life science and earth and space) works."

So make a plan, look at online degrees from UF (or USF, or... anywhere) and do it.

What worries me there is how do I afford that on a teacher salary? Loans?

 

[Fodderwing]

Electrician, plumber, machinist, any of that would provide a great living.


Or, go up to villages and be a gigolo.

 

[Born2beagator]

Electrician, plumber, machinist, any of that would provide a great living.


Or, go up to villages and be a gigolo.

I mean. They into short people?

 

[Fodderwing]

I mean. They into short people?

Just remember the old saying, good men are hard to find. Also, hard men are good to find.

 

[URGatorBait]

I mean. They into short people?

 

[Detroitgator]

What worries me there is how do I afford that on a teacher salary? Loans?

I'll do a long post later.

 

[Back Alley Gator]

I'll do a long post later.

Sure you will.

 

[Detroitgator]

Sure you will.

 

[Back Alley Gator]

Deet and others have summed it up well. I changed careers twice (technically three times) in my life. Bench research for academics and pharmaceutical companies. Changed to automated software testing. Changed to full stack software development. Then tried to go back to bench research by getting a masters at 45. Am still writing code because it pays 3x as much.

If you decide you want to get into bio research or biotechnology let me know. I can give you some pointers.

 

[BMF]

Deet's advice is spot on. I mentioned in the other thread when this came up to look into something like a cyber-security certificate. It's probably 8-10 one week courses, may cost you less than $5k (and yes - for education take out a loan. $5k investment and you land a job making $60-80k, that's a no-brainer). Also, look into jobs that are looking for "instructors" or "training" - your background as a teacher is probably more important in that role than being a subject matter expert (you can learn the subject while prepping to teach/instruct, as most of the training you'd provide is already built/written. You'd just be teaching it).

One thing I'd also suggest - become a HS teacher. Those kids are MUCH more calmed down at that age, they generally don't f'ck w/ their teachers, and your experience would likely be much more enjoyable. You can go this route while you work on a certificate. Also, change counties. I'm in Pinellas and teacher pay is over $50k (not much more, but still more). You're in Polk, so look at Hillsborough - especially if they can get you into a HS. You might have a little bit of a drive, but it may be worth it.

On the suggestion you go into admin - your excuse for not wanting to go that route is lame. EVERY office environment you will ever work in is going to be full of 'diversity' (all races, gays, straight people, transgender, dems, republicans, retarded people, etc). Get used to it - and just avoid the people that you don't like. You're going to have to do that regardless of where you work or what job you end up taking.