Has anyone moved to Arizona to teach?

Arizona is growing like crazy. Houses in the East Valley sell within hours.

We do not have enough LD teachers in the class to start the year. We are using long term subs.

They do have emergency certification but I couldn’t tell you about it as I don’t know.

Scottsdale is the most expensive place to live after Paradise Valley.

We have horrible benefits. No benefits for family only self. Retirement benefits are much worse than most places. Check out package carefully. Some districts are offering sign on bonuses for special ed with MIPS money.

Gilbert is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation.

Michelle AZ

Well I’m in Albuquerque, NM. I think the cost of living is lower than in AZ, esp somewhere like Scottsdale (very pricy). Since we are a mile up are climate is cooler, but gosh I love the Southwest.

It is every bit as backward as Michelle describes. But I’m not thinking of moving back anytime.

—des

Thanks for the help…

I discovered the AZ retirement contribution rate is 5.2% from the employee and 5.2% from the employer. Mo is 11% from the employee and 11% from the employer.

We’re not moving!

I can understand why you wouldn’t want to move. We also spend the least on education per pupil if the source I read in the newspaper is accurate. We have high teen pregnancy rates and low graduation rates.

Some schools are better but…………the weather is great most of the year. We don’t have hurricanes, tital waves, snow in the valley, or major weather issues except it darn hot May thru Sept. We are four hours from the ocean at Rocky Point, 5 hours from LA, 5 hours from Las Vegas, 2 hours to down hill skiing, and 4.5 hours from San Diego. It is very casual. We do have water issues, droughts.

We have 4 months of hot and the rest of the year beautiful but then you have 4 months of very cold. We have high air conditioning bills in 4 months. Our cars don’t rust at all. But…our seats in the car with dash boards crack. I will say every building has A/C and we are very prepared for the heat. When I visit the midwest I die. It really is a dry heat here and easier with proper ac. Visiting the midwest is awful in the summer unless you are right on the lake. IT is hot here but at least we are prepared for it. I took a taxi in Chicago, no a/c. My friends house had no ac either.

Pros and cons….but the benefits here basically are very bad when compared to my midwest friends. Last year, they talked about taking away our health benefits and making us pay for some of it.

I’m just lucky to be married to someone who makes decent money.
Michelle

My mom says that she read that the southwest has the lowest chance of any natural disaster. Maybe no small thing as one who is on first name basis with hurricanes Charlie, Francis, Ivan, and Jeanne.

No place is perfect. Every place has something good and bad.

Beth

It’s true. Outside of Texas which is really some conglomerate of South and Southwest, imo. No hurricanes, very rare tornadoes, very rare earthquakes (not on any major faultlines). I think the weather is wonderful. But I think I would want to be where I am (Albuquerque) and not Phoenix where it is really hot. The cost of living here is lower, but that wouldn’t apply to some place like Scottsdale or Santa Fe.

But it does have its disadvantages. Water scarcity etc. Just into the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. That’s just too cool! Totally OT, see balloonfiesta.com

—des