Any Tampa Bay area mfpers?

michlingle

Hello! I've been on this site for waaay too long to not have gotten to my goal, but that's neither here nor there...my real question is for people who live in the Tampa Bay area. I live in Chicago with my husband and we are looking to make a move. Any insight on that area in terms of job availability for teachers/administrators would be much appreciated. He lived there before we got married, but I'm totally green! I am tired of the climate here in the midwest and want a fresh start. Of course we'll visit and do some exploring before any major decisions, but if you live there already, tell me about it!

TaneeisFitforLife

We lived in Brandon, FL for 4 years & I loved it! I just missed my family & we moved back to New Orleans.

The area has grown a lot and still is.....check out the Hillsborough school website to get an idea of openings http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/

NightOwl1

I'm a Tampa Bay MFPer! It's a pretty nice place to live overall, and some good ways to stay active and some really good health clubs. Especially if you like the nightlife scene, there is a lot of fun to be had.

As far as school administrators/teachers go, it's hard to say because the political climate is shifting so drastically based on the 2010 elections. The governor has a radical education plan to essentially give every student in the state a $5,500 voucher for education (the average cost of a public school student) which they can use at any school, public, private, or otherwise. At the very least, the state is moving heavily towards merit pay based on test scores for teachers. So I'd say that things are probably looking pretty good for private administrators/teachers, not so good for public ones. However, there is a constitutional limit on class sizes for public schools, so as the population grows, they have to hire more teachers. They can't just pack the classrooms with more students.

Hopefully this helps. Keep me updated on the status of your move and hopefully Tampa will work out for you.

TrainingWithTonya

I don't live there yet, but I plan to one day! LOL I've been a few times to the Tampa area and can say that I love the St. Pete/Clearwater area best. So, when you are checking out Hillsborough, check out Pinellas county too.

michlingle

I'm a Tampa Bay MFPer! It's a pretty nice place to live overall, and some good ways to stay active and some really good health clubs. Especially if you like the nightlife scene, there is a lot of fun to be had.

As far as school administrators/teachers go, it's hard to say because the political climate is shifting so drastically based on the 2010 elections. The governor has a radical education plan to essentially give every student in the state a $5,500 voucher for education (the average cost of a public school student) which they can use at any school, public, private, or otherwise. At the very least, the state is moving heavily towards merit pay based on test scores for teachers. So I'd say that things are probably looking pretty good for private administrators/teachers, not so good for public ones. However, there is a constitutional limit on class sizes for public schools, so as the population grows, they have to hire more teachers. They can't just pack the classrooms with more students.

I heard about the changes in the school system that you mentioned, wow! That voucher plan is really something! So different than the educational climate in Chicago. Hopefully it is beneficial to all, thanks for the insight. I think our next move is to fly down towards May and check it out! You mentioned good gyms in the area? I love a good gym with great group fitness classes, or else I wont work out! Keep you posted!

cardbucfan

Hi, we have lived in Tampa for close to 19 years now having moved here from St. Louis so can give you a definite perspective as a former midwesterner. We live in South Tampa in the city itself and really love it. The weather is a little cold right now, but you would be wearing jeans and a shirt and wondering what the fuss is all about! Summers are pretty miserable and by September you are sooooo over it, but October through April are pretty spectacular usually. There's so much to do outside, good restaurants, we're finally getting some good museums for a little culture and Nightowl is correct about the class size amendment restricting the number of students in a class so there will be a greater need for good teachers. There are so many different areas to live and your budget and job will affect where you will want to live because there is no public transportation to speak of. IF you have any specific questions feel free to message me!

miscalaineous

First off, Florida's employment has definitely suffered due to the collapse of the construction industry. We used to live in Wesley Chapel, in Pasco County, a suburb of Tampa, and it was really great, had an awesome school system, etc. Unfortunately, 10 years ago my IT hubby lost his job and we had to relocate to the West Palm Beach area. Although employment was awesome during the 2002-2007 construction / housing boom, it has really hit the round can since then.

Next, the new governor just bought his election, and as head of Columbia/HCA, the company was fined $1.7 billion after pleading guilty to overbilling the government. Scott was ousted in 1997 and was charged with massive healthcare fraud. (But that's okay, let's give him the keys to the state's bank!)

Keep in mind, the majority of people in Florida are not interested in funding quality education. Its worse in the WPB area, but basically, the retirees (the biggest voting block:indifferent: ) feel like they already paid their dues (taxes) when their kids were young and don't feel like they should have to pay for other peoples kids. And the new governor just engaged the woman from DC who shook up the education community there (see http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/12/rick-scott-florida-education-jeb-bush ).

Everyone is right about what a great environment Tampa has. Not only is the weather truly wonderful, the majority of the people are as well (Can you tell I miss it?).

In any event, best of luck to you both, keep an open mind about relocating especially when it comes to the actual numbers, and what's going on here right now that could affect your daily life. Remember, its not just about the weather. We're not expecting a full recovery in our state until probably 2012-2013.

michlingle

Thanks for the insight!

Embera

im up by tarpin springs but i used to be close to the hard rock and can get there but dont really know anything around down here i moved here and dont have the monie to join a gym so work out buddies would be apreciated