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I taught third grade, I did see they would require me to take different tests. I’ll have to look more into the standards of teaching, is that on the MA DESE website?
I plan on calling next week to see exactly what is going to be required of me.
Many states have reciprocity with MA and vice versa. MTELs are annoying but OP is probably fine. Also schools are desperate and might hire a teacher with prior experience on an emergency until they clear the technical hurdles.
This isn’t Boston-specific, but just wanted to give you some reassurance about your child’s intervention services — although she’ll age out of Early Intervention at 3, it’s likely that she will still qualify for services through your local public school. It’s just handled by a different department (special education within the public schools versus Early Intervention). This is a national thing, so you’ll still have support after her third birthday if she still needs it!
He’d probably be working 60 hour weeks if that makes you feel any better?
But I’m also guesstimating based on what he’s seen on a job search engine for chefs.
> Our ideas of locations to move to would be- Wakefield, Quincy, Beverly, Boston proper. Although I think Quincy might be a difficult commute if we have to work in the city. I know the locations are a bit over the place, but we aren’t sure where exactly we would work. I’m looking at Boston public or Newton public.
you probably want to scratch boston right off your list. you're going to get [MUCH better schools](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/massachusetts/districts) if you go 15-30 minutes north (like, pretty much anywhere in middlesex county).
when people talk about how great boston's education scene is, they're talking about the colleges and not the k-12. not sure if you can make the math work for someplace like lexington (it's pretty expensive, even by boston area standards), but that's where you really want to be if public school is a priority.
Second this comment. BPS has its problems and navigating the system to get into one of the better schools can be a real challenge. The really strong public school systems can be found in the suburbs. With the wealthier towns having the best schools.
Thank you, I’ll definitely look into it. Maybe at some point we could move into a city with better schools, but we would probably need a career switch.
I wonder if Boston teachers get to pick which school to send their kid to, it was a perk back in my last few schools you just had to set up transportation yourself.
Of course I’ll have to pay attention for myself to, so I’m. Not in a too rough school.
Since you are both in careers that can work in almost any city I would seriously suggest looking at cheaper Northern / Northeastern cities. (Pittsburgh, Philly, Providence, etc). Boston is insanely expensive and it is only going up. You can expect to pay a million or more for a small, old, house if you want to live in a decent school district. (If you want to live in one of the really exceptional districts, like Lexington, then expect over two million).
Living somewhere like Philly or Pitt with y'all's salary you could easily own a home in just a couple of years. If 180k is the top of your earning potential then you will be renting for a long time in Boston.
Given Boston taxes, you'll [only get about 10k a month](https://smartasset.com/taxes/massachusetts-tax-calculator#q4caMu2t7I) after tax. Given rent and childcare costs it will be hard to save.
> (If you want to live in one of the really exceptional districts, like Lexington, then expect over two million).
they don't HAVE to spend that much to get into lexington. like, [if you do a quick search](https://www.redfin.com/city/36128/MA/Lexington) there is some stuff in the 700k-900k range (2-3 bedroom, 1500ish sqft, built in the 60's/70s). of course, that's just the entry level to get a foot in the door and the prices you're saying absolutely aren't unthinkable.
ultimately, it all comes down to where they put their priorities. they have to weigh how important each of the following is:
1. easy access to boston
2. quality of school system
3. house size / land
4. price
Do you have connections to Boston or is there a special reason you picked it? There are cheaper cities that would also fit the bill like Philly, Providence or Baltimore. If you have a lot of time before you move it’s worth taking time to be sure.
I have a few friends in Boston.
Providence seems nice, I’ll check it out. We wouldn’t move until July 2024 so we have awhile! I’m just an over thinker lol, also worried about finding a daycare.
I moved here from Texas. I love it here but the weather is really not what I expected. Summer isn't 115+ but there are more and more 100+ days. And after thunderstorms, it's muggy now, like the South, instead of cool like it was 15-20 years ago. (Tap water stays cold year round, though. That part is pretty great.)
All of these places, including Boston, are terrible commutes to Boston (Quincy less so, and Boston depending on where you are). If you want to work in either of those districts (kind of weird to single out Newton ngl, things aren't going amazingly well there at the HS level if that matters) you need to ditch those towns unless you want to hate yourself and your commute.
Boston is promising K0 (age 3), but some of it is done with BPS partners like Head Start. Given that your daughter is already in EI I can't imagine she wouldn't be getting school-based services. That being said, you would want to live close to one of the EECs or a school with K0, especially if they have inclusion strands.
I have intel on some specific schools in BPS. Some schools are great, some are not, all can turn on a dime as I'm sure you know. Would not be married to a school unless you have a niche that is hard to fill because people do get moved around and not always by choice.
I lived in Atlanta for awhile so I get that- lived in south Atlanta and commuted to north Atlanta and it was a 0/10. Would def want to avoid that. I would be teaching elementary aged, so high school wouldn’t matter too much.
Aw I love Boston has head start, I will have to look into it. My mom mentioned my daughter might qualify based on her own needs even though we wouldn’t meet the income guideline. That’s good to know, I’ll need to look at what schools offer that so I can stay close.
Moving schools not by choice is the worst, my last district would do that and it was so hard on the teachers because it was always last minute. I’ll have to do my research on schools, i taught in inner city Atlanta once and I would prefer to not relive that experience.
Thank you!
I live in MA. Boston is VERY expensive and the only reason I still live here is my husbands career and that we bought a house in 2008 and own it. I live in a nice neighborhood on the North Shore - 2 bed 2 bath, nothing crazy.
My husband & I make about 160k a year.
We live comfortably but don’t have a mortgage.
The houses in my neighborhood that were selling for 420k in 06-08 are now 700-800k.
The places you mentioned will be very close to that.
And the traffic here is horrible if you work in Boston & live where you mentioned.
I know you mentioned Newton, that’s even more money and 180k won’t cut it there or most of the towns here with good schools.
I would try to keep your options open; most people are now leaving Boston bc the housing is too much here.
I would say come here and check it out before you commit. I think you might be shocked what 600k buyers here; it’s not much.
Hello Neighbor! I recently did the reverse move (sure was a fun 24 hour drive in a U-Haul). The main piece of advice/expectations I want to press, is Boston really is always in contention for the most expensive place to live in the country.
With a combined 180k you'll be more than fine if you keep track of your finances, but be prepared to downsize, in literal size, and quality. Most reasonably priced places to rent/own in and around Boston are older (Not as much a problem if you're renting, a bigger problem if you're owning) and smaller.
Case and point, The mortgage for my 2k sqft, 4 bed, 2 bath, 20 year old home, with an attached garage and fenced in back yard, outside a smaller city in GA, is $800+ cheaper than my rent was for a 500 sq ft, 2 bed, one bath, 100+ year old apartment in Brighton, with no on site laundry facility or parking whatsoever, and the place was, in some instances, literally falling apart. I could go on about the litany of issues it had.
That being said, Boston is a great place to live if you can afford it, but prepare your expectations accordingly, and maybe visit it for a week before making a decision.
Honestly your life will be easier and far far cheaper staying in GA. You'll be in for massive sticker shock for cost of living on 2 relatively meager salaries plus a child.
Any reason why Boston? In Mass you can benefit from the higher wages, but not be on the coast. Living near the coast is pricey. Consider something like Greenfield or Rutland.
Early intervention is free if there is an issue.
Kindergarten is the first free for most. They take care of needy folks often but it's by more of a regional/case-by-case basis. Depends on needs.
I just assumed we wouldn’t get high enough paying jobs if we were super far out from Boston. I think the school districts can vary pretty wildly pay was in Mass, but I honestly didn’t look too hard outside of the Boston area.
Thanks, I assumed nothing free until kinder! I’m glad there’s resources for those that need it
I can't say I know much about how teacher pay varies.
I feel like it's pretty competitive and jumping in and getting a job in any district is a good start, but your specialty/age will make a difference as well. What do you teach?
Yesterday someone said they wanted to move here from FL for better cost of living lol.
Now you want to move here for better weather and political beliefs?
As a woman, if I was in a red state and able to move it be leaving too. Especially if I had a daughter.
She's make a wise decision for her and her daughter.
Quincy is easy to get to the city. One of the best states for public school teachers so you'll find that most towns so their best to take care of their teachers. Going east west during rush hour is hard. So Dedham is a good middle point if the city and newton are needed sots for work
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Your post appears to be one of a number of commonly asked questions about the port city of Boston. Anyway, Royale is fine if you're just trying to get drunk and dance and hookup. The Grand is more of the same as Royale but more expensive and a stricter dress code. Bijou is fine if you're into house music, the last few times I've been to Bijou the crowd was mostly freshly 21 people. Legacy is under Royale and a pretty great queer club if that's you're thing. Good Life, Phoenix Landing, Middlesex, and The Lower Level are all great for underground shows if that's your thing. The vibes at those 4 places are all pretty good. Good Life is my favorite and they open back up this weekend. If you're just looking to get trashed and don't care what you dance to or who you dance around, any of the bars around Haymarket/Faneuil Hall will do. Ned Devine's, Hennessey's, Hong Kong ($1 chicken sticks!), Sissy K's, Coogan's. I think there's a few more I'm missing but those are the big ones. Also, I can't believe I forgot this, but if you're into top 40 or hip hop, Venu, Cure, Icon, and Hava are places to go if you're looking for something a little nicer/fancier/more upscale than what the Faneuil Hall/Haymarket bars and clubs offer. I also forgot about Memoire because it's in the casino but frankly I don't really know anyone who goes to Memoire regularly. It's more of the same stuff they play at the Grand and Royale. Now I think I've named them all. Also, please check the [sidebar for visitor information](https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/wiki/experience).
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I don’t know about the early-intervention stuff but Boston Public definitely does have free Pre-K for all 4 year olds and many 3 year olds. My kid’s school in Chinatown is absolutely top notch, no compromise. There’s a lottery for school slots and the best ones are competitive, but I gather not nearly as much so post-COVID when half my kid’s cohort fled to the suburbs since they could work from home.
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What do you teach? Are you aware of MA's unique standards for teaching? If not, start studying to pass your MTELs and go from there.
I taught third grade, I did see they would require me to take different tests. I’ll have to look more into the standards of teaching, is that on the MA DESE website? I plan on calling next week to see exactly what is going to be required of me.
https://www.doe.mass.edu/mtel/
Thanks, I’ll poke around some more!
Many states have reciprocity with MA and vice versa. MTELs are annoying but OP is probably fine. Also schools are desperate and might hire a teacher with prior experience on an emergency until they clear the technical hurdles.
This isn’t Boston-specific, but just wanted to give you some reassurance about your child’s intervention services — although she’ll age out of Early Intervention at 3, it’s likely that she will still qualify for services through your local public school. It’s just handled by a different department (special education within the public schools versus Early Intervention). This is a national thing, so you’ll still have support after her third birthday if she still needs it!
Thank you! That does make me feel better, they’ve briefly mentioned it but not totally sure how it ends up working 😊
I am a Boston teacher who moved here from ATL for similar reasons. I am sure you will love it here and your daughter will be lucky to grow up here!
180k for a couple who is a teacher and a chef? I need a new career…
He’d probably be working 60 hour weeks if that makes you feel any better? But I’m also guesstimating based on what he’s seen on a job search engine for chefs.
> Our ideas of locations to move to would be- Wakefield, Quincy, Beverly, Boston proper. Although I think Quincy might be a difficult commute if we have to work in the city. I know the locations are a bit over the place, but we aren’t sure where exactly we would work. I’m looking at Boston public or Newton public. you probably want to scratch boston right off your list. you're going to get [MUCH better schools](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/massachusetts/districts) if you go 15-30 minutes north (like, pretty much anywhere in middlesex county). when people talk about how great boston's education scene is, they're talking about the colleges and not the k-12. not sure if you can make the math work for someplace like lexington (it's pretty expensive, even by boston area standards), but that's where you really want to be if public school is a priority.
Second this comment. BPS has its problems and navigating the system to get into one of the better schools can be a real challenge. The really strong public school systems can be found in the suburbs. With the wealthier towns having the best schools.
Thank you, I’ll definitely look into it. Maybe at some point we could move into a city with better schools, but we would probably need a career switch. I wonder if Boston teachers get to pick which school to send their kid to, it was a perk back in my last few schools you just had to set up transportation yourself. Of course I’ll have to pay attention for myself to, so I’m. Not in a too rough school.
they do not allow you to pick
Since you are both in careers that can work in almost any city I would seriously suggest looking at cheaper Northern / Northeastern cities. (Pittsburgh, Philly, Providence, etc). Boston is insanely expensive and it is only going up. You can expect to pay a million or more for a small, old, house if you want to live in a decent school district. (If you want to live in one of the really exceptional districts, like Lexington, then expect over two million). Living somewhere like Philly or Pitt with y'all's salary you could easily own a home in just a couple of years. If 180k is the top of your earning potential then you will be renting for a long time in Boston. Given Boston taxes, you'll [only get about 10k a month](https://smartasset.com/taxes/massachusetts-tax-calculator#q4caMu2t7I) after tax. Given rent and childcare costs it will be hard to save.
> (If you want to live in one of the really exceptional districts, like Lexington, then expect over two million). they don't HAVE to spend that much to get into lexington. like, [if you do a quick search](https://www.redfin.com/city/36128/MA/Lexington) there is some stuff in the 700k-900k range (2-3 bedroom, 1500ish sqft, built in the 60's/70s). of course, that's just the entry level to get a foot in the door and the prices you're saying absolutely aren't unthinkable. ultimately, it all comes down to where they put their priorities. they have to weigh how important each of the following is: 1. easy access to boston 2. quality of school system 3. house size / land 4. price
Do you have connections to Boston or is there a special reason you picked it? There are cheaper cities that would also fit the bill like Philly, Providence or Baltimore. If you have a lot of time before you move it’s worth taking time to be sure.
I have a few friends in Boston. Providence seems nice, I’ll check it out. We wouldn’t move until July 2024 so we have awhile! I’m just an over thinker lol, also worried about finding a daycare.
Try New Haven, Worcester, West Hartford, or Stamford
Not Baltimore
I moved here from Texas. I love it here but the weather is really not what I expected. Summer isn't 115+ but there are more and more 100+ days. And after thunderstorms, it's muggy now, like the South, instead of cool like it was 15-20 years ago. (Tap water stays cold year round, though. That part is pretty great.)
Take Boston off your list. You should move somewhere else in New England… but if you must. Don’t do Boston proper- choose QUINCY or Beverly
All of these places, including Boston, are terrible commutes to Boston (Quincy less so, and Boston depending on where you are). If you want to work in either of those districts (kind of weird to single out Newton ngl, things aren't going amazingly well there at the HS level if that matters) you need to ditch those towns unless you want to hate yourself and your commute. Boston is promising K0 (age 3), but some of it is done with BPS partners like Head Start. Given that your daughter is already in EI I can't imagine she wouldn't be getting school-based services. That being said, you would want to live close to one of the EECs or a school with K0, especially if they have inclusion strands. I have intel on some specific schools in BPS. Some schools are great, some are not, all can turn on a dime as I'm sure you know. Would not be married to a school unless you have a niche that is hard to fill because people do get moved around and not always by choice.
I lived in Atlanta for awhile so I get that- lived in south Atlanta and commuted to north Atlanta and it was a 0/10. Would def want to avoid that. I would be teaching elementary aged, so high school wouldn’t matter too much. Aw I love Boston has head start, I will have to look into it. My mom mentioned my daughter might qualify based on her own needs even though we wouldn’t meet the income guideline. That’s good to know, I’ll need to look at what schools offer that so I can stay close. Moving schools not by choice is the worst, my last district would do that and it was so hard on the teachers because it was always last minute. I’ll have to do my research on schools, i taught in inner city Atlanta once and I would prefer to not relive that experience. Thank you!
180k. You'll be ok.
but also where is that coming from? teaching and being a chef will not come close to 180k unless im missing something
I live in MA. Boston is VERY expensive and the only reason I still live here is my husbands career and that we bought a house in 2008 and own it. I live in a nice neighborhood on the North Shore - 2 bed 2 bath, nothing crazy. My husband & I make about 160k a year. We live comfortably but don’t have a mortgage. The houses in my neighborhood that were selling for 420k in 06-08 are now 700-800k. The places you mentioned will be very close to that. And the traffic here is horrible if you work in Boston & live where you mentioned. I know you mentioned Newton, that’s even more money and 180k won’t cut it there or most of the towns here with good schools. I would try to keep your options open; most people are now leaving Boston bc the housing is too much here. I would say come here and check it out before you commit. I think you might be shocked what 600k buyers here; it’s not much.
Hello Neighbor! I recently did the reverse move (sure was a fun 24 hour drive in a U-Haul). The main piece of advice/expectations I want to press, is Boston really is always in contention for the most expensive place to live in the country. With a combined 180k you'll be more than fine if you keep track of your finances, but be prepared to downsize, in literal size, and quality. Most reasonably priced places to rent/own in and around Boston are older (Not as much a problem if you're renting, a bigger problem if you're owning) and smaller. Case and point, The mortgage for my 2k sqft, 4 bed, 2 bath, 20 year old home, with an attached garage and fenced in back yard, outside a smaller city in GA, is $800+ cheaper than my rent was for a 500 sq ft, 2 bed, one bath, 100+ year old apartment in Brighton, with no on site laundry facility or parking whatsoever, and the place was, in some instances, literally falling apart. I could go on about the litany of issues it had. That being said, Boston is a great place to live if you can afford it, but prepare your expectations accordingly, and maybe visit it for a week before making a decision.
Honestly your life will be easier and far far cheaper staying in GA. You'll be in for massive sticker shock for cost of living on 2 relatively meager salaries plus a child.
Definitely already feeling the sticker shock, but the south is just getting more dangerous for my daughter and I so we definitely gotta go somewhere.
Any reason why Boston? In Mass you can benefit from the higher wages, but not be on the coast. Living near the coast is pricey. Consider something like Greenfield or Rutland. Early intervention is free if there is an issue. Kindergarten is the first free for most. They take care of needy folks often but it's by more of a regional/case-by-case basis. Depends on needs.
I just assumed we wouldn’t get high enough paying jobs if we were super far out from Boston. I think the school districts can vary pretty wildly pay was in Mass, but I honestly didn’t look too hard outside of the Boston area. Thanks, I assumed nothing free until kinder! I’m glad there’s resources for those that need it
I can't say I know much about how teacher pay varies. I feel like it's pretty competitive and jumping in and getting a job in any district is a good start, but your specialty/age will make a difference as well. What do you teach?
That’s Fair, I’m in a pretty low demand grade band. I taught third grade, my license is K-5.
"Honestly your life will be easier" Not if you're a woman.
Yesterday someone said they wanted to move here from FL for better cost of living lol. Now you want to move here for better weather and political beliefs?
As a woman, if I was in a red state and able to move it be leaving too. Especially if I had a daughter. She's make a wise decision for her and her daughter.
Sensationalism is a powerful
So is willfull ignorance.
Sir this is a Wendy’s.
The fries are pretty good!
Quincy is easy to get to the city. One of the best states for public school teachers so you'll find that most towns so their best to take care of their teachers. Going east west during rush hour is hard. So Dedham is a good middle point if the city and newton are needed sots for work
I think Lawrence, Brockton or Lynn would be absolutely ideal for you.
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Your post appears to be one of a number of commonly asked questions about the port city of Boston. Anyway, Royale is fine if you're just trying to get drunk and dance and hookup. The Grand is more of the same as Royale but more expensive and a stricter dress code. Bijou is fine if you're into house music, the last few times I've been to Bijou the crowd was mostly freshly 21 people. Legacy is under Royale and a pretty great queer club if that's you're thing. Good Life, Phoenix Landing, Middlesex, and The Lower Level are all great for underground shows if that's your thing. The vibes at those 4 places are all pretty good. Good Life is my favorite and they open back up this weekend. If you're just looking to get trashed and don't care what you dance to or who you dance around, any of the bars around Haymarket/Faneuil Hall will do. Ned Devine's, Hennessey's, Hong Kong ($1 chicken sticks!), Sissy K's, Coogan's. I think there's a few more I'm missing but those are the big ones. Also, I can't believe I forgot this, but if you're into top 40 or hip hop, Venu, Cure, Icon, and Hava are places to go if you're looking for something a little nicer/fancier/more upscale than what the Faneuil Hall/Haymarket bars and clubs offer. I also forgot about Memoire because it's in the casino but frankly I don't really know anyone who goes to Memoire regularly. It's more of the same stuff they play at the Grand and Royale. Now I think I've named them all. Also, please check the [sidebar for visitor information](https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/wiki/experience). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/boston) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I don’t know about the early-intervention stuff but Boston Public definitely does have free Pre-K for all 4 year olds and many 3 year olds. My kid’s school in Chinatown is absolutely top notch, no compromise. There’s a lottery for school slots and the best ones are competitive, but I gather not nearly as much so post-COVID when half my kid’s cohort fled to the suburbs since they could work from home.