I'm a very logical thinker, and I like to see things by the numbers. Let's look at teaching by the numbers for my two beloved states.
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, the average elementary school teacher earned $54,965 in 2011. Pennsylvania teachers earned $59,344, well above the national average, while South Carolina teachers earned $48,461, well below the national average. So if I moved back to Pennsylvania, I could earn an average of $10,000 more a year, making it easier for me to pay off those college loans and start brand new college loans so I can earn a Master's degree and get closer to reaching that national average. (I am earning over $10,000 less than the national average for South Carolina elementary teachers according to the website.)
My options are even more open in Pennsylvania where I have 3 middle school certificates on top of my elementary certificate. If I decided to teach middle school, I could earn an average of $61,030 according to the US Department of Labor. That's not even an option for me in South Carolina because of the certification I received. However if I really wanted to get a reciprocal middle school certificate, I would be looking at $56,280. Keep in mind that that number is from a 2012 report while all of my other numbers are from 2011 reports.
A list of the best and worst states to make a living came out earlier this year. If I were to make my decision based on that, the choice would be clear. Pennsylvania is ranked 19th while South Carolina is way down at 46th. While cost of living is generally higher in the Philadelphia area, there are areas near Charleston with similar costs of living.
So far, PA is kicking some serious butt in this fight.
Which brings me to working conditions and unions. When I was working in Pennsylvania, I enjoyed duty free lunch, a planning period, and some pretty decent health benefits. While I was not a huge fan of unions, they did a lot for me. I was a bit miffed when I realized I had to give a small part of my paycheck to the unions each pay period, but I accepted that it was well worth the cost of the pay and benefits I enjoyed as a non-union employee of the school who benefited from all the union did. All teachers and paraprofessionals had the same pay scale and benefits whether or not they were in the union, and all employees had due process.
In South Carolina there are no teaching unions. In fact, union is kind of a dirty word that earns glares or worse for most people who utter the word. Except, of course, the teachers who are longing for the simple things in life. Things like a bathroom break. If I went to the bathroom the minute before my students walked into my classroom, I would have to wait 6 hours and 45 minutes for my first duty free moment of time. Which means that unless I can have a coworker watch my class during lunch (only 4 and a half hours into the day), I am waiting about 7 hours to go to the bathroom. God forbid I have some sort of bathroom related emergency during that time. God forbid I drink a caffeinated beverage that morning. And that's just a result of not having a duty free lunch.
Without unions, first year teachers in South Carolina have no due process. You heard me. They can be fired for any reason at any time. They have no rights. Your principal doesn't like you? You're teaching career is over. I know people who have had that happen to them here in South Carolina. As for the health "benefits," teachers are eligible for the state health plan, which costs double the plan I had in Pennsylvania while easily giving me half of what my old plan offered.
So let's be real. From a monetary standpoint, the decision is clear. Pennsylvania offers me better pay (including adjustments for cost of living) and better quality of life than South Carolina. Unfortunately, the decision is not that simple, but here's where I stand on the issue so far:
PA - 2
SC - 0
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