Hi!! This is one of my very first posts on College Confidential, as I am a relatively new member and am still exploring the website. I do have a quick question for fellow future education majors. I am planning on majoring in elementary education, and am curious about which state I should attend college in. I am a resident of NY (high salaries for teachers, large union, many benefits, etc.), and have the option of attending college here. I also applied and was accepted to schools in FL and SC, and am curious what it is like teaching elementary school in those states. Also, what are the job opportunities like down south? Are the salaries really as dismal as I hear? I would also like input on the grades I will be certified to teach (1-6 here in NY, K-6 down in FL, and 2-6 in SC). Which grades sound better? Am I crazy for even considering leaving NY to teach elementary school? Thanks so much for reading!!
When looking at salaries make sure that you are also considering the cost of living in the areas you are looking at. I’m sure salaries do should “dismal” if you are comparing them to NYC and what the cost of living is there . Also, just because you attend school in the south doesn’t mean that you will be expected to stay after graduation .
Thanks so much for your input!! Yes, I realize that I would not have to stay in the south, but I was going off of the idea that I might actually want to!! Thanks for telling me to compare the cost of living with the salaries, that really helps!
I teach in NYC so let me know if you have any specific questions. There’s pros and cons. As you could imagine, you will likely start off at a low income school if you stick to the city. You’ll find most openings are in the Bronx, East New York, Harlem, or other not so great areas. I had an incredibly rough first year at a horrible school in the Bronx but now, in my second year, I’m at a way better school and it’s so much more manageable. There are also a lot of openings at charter schools where you’ll have long hours but a higher salary.
Gotta say the benefits and union are a HUGE plus. I’m making more than most of my friends are, I have job stability, an awesome healthcare plan, an active union, lots of retirement options, etc. I know it’s a cliche that teachers are severely underpaid, need a second job to get by, etc, but I find that doesn’t apply to me at all. I’m really comfortable with where I am right now and don’t know how I’d feel going to a state where the starting salary is 35-40k.
Thanks so much for your reply!! I know that the salaries for a teacher are drastically different from state to state, so thanks so much for telling me about your experience in NY.
@chocolindt I am not a teacher , but I relocated from Baltimore , Maryland 25 years ago to marry my husband who was in the service. When he retired , we had toyed with the idea of moving back North and when we started comparing cost of living , it was a no brainer. I love the South, but each person is different . Have you visited the South? You may feel more comfortable in a city.
This might be helpful.
Cost of living: How far will my salary go in another city?
@chocolindt no, you are not crazy to leave NY and want to go somewhere else. I am born and raised in NY, went to school in the South and lived in the south for 13 years before moving to the Midwest. It’s a big country out there and a lot of great areas to explore. My oldest D started elementary in GA and what we found was a very diverse population. That had its good and bad parts. Some States and area’s are more expensive to live in so make sure you understand that aspect of relocation. Also, rural areas are a lot different that the major cities so you’ll want to understand that aspect as well.
One thing to consider, if you go out of state to school that is a lot more expensive in many cases than in state. How do you plan to pay for OOS tuition for your education? You don’t want to be coming out of school in massive debt if you are going into teaching. Also, know the state requirements for advanced degree requirements for teaching in a state. More school, more cost.
My D is going to go to school for Elementary Education as well and she is staying in state. We looked OOS and when you do the math, staying in state makes more sense financially even though we could have swung OOS if she really wanted to go.
As others stated, just because you go to school in the south doesn’t mean you have to stay in the south, just check with your colleges career development for the Education major to see how placement works. That was a big factor in my D’s decision. Last year her colleges career day had over 20 States come to recruit teachers from their program.
Thanks so much to everyone for their responses and input. I really appreciate it. Now, @dcolosi if you don’t mind, I am impressed by what you said about your daughter’s college and career placement, and I am curious which college your daughter went to?? Thanks!!
@chocolindt she is a Senior in HS but she is going to go to Indiana University. It was between IU and Michigan State University. We really liked both programs and it was a hard choice but she has the opportunity to be direct admit at IU and that has some extra benefits. We’ve visited both schools multiple times and at IU she’s met with representatives from the School of Education. There was just a lot we liked about both schools but staying in state has its advantages.
The placement program from what we’ve heard several times was a big plus. We also know several teachers who went to IU as well and speak very well of the program and school. All schools should have placement programs but I would ask the schools you are considering about their programs and what they do to help place students. Obviously, higher demand subjects like STEM are in higher demand but the program she is interested in for Elementary Education also has a sub program called Teaching All Learners which carries some Special Education certification to make her more marketable. IU had some other certifications as well so we thought it had a good variety.
She is doing some duel credit classes now and just finished cadet teaching at the elementary schools she attended. For spring, she is doing another duel credit class where she will get exposure to early childcare. In addition, she will be taking 2 ACP classes this spring which are IU classes so she can be going in as a Freshman with around 10 credit hours already completed. It helps that she’s had exposure in HS to what its like to be a teacher. She has a better understanding of what a career in teaching can be like. In the IU program they mentioned getting classroom exposure early in your program not just waiting until your student teaching time.
She also applied and was accepted to Kentucky. We did look at University of Georgia but ended up not applying there. IU and MSU seemed like they had good recruitment draw’s from all around. IU mentioned several of the States that were represented at last years career day and it was an impressive list and results for their students.
Thanks so much for your response @dcolosi. I know how important career placement programs are in college, especially for elementary education. Thanks again!!
OP, my daughter is a year ahead of you, having just finished her first semester of college as a special education major. She grew up in Seattle, and is going to college in the south. It’s too bad you didn’t do some of this research sooner, but here are some of the things she looked at when making her decision about where she would go.
First of all, the suggestion to look at cost of living is not just a good one, but is IMPERATIVE. A quick internet search says that a two-bedroom apartment can cost more than $3,800 in New Yok City. The same search says that the cost of living in Nashville, TN, for example, where my daughter is in school is almost 20% lower, at only about $1,900 for the same size apartment. So a lower salary doesn’t mean you’ll be unable to afford to live on it. As well, keep in mind whether you’d like to have a house with a yard and the chance to spend more time outdoors in open areas.
The entire setting is important too. Do you want to living one of the world’s largest cities, or a smaller southern town? Do you want high-rises and lots of cultural options or lots of outdoor activities and more temperate winters? You need to think all of this through. But, as has been pointed out, you CAN move states after college, though the hoops you will need to jump through to get certified will vary by state. Most education programs steer you towards certification in the state where the school is located.
For my daughter, being able to purchase a home for far less than she’d be able to in Seattle is important. Having a large yard is important. Having a lower cost of living is important, and she researched all of this before starting her college list.
Now, about that list. While it can be true that in-state colleges CAN be cheaper than OOS, it’s also true that some colleges, especially private ones, can give enough aid that the cost is roughly the same or even cheaper. We told D that she’d need to get a financial aid package bringing the cost down to equal or better than our excellent in-state flagships (we have two). And that’s what she did, so she is going OOS. Her current plan is to live there after graduation, but she is aware of the certification requirements in her home state just in case.
Another suggestion when you look at affordability is to look into loans and grants specifically for teachers, like the federal TEACH Grant. This is for $4,000 a year, but you must promise to teach in a high-need area in the state where you’ll be teaching for several years. These are often lower-income, minority schools, but the needs vary by state. You can look this up. Good luck with your plans!