teacher benefits in your state

Health insurance varies in Florida, but every state employee, teacher or not, has the same retirement system.

Two plans are offered. The first is a 401(k)-type investment plan, the other is a more traditional pension plan. Both require a 3% contribution. There is no match, and, as far as I know, you cannot increase your contribution.

If you choose the investment plan, you vest in a year, and your benefit is based entirely on how your money does in the market. If you choose the pension plan, you vest in eight years, and your benefit is based on traditional pension factors - years of service, salary, etc. If you make it to 30 years of service, your benefit is the average of your five highest-earning years.

Moral of the story is don't rely on a state or federal government for your retirement.

Here my retirement share is 362 dollars a month and health insurance for all teachers just went up an additional 100 dollars if your married. We got a raise for the first time in over 10 years of 4 percent but in turn insurance went up offsetting the raise.

Salary and benefits vary from district to district, depending on the mills and how money is spent. I have worked in four different districts and there hasn't been a significant difference in my salary. However, health insurance is a royal chit-show depending on where you're at. I worked in a district where I was paying over $400/month to have myself and my ex-wife on the health insurance. My current teaching gig is a good deal: I rent a nice house at a reasonable price from the school and got a $1k signing bonus. The health insurance is solid and it's cheap. The pay isn't what I'd like it to be but the difference between this school and the others where I was offered jobs is off-set by the cost of living. And, I have a great football gig lined up for next fall.

Dont go into teaching OR coaching for the money. I dont know what area or state would make teaching lucrative enough to relocate. Cost-of-living and lifestyle might both be better reasons to change teaching locations.

Florida has year-round beautiful weather. I live 15 minutes from the beach. I can wade dock lines and catch enough snapper for my family to eat in under an hour while on my way home from practice.

In TN, we have a mandatory 5% retirement contribution.  They take that out of your pay before you ever see it.  It takes 5 years to get vested and 30 to get full benefits, which are the average of your 5 highest paid years (much like other states).  They changed the plan a year ago for new teachers so that now it's a "hybrid" thing where you get a very small pension from the state (about 60% of the regular "defined benefit" you would have gotten under the old plan) and the rest is basically put into a 401k.

Insurance costs vary by district.  The state has its plans, which most districts offer, but the districts vary how much of that they'll pay.  A few districts out there do their own thing, though, from what I understand.

Our lowest cost family plan is $1000 a month for an HSA with a $10,000 deductible and 30% co-insurance after that, but that's before the district kicks in its portion.  In my district, that covers the entire cost of the plan plus puts $250 a month into the HSA for us to use, so I'm basically getting paid $250 by our district to take to this plan.  Prescriptions count towards the deductible and we still get discounts on them through our provider.  I'm currently on 3 generic medications that cost me $7 a month, which I buy with that HSA money--they retail for about $200 without the plan.

Because I did the HSA and wasn't paying anything for it, I also signed up for a gap insurance plan at $113 a month for us all that reimburses me if I do have hospital bills and tests, which I can then use to pay the bills on that deductible.  With my wife and I trying to have a baby in the upcoming year, that felt necessary.

If I'd wanted the "best" insurance plan our state offers, I would be paying $685 a month out of pocket for it and still have a $3000 deductible and copays, as well as annoying health screenings.

dont move to the bay area
cost of living is crazy but you get what you pay for

living here is really nice

one state retirement system for all public school teachers... you go anywhere in the state at a public school and you are contributing to the same fund

we are all members of CTA (CA teachers association) and they are some benefits

they have deals on insurance (life, home, and auto)
theres a log in where you can go through to other sites and get a small % off at places... i have used it a little here and there for purchases i already needed to make

the benefit i use monthly is it gets me 15% off my AT&T phone bill
family plan with my parents, brother, and myself that we have been on since i was a kid but now i added the code they gave me and it automatically knocks off 15% from the monthly bill

pay overall varies district to district... typically the more expensive it is to live in that city that pay goes up a couple grand

change your dream to "Trap House operator"
and you are all set 

If you are looking at Va. (a GREAT state for High School Football) = Check COST OF LIVING =- it is VERY high in Northern Va., somewhat high in Eastern (Tidewater Va.), & reasonable in Central & Western Va.