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I would also try to find out whether it's difficult to get hired as a new teacher with an MEd. I know that in Michigan, school districts don't want to hire masters level teachers with no experience because they have to pay them almost twice as much as a bachelor's level teacher. People I've known who wanted to switch to teaching as a career have been encouraged to get a second bachelor's instead. To keep certification, they then have to complete 20 grad credits within 5 years of initial certification. Every 10 grad credits, they get a raise. The masters is usually 30 credits so after they get those first 20, they do another 10 and make double what they started out at. There are all kinds of summer courses they can do, sometimes even in resort areas, during the summer to get those credits so they don't even have to work full time and go to school at the same time.
The grad program I'm looking at is 51 credits (in Information Assurance). It's $500 per credit hour and all classes are 3 credit hours. My employer will pay up to $3000 a year in tuition reimbursement as long as I get at least a B in the course. My plan, if I decide to forge ahead with it, is to take 4 classes a year at $6000 total each year, get reimbursed for $3000 each year and pay for the other $3000 out of pocket. I will take a little over 4 years to complete it, but will have no student loans. My salary potential will almost double just in time for my kids to go to college so I can help them more then. I am completely on the fence about whether I should do this right now though. I enjoy having free time now and I feel like I would be giving up 4 years of my life for the purpose of making more money and career advancement. Is the trade off worth it? I see it coming down to Quality of Life vs. Money. Sure, money can improve quality of life, but what is more valuable to me? That's what it boils down to for me.
Last edited by AGDee; 01-25-2009 at 11:27 AM.
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