u/windowforthecat

I'm in Illinois and a tier 2 teacher which puts our retirement at age 67. I graduated collge in 2008 and tier 2 started in 2011. I unfortunately could not find a teaching position until well after the change because of all the cuts during the housing market crisis. So many teachers are retiring in our district age 55-60 and I'm happy for them but also super jealous. What age are you planning on retiring and what state are you in? I'm curious what the new average age is and what it will be in 20 years.

My husband (who had super insurance for us as a benefit) was recently laid off last week from the job he's had for a decade. It moved to Europe. We had a great PPO. I was like no big, I'll move us to my teacher's insurance. For a family plan PPO (2 adults, one child) it is literally my entire paycheck. $1500 twice a month cost. $3000 a month. For the HMO its $800 semi monthly, twice a month- half my pay $1600. For just me and my child the PPO is $800 twice a month so $1600 and the HMO is $300 twice a month so $600. Do teachers just not have insurance for their families? For just me the HMO would be free and the PPO would be $32 twice a month. But trying to insure my family is looking so bleak. My husband said just get insurance for me and our kid but that's awful. I work in a well funded district, I'm so suprised the insurance situation is so destitute. How do you guys insure your families? This is wild.

In a very far suburb of Chicago (an hour away) gas was $4.65 at noon today and then just now I saw it went up to $5.25. I'm old and I've never seen it so high before. Why did it go up 60cents today? What happened specifically?

My family moved to this town for the school systems. I am disenchanted teaching in it. I was really excited they were hiring an art teacher for the elementary school. Turns out it was for 2 schools and still only a .8 position. They use 2 art teachers per 3 schools and it's not full time for me.... we pay $1000 a month in property taxes, the majority going to the schools and they nickle and dime the art, music, and gym teachers into multiple schools not full time. I have 25 classes, 500 students I see each week at 2 schools. No breaks between classes aside from lunch and a planing period. There are 6 art fairs total a year, it's a ton of work. I'm so disenchanted by the school system. It's nice being on the same holiday schedule as my kids but why are they trying to coupon code speacils teachers? So many art teaching jobs are like this now. They brag about their art program. They have 6 different art fairs between the schools it's too much. It's never ending work but they only have a 0.8 art teacher position? How can you make part time salary and be expected to do so much extra? If they just had 5 min between classes it would add a whole extra day. They smash it all together into an exhausting marathon.....and it's somehow not full time. Sorry for the whine, I'm just really frustrated today.