After two and a half months, I finally have some choices to make. ESL in Ohio or Spanish in North Carolina? Neither job is at the university level, which in the end I think is okay, since the uni positions don't seem to pay much, have any benefits, or be in decent places to live. I would really like to stick with ESL, but here's the problem...
North Carolina is MUCH more organized when it comes to teaching in public schools. In Ohio, I've spent the WHOLE time I've been back trying to figure out what I need to do to teach here. It's a pain and $$$$, to say the least. So if I go with the place in NC, I automatically get a lateral entry license and they lead me through the process of what classes I would need to take. The school would pay for the first 6 semester hours, and the rest would be reduced tuition. This is great, since NC is WAAAAAAY cheaper than Ohio anyways! I might even be able to get some of my teaching experience to count. And, to top it all off, the school has TEACHER HOUSING! So, I'd get to live in a new apartment complex, only with other teachers.
And for Ohio. UC took way too long to tell me how to even take classes again. Each three quarter hour course is $618, and I would need to take at least 6 of those (around $4,000 for 18 quarter hours) to get the coursework that the Ohio Dept. of Education says I need for the alternative license. If I listen to UC, I would have to take 27 quarter hours, plus 6 more of ESL K-12 methods for the endorsement. And, the school doesn't seem to understand what alternative licensure is. I could be on sub pay for a long time (although I have to clear this up). And I don't know how much I would make, and I'd have to live in the Nati again, even though I love the area and students I'd get to work with.
At either place (although not sure this applies if I'm a sub all year) I can get my Stafford loans paid off, something like $5,000 for every year that I work, up to $17,500. That's awesome! But honestly, I'm not sure that I trust UC, or Ohio. In NC, it's warmer, way close to the beach and DC, and they know what they're doing. Sigh, decisions.
