Education Thread in Maine
from Fusion2006 sent 29 minutes ago
Hi Thought I would switch this over to private message. Some answers: 1. The PDF from Portland schools.....basically the preamble (1-2) is just an overview of the step process. (1) Means the Portland school system will not pay you less than a professional salary (2) Means you will be on a provisional contract for 2 years.....the downside of this is that they can fire you at will with no reason..but this is standard operating procedure at ALL Maine schools. Once you get past your first 2 years, they will give you a 3 year recurring contract.
I started with a BA and made $21k when I went for my masters (2001). After I got my masters (2003) I bumped up to $28k. Portland is probably one of the better pay districts. Smaller districts outside of Portland do not pay so well. Generally, I would expect to make low $30's for a starting salary with a 4 yr degree. Don't expect to make more than mid $30's starting out. No this seems low, but keep in mind you can work other jobs during the summer months....so I coached 2 sports and then worked for the Air Guard in the summer and usually bumped my salary up to low $50k's.
What to major in? I majored in Secondary Ed with a concentration in History. But I know people who majored in their subject and minored in education. I have a friend who majored in Latin and minored in Education and had no problem in getting a job. So I would recommend either path. The big thing is that you satisfy the certification standards for the state.
Where to go to school? USM is a clusterfuck. They are having major budget issues and just fired 50 full time faculty. Plus, I do not think you can get a concentration in Spanish there. But, call that number I gave you to be certain. In Southern Maine, USM is the only state school. There is University of New England which is private and more money......but if you using the GI Bll, it might not be as much of an issue for you. The best teacher prep college in Maine is the University of Farmington. Great school. In theory you could live in Lewiston (2nd largest city in Maine) and then commute to Farmington....it is about 43 miles away......but winter would be a bitch.
You have an AS in Spanish? Keep in mind most AS degrees do not go above 300 level. I believe you will need to take some 300 and 400 level Spanish classes for an education concentration. Also, since French is similar to Spanish, you might want to look at doing French as well. Being able to teach both languages would make you very employable. Most Maine High schools employee around 1-2 spanish teachers.
Maine is a low paying state. It is also heavily taxed. So in 2007 I made $35k a year....with a masters and 5 years experience. After taxes and pension dues my take home pay was $500 per week. Not a lot of money. Pay is better in Portland area, but cost of living is higher. Average cost of an apartment in Portland area is around $1000 a month for a passable place. My rent in central Maine (Bangor) was $700 a month. Big difference.
Navy. You can "buy" your retirement time in some cases. What this means is that the state will allow you to buy your 6 years.....so you fork over a lump some of money and the state then credits your pension with this money. For 6 years this could be over $10k. This is the email for the Maine retirement system. State@mainepers.org You can email them questions and they will answer you. I use this a bit with questions.
Navy part 2. I just retired from the Maine Air Guard after 20 years. If you have 6 years in, I would highly recommend talking to the Air Guard. You would only have to do 14 part time years to qualify for a military pension at age 60. One weekend a month.....15 days a year......plus as a teacher....the Air Guard provided me with tons of part time work. From 1995-2006 I would work full time in the summer for them and boosted my teacher pay. Plus if you join the Air Guard they will waive a portion of your tuition to a state school and you can use the GI Bill for living expenses instead of tuition. I can fully understand after 6 years of navy life of being military averse.....but the Air Guard is a great organization and treat their people very well......oh yeah......you can also qualify for Tricare as well in the Guard.
Teaching is hard. It is fun. It can suck the life out of you. I taught for 5 years and ended up moving in administration due to the bullshit with no child left behind and other crap. Burned out. Make sure this is what you want to do.