Post # 1
Member
782 posts
Busy bee
I am currently an elementary school counselor. I teach guidance classes & see kids for individual counseling. I show up exactly at contract time (7:30) & leave exactly at contract time (3:15). I love what I do!!! However, I hate my administration with a passion mostly for ethical reasons. so I am looking at changing school systems
ive been given the opportunity to take a new position at a neighboring county high school It will require probably 1.5-2 hours longer work hours per day, will cut my summers off in half (4 weeks off instead of 8 weeks off), and just in general I know I won’t like high school compared to elementary (I just love when those germs, snotty hands hug you)
So, if you’re still reading, I know you are thinking it’s a no brained- don’t take the high school job but here’s the kicker- I’d go from making under $50,000 a year to $70,000 $20,000 a year difference is huge!!!! So, would you take a job that will kick your ass compared to your previous job & that you know you wouldn’t love for a $20,000 pay difference?
Also, DH is a teacher as well and we currently have the same schedule so he’d still be getting 8 weeks off while I had to work 4 more
Post # 2
Member
849 posts
Busy bee
mandakay0021 : I’d keep looking until you find a better balance 🙂 As a former teacher bee myself, I’ve come to learn what I’m sure you already know–the kids make the biggest difference. Admin can be bearable no matter what, as long as you have breaks from them, haha.
Post # 3
Member
2414 posts
Buzzing bee
I worked in Pre-K to 12th grade for years, although I thought I’d never EVER want to teach or work with adolescents.
To my surprise, it turned out that my HS kids could be as delightful as my little guys. 😖
Post # 4
Member
782 posts
Busy bee
ann.reid.9277 : Its not the kids I wouldn’t like in high school, but the job description differences. It’s all schedules, testing, college prep, parents – very little interaction with kids as a high school counselor.
janna121215 : Counselor positions are hard to come by and right now there aren’t an elementary school openings. As for our admin, we are an extremely small school system so they have their hands in everything (example- director of schools has to approve field trip permission slips before they go home)
Post # 5
Member
7564 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
Doesn’t sound like a higher salary so much as it sounds like more work for more pay. 6-10 more hours per week and 4 more weeks per year, that’s where your $20k increase is coming from.
If money is tight then ghe the opportunity to work more and earn more would be good, but if you’re living comfortably now, it might not be worth working more and doing something you like less.
Post # 6
Member
1359 posts
Bumble bee
Unless the administration is absolutely intolerable (which it sounds like it isn’t yet as you’re still saying you love your job), I would stay with your current job that you love. While $20,000 sounds awesome, remember that’s being spread across those extra 2 hours a day you have to work and extra 4 weeks in the summer. It honestly sounds like you have an awesome thing going (my dad was an elementary school guidance counselor for 40 years) and I wouldn’t change it!
Post # 7
Member
11376 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
Money isn’t everything. This is a matter of priorities and lifestyle choice. 8 weeks off with your husband? That seems amazing. I’m not sure I’d give that up for a job I wasn’t excited about.
No job is going to be perfect, and right now the good outweighs the bad for you. So I’d take the bad administration out of there (rarely do people like everyone at work), and make your decision re time, lifestyle and money.
Post # 8
Member
7628 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
I would not. On the surface it sounds great, a 40% pay raise! I broke down the numbers for you though:
Right now at 7.75 hours a day for 44 weeks per year you make $29.32 per hour.
If you increase to 9.5 hours a day at 48 weeks you make $30.70 per hour. A 4.7% pay raise is nothing to turn your nose up at but it’s not nearly as good as just looking at the straight salary increase.
if you end up working 10 hour days at 48 weeks you will be making $29.17 per hour. So lees than you are making now.
To me it’s not worth it. I enjoy the occasional overtime but I would not take a job with consistent overtime where you don’t have the choice to work a forty hour week during the weeks where you just need more personal time. Throw in the fact that you don’t think you’ll enjoy this job as much and it would be a no brained for me to turn it down. The only way I would take it is if we were really hurting for money or it was a short term job (like if you’re planning on being a Stay-At-Home Mom in a few years).
Post # 9
Member
3331 posts
Sugar bee
Dealing with parents? Hard Stop. They are WAY worse than the students. For that and the other things mentioned, I think you would regret taking the new job.
I had an incredibly stressful job and was actively seeking a new one. The job was killing me. I had a spreadsheet worked out with my expenses to see just how low of a salary I could live on, and it was surprising and freeing. Money is not worth your sanity and happiness, believe me. I now have a job that pays $10K less that I love. I could have taken a $25K pay cut and still been OK.
Post # 10
Member
782 posts
Busy bee
Thank you for all your responses! My DH also said no! My current administration is a lot worse than I stated in previous post but has backed off once I brought my teacher union rep to a meeting I had earlier this year. I will be rehired next year because of my union rep but the anxiety I have while at work due to admin hasn’t settled. But I do absolutely love my kiddos & would miss them dearly.
Post # 11
Member
429 posts
Helper bee
If I were you I would stay where you are. Your future kids will thanks you if you plan on being a parent. Yesterday I drove 650km and as gone 11 hours. Â I make good money but have little free time. I wish I had done teaching like my mom did.Â
Post # 12
Member
626 posts
Busy bee
I don’t think the new job sounds quite right. If increasing your salary is the motivation, are there other ways to do that during your summer break?
Post # 13
Member
782 posts
Busy bee
happyowlbee : I do work a part time job each summer already. DH’s sister (also a teacher) owns a snowball shack. DH & I work the day shift all summer. It gives us about $2000 which we use as vacation money for our fall break cruise we take each year.
Post # 14
Member
1292 posts
Bumble bee
I understand dealing with anxietyat work- I left my last job due to having a very difficult admin, so you are not alone.. Is it possible to transfer to another elementary school within the same school district?
Post # 15
Member
782 posts
Busy bee
SmartCookie1 : unfortunately no. We are a tiny district- 3 elementary schools. I’m at 2 of the 3 now & the other counselor will be in that position for the next 20 years.