Offered a teaching job in Alaska...

Hi, all,
Well, here is sit in WV, and got an urgent email from a principal at Dillingham, AK high school wanting to hire me to teach art there. I have my application in with Alaska Teacher Placement, and had actually forgotten it was there!
The principal was really enthusiastic about hiring me, but since I am near completing my MA, I declined his offer, telling him I want to finish this degree first.
I also went online and looked at the town of Dillingham, which is on the Bering Sea, looks like a fishing industry village (where they dock for the TV program "Deadliest Catch," and it looked really cold and desolate. My pay there would actually be LESS than I am currently making as they do not allow more than 5 years' experience with any new teacher, and I have 21! Also, real estate is nonexistent, and those few properties which were for sale were $500.000 and above!
I've also done some research in the ATP website, and they state that any new teachers are likely to be offered "bush" teaching positions in the "Alaska bush," rather than the more moderate climates.
Oh, well...so much for my wild hair adventurous spirit!
Patty

Oh shoot! I thought you were onto something great! Maybe another great position will come your way.

Hugs,

Jan

Hi, January...
Sitting at the lunch table during my cafeteria duty, the young teachers there said that Alaska would pay super! LOL! I did my research, and, actually, AK is 10th in teacher pay. Many districts in AK pay low! New England seems to be the highest pay, like CT, etc. I could never afford to move to AK with what seems to be offered there. And the Alaska Teacher Placement site actually discusses that, with a topic, "So, you think you'll get rich teaching in Alaska!"

January...sometimes I have this "wild hair" of wanting to get away from WV...Can you relate? At the same time, my mother is frail, age 81, and will soon need assistance. I truly hope I don't end up her primary caregiver, considering how long I've spent my whole life trying to overcome our relationship. She would literally DIE if I told her I was moving to Alaska!
Patty

well something else will come up to perk your adventurous side...lol

Thanks, Bethsway!
I will probably end up here retriring from my teaching job, but I've always had a "wild hair!"
Patty

your "wild hair" will surprise you, pleasantly, one of these days when you least expect it!

Hubby applied for a teaching job as "practice" and within a month of being contacted about a job, we moved.

Best thing we've ever done. We're both extremely happy.

Pay is better here than in Ohio, however the cost of living is higher too. Real estate is insane. Luckily, we're renting from the school at 1/2 the normal rate.

I'm grateful we took a chance. Hopefully, something lucrative will come along, Patty. I'm glad you did your research! Hubby is from WV but there is no way we could stay there and have good jobs. His mom still teaches there though.

1day...
Where did you move to? Alaska? I want to know!
Patty