where should i move?

I happen to love Florida and don't think I could live anywhere else. We lose a lot of teachers to North Carolina, though.

I've heard the opposite. They are trying to pass a bill here that will base pay on students performance. (FL)

Oh, sure. Rub it in, lol. I'm dying to live there.

Colorado or Seattle are good! My favorite is northern california, but thats really expensive!

The forums on city-data.com give a good picture of what it's like to live in different areas. Maybe pick 2-3 places you're interested in and then post on those local forums about job prospects, places to live, activities you like to do, what type of neighborhood you're looking for, etc. and see what kind of feedback you get. People are really helpful.

As a job search strategy, I would do some research on teacher pay rates and also employability. It's great if a place pays its teachers well, but it's not so great if they never leave or retire and the district is never hiring. :happy:

Congratulations on your career choice. It's a noble profession, highly under-rated and under-valued. As a mom and a professional student, I appreciate teachers!

Colorado or Seattle are good! My favorite is northern california, but thats really expensive!

Seattle, really?! I've considered Portland, Oregon but never Seattle!

You are on to something there. But since Oregon has an income tax (of about 10%) and Washington does NOT--consider Vancouver, WA (USA--NOT Canada) right across the Columbia River. It is about 160 miles south of Seattle. Yeah, it can get a little wet and gray at times, but in the past 40 years we have only had two really significant snow events. So far this year, we haven't had any.

We are also less than two hours from the Pacific Coast or great skiing/snowboarding opportunities in the mountains. If you are a skier, you can take the day off work, drive to the mountain, ski all day, and be home in time for a late dinner. There are lots of great hiking trails in the Columbia River Gorge, within an hour and a half of metro Portland.

IMO snow belongs in the mountains, NOT in MY driveway!!! LOL

A friend of mine teaches in this area, and she is always saying how glad she is that she is not in Portland, as their schools of late have suffered more from budget issues than Washington has. Like pretty much every state, we have had some challenges in this economy, but our unemployment rate has remained lower than Oregon's throughout the recession.

BTW, Washington does have about an 8.2% sales tax, with food and some other things exempt, but speaking as a former Oregon resident, I would rather pay 8.2% on what I SPEND, rather than give the state about 10% of everything I MAKE, in addition to paying the Feds their cut. Oregon also has higher property tax rates than Washington does. If you are thinking, ok, so I'll live in Washington and work in Oregon, you will still be liable to pay Oregon's income tax on anything you make there.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do. If I lived where some of the lousy winter weather has been slamming everyone lately, I would be looking at Hawaii,:happy: but THAT is quite spendy.

Edited to add: I can't recommend Seattle, unless you can stay away from the city and don't have to go to it or through it on a regular basis. I left Seattle in the 70's, and even on their BEST day, their traffic is AWFUL compared to metro Portland. Don't ever try to drive through Seattle on I-5 if their is a Mariner home game. If there is a professional sports game AND a U of W game at Husky Stadium, I try to travel on a different day.

I learned my lesson the hard way, when it once took me THREE hours to drive from Federal Way to Everett, a distance of about 50 miles. This is horrible, considering the driving time from the Wa/Ore border to the Canadian border--a distance of 276 miles, can be done in about 5 hours, or a little less if you are a leadfoot with a big bladder :noway: :laugh:

Florida, it is great down here in the Tampa area