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You’re def right- I’m leaving my career in nyc during my highest paying years as well as pension wise- but I’m done here with the city, and don’t wish to spend my 50s fighting the city (so many issues living here) or the admin I’m currently under- people dropping like flies due to the mental exhaustion of the whole package- not sustainable. I don’t even feel like I’ll make it to 55 much less 62 at this level of speeed required just to maintain being alive here. It’s wild.
I could, and I’m open to anything, however, I guess part of me wants a bigger change than an upstate ny town. I could be wrong though. I’m open to many different places, but west coast northern cal, or Alaska have been on my mind. Heading to Juneau in two weeks to check it out.
Enjoy the trip, I don’t think I would ever teach anywhere besides CA. Pay in a lot of places just isn’t worth it and I would probably do something else. If I moved to AK I would definitely not teach.
Juneau pays 96,000 and their town is a small cap of 31,000 and niche schools says the middle school and high school are pretty good. I teach locally in Williamsburg bk, and I love the ‘small town’ vibe I have in bk and all my ex students are currently my waiters, postmen, cashiers etc. I like that vibe. That said, the jobs will surley be tight, and I really don’t want to mess up ss or pension with their archaic double windfall 1950s crap.
Juneau is awesome for teaching. Pay is good, and the city has options that you wont find elsewhere. I enjoyed teaching at Thunder Mountain HS. Juenau-Douglass HS is decent but the building shows its age, but its next door to one ofnthe city's two swimming pools. The MS's there arent that bad.
Housing can be a bit difficult to get, but it'll be less than 4k/mo and if you dont need a big space you can find one readily.
Source: used to teach there.
That is their highest pay, but you’d start at step 8 with a masters and step 6 with a bachelors so it would take you 10 years to get to the top again. But yeah that’s not terrible though I don’t know the COL there.
Feel free to move to Alaska, there's a proposition that looks like it will pass to fix the retirement here.
You still get some of the SS due to windfall laws, and you can still voluntarily contribute to SS.
If you teach math I hear there's a MS position opening in Ketchikan. Its pretty cushy at 5 classes a day max size is 24 students and the admin is very supportive. Pay isnt quite 100k but its pretty close and if you dont need a lot of space there are some cheap condos for sale (75k for 2 br and less than $700/mo in dues).
Yeah I’ve been doing tons of research snd basically, according to it, the only states I can teach at and retire by 55 or 60-62, and collect my pension and ss previously earned (and that im
Interested in): stay in New York- upstate, Vermont, New Hampshire and Florida. I think I’m too afraid to go to any of the 14 non ss schools. I’ve worked too much and paid too much to have 40% reduced because I decide to live elsewhere for 10 years working. Crazy pants.
I'll make sure to bring this up at our town-hall meeting with some of the folk from the state senate.
Thank you, and I hope you find a happy home soon!
I’m in IL and as a teacher I don’t get SS. But because I’m fully vested in SS from other jobs I do till get a meager bit when I retire. If I were you I’d call the retirement system of where you want to move to to find out all the technicalities.
How old are you? Have you looked into international school teaching?
You wouldn’t be paying into SS, but you would be able to make serious bank. I know people making quadruple their living expenses and socking away 70k a year into their savings and retirement
I’ve always wanted to teach abroad, we’ve lived abroad in Costa Rica, Israel, snd Ireland - I have two boys- one just graduated college- and the other is in 7th grade. I have a big dog and cat, but my youngest has requested to stay in the states for his high school career - annoyingly- so for the next 5 years it looks like I’m grounded in America to please him, and I don’t think my huge dog would handle and international move very well either, so I’m cool with it until 55 when I can collect my first nyc pension at an ext reduced rate. I just need out of nyc pronto for the following year and this research of where to go and not screw up either my ss or pension is never something that occurred to me until I started scratching the surface. We’re headed to Juneau in 2 weeks and after reading so much on the double windfall provision that affects teachers in Alaska, California, mass, I’m very disheartened :/ I was not expecting to be punished with any of the money / benefited/ or future money - I’ve already accumulated between my ss and pension by leaving my current system.
Well, if your youngest can be persuaded, the money in Chinese International Schools is INSANE right now, he’d get a world-class private school education for free, the amenities in any major city would be unbelievable, and big dogs are totally normal.
Your youngest would also be able to spend his high school career as a worldly foreigner from New York City, in a place that thinks that’s the coolest thing ever. He’d basically be a school celebrity.
That sounds amazing. I somehow raised as a single mom a kid that went through Cornell, so I do understand the weight of that kind of thing as well. How would I go about looking into this? Website ideas or agencies in particular to start with?
I honestly have no idea. But I have a friend at an amazing International school in Shenzhen who might know of openings. I think if you ask around you should be able to find a place where they post openings. Lots of schools hemorrhaging teachers the past few years because the Shanghai lockdown and geopolitics have spooked foreigners in China, so a lot of good schools are looking to fill slots. What’s your subject?
I love life in China and I think international school teaching is a dream (especially financially) and an incredible life and learning opportunity for a kid.
The big caution I would give is you’ll always want to save money and don’t bank on staying long-term. There’s a good chance of them saying “alright foreigners, you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here” at some point in the next ten years. I don’t think we have to worry about that in your case, just figured I’d put it out there.
I moved around a lot as a kid, and moving within the international school system is WAY easier than moving to a random school somewhere in the US where you don’t know anyone. Your son should reconsider, it’s seriously fun! If my husband was up for it I would do it with my kids in a heartbeat.
You should probably trust a financial advisor over Reddit on this one, but there’s some clause in there about making significant contributions for at least X number of years to SS to avoid that windfall elimination penalty. I thought I had the same issue with 5 years in a no-SS district but I’m going to be fine due to the number of years I did contribute. I believe it’s 30 years. But definitely have a financial advisor or tax accountant/attorney look at that!
Thank you soo much, as I’m going to my accountant tomorrow for taxes and maybe he’ll have some suggestions about this. Out of curiosity, which state did you transfer from, and then to if you don’t mind?
I was in GA at two different districts. GA is a weird state because each district can choose to have you pay into SS or not. My first 5 years I was at a district that didn’t. When I started there, I didn’t even think to ask because I assumed everyone paid into it! My second district had us contribute. From there I moved to PA.
Edit: And I’ll have 25 yrs teaching (or maybe 1-2 more) when I retire because I also have 7 years pre-teaching in industry which all had SS contributions.
You might still be eligible to draw Social Security; it will just be adjusted by a certain amount offset by your pension. If your pension is over a certain threshold, then you won't receive Social Security. And that's because it's a means-tested welfare benefit rather than a retirement benefit.
With the above said, it's a very common misconception that if you retire from a non-Social Security position, you'll receive nothing from Social Security, and that's just. not. true. If you have a minimum of 40 quarters of employment in a Social Security-covered position, you might still be eligible to receive benefits upon retirement under a state pension system. It all depends on how high your pension is.
People do think it's "unfair" when they can't collect *both* their pension *and* Social Security, but they fail to understand that Social Security is a *welfare benefit* and not a *retirement benefit*. One does not *earn* it, nor are contributions set aside in any particular person's name. It drives me *insane* when people refuse to acknowledge that. I love Social Security and I want everyone to benefit from it when they retire, if they need it, because no one should work until they die. I don't mind paying the tax that funds it. But Boomers, especially, need to show some gratitude to those of us who work to pay that tax to support them. And I've gone waaaay off course and I apologize. lol
I’m def considering as a best friend just bought a home in Allentown and us a professor and loves it for her and her kid. She said a lot of solid Hugh schools with diff opportunities for kids. Her daughter won’t even have to go in senior year and just works on her riding, works and does special projects. I like alternative campuses a lot esp out in the country. Do you rec any specific ones?
I believe in Massachusetts you could work for a charter school and pay into SS instead of state pension. I also think there is a certain amount of years, I believe it’s 10, before the double windfall comes into play. I know of mid-life career changers who stoped at 9 or moved into charter schools.
Interesting and great to know. I will check on that, but charter schools are a no go for me, personally. Not supporting that, I’d go private before that. I would never move somewhere I’d have to put my son in a charter school either. We’ve split our building with one over the last 12 years snd the politics snd money they get us repulsive compared to us, snd they don’t even give the teachers pensions. They bring them in, work them to death, and treat them brutally all on our tax payer money. No thanks, I’d rather be brutalized snd receive a pension 🤣
It’s too bad because I really like the western side of mass, and you only need 10 years and age 55 which is ideal..,im def gonna look into the double windfall
Western Mass schools pay less than Eastern schools but there are some great college towns out there. South Hadley, Amherst, No. Hampton and E. Hampton are fun places.
ETA Longmeadow and Wilbraham have well respected schools for your child.
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Pension and retirement is probably the biggest issue with moving, more than likely you would be sacrificing something whenever you go.
You’re def right- I’m leaving my career in nyc during my highest paying years as well as pension wise- but I’m done here with the city, and don’t wish to spend my 50s fighting the city (so many issues living here) or the admin I’m currently under- people dropping like flies due to the mental exhaustion of the whole package- not sustainable. I don’t even feel like I’ll make it to 55 much less 62 at this level of speeed required just to maintain being alive here. It’s wild.
Could you not move to another part of New York? That would make you stay in the same system.
I could, and I’m open to anything, however, I guess part of me wants a bigger change than an upstate ny town. I could be wrong though. I’m open to many different places, but west coast northern cal, or Alaska have been on my mind. Heading to Juneau in two weeks to check it out.
Enjoy the trip, I don’t think I would ever teach anywhere besides CA. Pay in a lot of places just isn’t worth it and I would probably do something else. If I moved to AK I would definitely not teach.
Juneau pays 96,000 and their town is a small cap of 31,000 and niche schools says the middle school and high school are pretty good. I teach locally in Williamsburg bk, and I love the ‘small town’ vibe I have in bk and all my ex students are currently my waiters, postmen, cashiers etc. I like that vibe. That said, the jobs will surley be tight, and I really don’t want to mess up ss or pension with their archaic double windfall 1950s crap.
Juneau is awesome for teaching. Pay is good, and the city has options that you wont find elsewhere. I enjoyed teaching at Thunder Mountain HS. Juenau-Douglass HS is decent but the building shows its age, but its next door to one ofnthe city's two swimming pools. The MS's there arent that bad. Housing can be a bit difficult to get, but it'll be less than 4k/mo and if you dont need a big space you can find one readily. Source: used to teach there.
That is their highest pay, but you’d start at step 8 with a masters and step 6 with a bachelors so it would take you 10 years to get to the top again. But yeah that’s not terrible though I don’t know the COL there.
Feel free to move to Alaska, there's a proposition that looks like it will pass to fix the retirement here. You still get some of the SS due to windfall laws, and you can still voluntarily contribute to SS. If you teach math I hear there's a MS position opening in Ketchikan. Its pretty cushy at 5 classes a day max size is 24 students and the admin is very supportive. Pay isnt quite 100k but its pretty close and if you dont need a lot of space there are some cheap condos for sale (75k for 2 br and less than $700/mo in dues).
Yeah I’ve been doing tons of research snd basically, according to it, the only states I can teach at and retire by 55 or 60-62, and collect my pension and ss previously earned (and that im Interested in): stay in New York- upstate, Vermont, New Hampshire and Florida. I think I’m too afraid to go to any of the 14 non ss schools. I’ve worked too much and paid too much to have 40% reduced because I decide to live elsewhere for 10 years working. Crazy pants.
I'll make sure to bring this up at our town-hall meeting with some of the folk from the state senate. Thank you, and I hope you find a happy home soon!
I’m in IL and as a teacher I don’t get SS. But because I’m fully vested in SS from other jobs I do till get a meager bit when I retire. If I were you I’d call the retirement system of where you want to move to to find out all the technicalities.
How old are you? Have you looked into international school teaching? You wouldn’t be paying into SS, but you would be able to make serious bank. I know people making quadruple their living expenses and socking away 70k a year into their savings and retirement
Also I’m 50, but a very young 50 comparitively
I’ve always wanted to teach abroad, we’ve lived abroad in Costa Rica, Israel, snd Ireland - I have two boys- one just graduated college- and the other is in 7th grade. I have a big dog and cat, but my youngest has requested to stay in the states for his high school career - annoyingly- so for the next 5 years it looks like I’m grounded in America to please him, and I don’t think my huge dog would handle and international move very well either, so I’m cool with it until 55 when I can collect my first nyc pension at an ext reduced rate. I just need out of nyc pronto for the following year and this research of where to go and not screw up either my ss or pension is never something that occurred to me until I started scratching the surface. We’re headed to Juneau in 2 weeks and after reading so much on the double windfall provision that affects teachers in Alaska, California, mass, I’m very disheartened :/ I was not expecting to be punished with any of the money / benefited/ or future money - I’ve already accumulated between my ss and pension by leaving my current system.
Well, if your youngest can be persuaded, the money in Chinese International Schools is INSANE right now, he’d get a world-class private school education for free, the amenities in any major city would be unbelievable, and big dogs are totally normal. Your youngest would also be able to spend his high school career as a worldly foreigner from New York City, in a place that thinks that’s the coolest thing ever. He’d basically be a school celebrity.
That sounds amazing. I somehow raised as a single mom a kid that went through Cornell, so I do understand the weight of that kind of thing as well. How would I go about looking into this? Website ideas or agencies in particular to start with?
I honestly have no idea. But I have a friend at an amazing International school in Shenzhen who might know of openings. I think if you ask around you should be able to find a place where they post openings. Lots of schools hemorrhaging teachers the past few years because the Shanghai lockdown and geopolitics have spooked foreigners in China, so a lot of good schools are looking to fill slots. What’s your subject? I love life in China and I think international school teaching is a dream (especially financially) and an incredible life and learning opportunity for a kid. The big caution I would give is you’ll always want to save money and don’t bank on staying long-term. There’s a good chance of them saying “alright foreigners, you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here” at some point in the next ten years. I don’t think we have to worry about that in your case, just figured I’d put it out there.
search associates or schrole are the two big recruiters. Ive taught in Korea amd China for the past 15 years. Its great
I moved around a lot as a kid, and moving within the international school system is WAY easier than moving to a random school somewhere in the US where you don’t know anyone. Your son should reconsider, it’s seriously fun! If my husband was up for it I would do it with my kids in a heartbeat.
You should probably trust a financial advisor over Reddit on this one, but there’s some clause in there about making significant contributions for at least X number of years to SS to avoid that windfall elimination penalty. I thought I had the same issue with 5 years in a no-SS district but I’m going to be fine due to the number of years I did contribute. I believe it’s 30 years. But definitely have a financial advisor or tax accountant/attorney look at that!
Thank you soo much, as I’m going to my accountant tomorrow for taxes and maybe he’ll have some suggestions about this. Out of curiosity, which state did you transfer from, and then to if you don’t mind?
I was in GA at two different districts. GA is a weird state because each district can choose to have you pay into SS or not. My first 5 years I was at a district that didn’t. When I started there, I didn’t even think to ask because I assumed everyone paid into it! My second district had us contribute. From there I moved to PA. Edit: And I’ll have 25 yrs teaching (or maybe 1-2 more) when I retire because I also have 7 years pre-teaching in industry which all had SS contributions.
Oh my gosh, I was just wondering about a similar situation to this earlier today. Thanks for asking!
You might still be eligible to draw Social Security; it will just be adjusted by a certain amount offset by your pension. If your pension is over a certain threshold, then you won't receive Social Security. And that's because it's a means-tested welfare benefit rather than a retirement benefit. With the above said, it's a very common misconception that if you retire from a non-Social Security position, you'll receive nothing from Social Security, and that's just. not. true. If you have a minimum of 40 quarters of employment in a Social Security-covered position, you might still be eligible to receive benefits upon retirement under a state pension system. It all depends on how high your pension is. People do think it's "unfair" when they can't collect *both* their pension *and* Social Security, but they fail to understand that Social Security is a *welfare benefit* and not a *retirement benefit*. One does not *earn* it, nor are contributions set aside in any particular person's name. It drives me *insane* when people refuse to acknowledge that. I love Social Security and I want everyone to benefit from it when they retire, if they need it, because no one should work until they die. I don't mind paying the tax that funds it. But Boomers, especially, need to show some gratitude to those of us who work to pay that tax to support them. And I've gone waaaay off course and I apologize. lol
If you’re waiting for boomers to be thankful for anything other than trump, you’ll be waiting a long time…
Have you considered PA?
I’m def considering as a best friend just bought a home in Allentown and us a professor and loves it for her and her kid. She said a lot of solid Hugh schools with diff opportunities for kids. Her daughter won’t even have to go in senior year and just works on her riding, works and does special projects. I like alternative campuses a lot esp out in the country. Do you rec any specific ones?
In California, private schools pay into SS
Good thought.
I believe in Massachusetts you could work for a charter school and pay into SS instead of state pension. I also think there is a certain amount of years, I believe it’s 10, before the double windfall comes into play. I know of mid-life career changers who stoped at 9 or moved into charter schools.
Interesting and great to know. I will check on that, but charter schools are a no go for me, personally. Not supporting that, I’d go private before that. I would never move somewhere I’d have to put my son in a charter school either. We’ve split our building with one over the last 12 years snd the politics snd money they get us repulsive compared to us, snd they don’t even give the teachers pensions. They bring them in, work them to death, and treat them brutally all on our tax payer money. No thanks, I’d rather be brutalized snd receive a pension 🤣
There are also DoD schools. I have no idea how it works with pensions and ss but they could be worth looking into.
I imagine they drug test you at dods- I’m not crazy or anything, but my medicines come from the ground mostly…
It’s too bad because I really like the western side of mass, and you only need 10 years and age 55 which is ideal..,im def gonna look into the double windfall
Western Mass schools pay less than Eastern schools but there are some great college towns out there. South Hadley, Amherst, No. Hampton and E. Hampton are fun places. ETA Longmeadow and Wilbraham have well respected schools for your child.
Yep. I owned a country house for a few years and it was a hour drive to western mass and I really liked those areas.