Photos by Tulane Publications

Any individual has to consider many factors when moving to a new city, ranging from professional opportunities to quality of life. For a teacher, those facts might include job prospects, salary, school quality and any number of personal factors having to do with culture, landscape and taste. The great cities for young teachers listed in this article offer competitive salaries, good job prospects and also take into account other important factors that are often overlooked.

Due to the recent state of the economy, teacher layoffs have become very common, and it is difficult to finds a state or even a school district where some layoffs have not occurred in the last few years. And in most of the nation’s school districts, layoffs are determined by seniority, meaning that young teachers — regardless of passion and talent — are the first to go. While it is obvious that veteran teachers deserve respect, admiration and job security, a number of compelling arguments have been made against these rules. The cities listed in this article have all either managed to avoid the recent spate of layoffs and/or include factors other than seniority in their decision-making process.

1. Fort Worth, TX
Full time first-year teacher salaries begin at $45,405 in Fort Worth, with higher salaries offered to teachers in high-need areas. Texas has a particular demand for teachers of ESL, foreign languages, science, math and special education. And while many of the nation’s school districts have been forced to lay off teachers to meet budgetary needs, Fort Worth has recently managed to avoid making any cuts by offering a retirement incentive program.

2. Phoenix, AZ
The average teacher salary in Arizona is $46,378, according to the National Education Association. Arizona has a particular need for ESL and math teachers, with shortages in some other areas as well. And Arizona is one of eight states that have legislated against first in, last out layoff decisions, providing effective young teachers with a degree of job security.

3. Washington, D.C.
Washington D.C. teachers average higher salaries than teachers in any of the 50 states, with an average of $62,557, according to the NEA. The District’s controversial IMPACT program rewards highly effective teachers with bonuses as large as $25,000 and yearly salary increases as high as $20,000. While those numbers are attractive, they come at the expense of a certain degree of job security as teachers rated as ineffective risk quickly losing their jobs.

4. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
According to the NEA, the average teacher salary in Oklahoma is $43,846, which may not sound impressive. But Oklahoma also has one of the lowest cost-of-living indices in the nation. When adjusted for cost-of-living, Oklahoma teachers make more money than most U.S. professionals. The city is also home to one Newsweek’s most highly rated high schools in the nation, Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics. Oklahoma has a particular need for teachers in the areas of business, math, science, English, foreign languages, music and special education. Oklahoma has also passed legislation prohibiting layoff decisions from being made solely on the basis of seniority.

5. Colorado Springs, Colorado
The average teacher salary in Colorado Springs is $46,000. Colorado teacher shortage areas include foreign languages, math, natural sciences, music and special education. Colorado prohibits school districts from making first in, last out layoff decisions, and Colorado Springs ranks 15th on Parenting.com’s 2011 list of the best cities for families.

6. Toledo, Ohio
The average teacher salary in Ohio is $50,314. With a graduation rate of 86.7 percent, is it any wonder Toledo is one of Parenting.com’s top ten cities for education? Ohio teacher shortages exist in the areas of art, English, foreign languages, math, science, social studies and special education. And Ohio has banned first in, last out layoffs, so when layoffs do occur, effective young teachers will have a degree of security.

7. Boise, Idaho
The average teacher salary in Idaho is $45,178, according to the NEA. Boise even makes Dailyfinance.com’s list of the the ten best U.S. cities for raising a family, due in part to generous education funding. According to that website, 92.8 percent of Boise’s adults hold high school diplomas, ranking it eighth in the nation for high school graduation. Idaho has teacher shortages in many areas including art, English, economics, literacy, math, health and music. Like most of the other states on this list, Idaho has banned first in, last out layoffs to protect the jobs of effective beginning teachers.

Photo by Anthony Turducken

The top schools in Louisiana offer teachers the opportunity to work with high-achieving students from all backgrounds, with the support and resources that make it possible for both students and educators to succeed. Getting hired by these institutions will require more than Louisiana teacher certification, but dedicated and passionate teachers have nothing to lose by applying to these fine school:

Benjamin Franklin High School
Benjamin Franklin High School is not just one of the top schools in Louisiana, it is one of the top schools in the nation. This charter school serves New Orleans’s brightest youth, including about 40 percent who are economically disadvantaged and 50 percent non-white. In 2009, Businessweek rated Ben Franklin the No. 1 high school in Louisiana based on overall academic performance, and Ben Franklin rated 27th on both U. S. News & World Report’s and Newsweek’s 2011 national high school rankings, higher than any other Louisiana school. The school is located in the Orleans Parish school district in the city of New Orleans, but as a magnet school, it draws qualified applicants from school districts throughout the city.

Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Baton Rouge Magnet High School is the second-ranked Louisiana high school on Newsweek’s 2011 list of the nation’s best high schools. The school is located in the East Baton Rouge Parish school district in the city of Baton Rouge, and with a 100 percent graduation rate and a 92 percent college enrollment rate, working with these engaged and successful young people will be a rewarding job for any teacher. The 26-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio will allow you to work a little more closely with your students than you would be able to in most public schools.

Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts
Located in the city of Natchitoches, Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts is a competitive residential magnet school which students attend for their last one, two or three years of high school. LSMSA is the third-ranked Louisiana high school on Newsweek’s 2011 list of the nation’s best high schools. The school has a 98 percent graduation rate and a 99 percent college enrollment rate. The 15-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio provides educators with the opportunity to really get to know their students, fostering a level of academic and creative engagement rare in public schools.

Calvin High School
Calvin, in the Winn Parish school district of the city of Calvin, is one of only three high schools listed on the Louisiana Department of Education’s list of “High Performing, High Poverty” schools. Of its students, 60.4 percent receive free or reduced lunch, yet 85.7 percent graduate — which is 15 percent above state average. One key to the school’s success is its small size, serving 316 students with a student-to-teacher ratio of 17.5-to-1, according to SchoolDigger.com. Calvin is the perfect destination for teachers interested in working closely with economically disadvantaged children in one of Louisiana’s best schools.
—

You can find out how to become a teacher in Louisiana here.

Subscribe to Certification Map’s monthly newsletter to receive updates about teacher certification, education news and much more!

Photo by ucentralarkansas

Each year, teachers have a great opportunity to try a new line of work during the summer. You could allow yourself a little recess by working at a camp, take a break from kids and take a stab at freelance writing, or explore a foreign culture while teaching abroad. Because you’re less busy than during the school year, summer could also be a great time to expand your knowledge and boost your salary by beginning a Master of Education program. The ideal summer job for teachers will not only pay well, but inspire you, allowing you to return to your classroom refreshed in the fall.

1. Teaching Abroad
Teaching abroad is a very different experience than teaching in the United States. America’s economic prominence has created a huge international market for English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers, and international teaching certification is fairly easy to earn. Teaching abroad is an excellent way to explore a foreign country and will like give you a new perspective on the classroom. The disadvantages are that many employers look for a longer-term commitment, and it can be difficult to obtain visas to many countries. Pay varies by exchange rate, from the equivalent of minimum wage in much of Latin America to more than $100 an hour for the most competitive positions in Tokyo.

2. Tutoring
Rather than teaching a whole class, why not do what you have probably wished you could do many times and devote your energy to one child at a time? As a teacher, you already have the ideal professional network to find clients, as well as the knowledge they seek. The disadvantages of this summer job for teachers are that you may have to travel to some students and scheduling can be inconvenient. You will need to decide your own rate, but anything up to $40 an hour is fairly standard.

3. Camp Staff
Spending your summer outdoors working with kids in a non-educational context can be a fantastic change of pace. You will have the opportunity to build a more playful relationship with kids, to get some exercise and to enjoy nature. Unfortunately, camp staff are generally on-call multiple nights a week and have little time to themselves. Pay ranges from $175 to $400 a week, plus room and board. Look for a position with administrative or supervisory responsibilities to earn as much as you can.

4. Freelance Work
Depending on your area of specialization and other skills, you are probably qualify for some kind of freelance writing, web design or other technology-related work. The advantages of freelance work include making your own hours, a constantly varying set of challenges and learning new things. Disadvantages include the necessity of meeting frequent deadlines, uncertain work flow and occasional difficult clients. You will, of course, negotiate your own wages, but you should be able to make as money as you do teaching and possibly more.

5. Summer School
If you prefer to stick with what you know best, there are plenty of summer jobs for teachers available in summer school. The days are typically shorter than during the year, leaving you a little extra time to relax. This is also a great job to work while easing your way into a Master of Education. You already know the rewards of working in the classroom: sharing your passion with the next generation, making connections with exceptional young people and quite often learning as much as they do. Summer school pay rates in your area will likely be comparable to the wage you make during the year.

Subscribe to Certification Map’s monthly newsletter to receive updates about teacher certification, education news and much more!