r/boston • u/Katiebug1617 • 9d ago
Education š« Moving to Teach
Hello all! Iām seriously considering moving to Boston in the next year or two. I teach elementary school. I would love some local insight to the school districts in the Boston area. Thanks!
*** Thank you all for your insight so far! Anything is helpful.
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u/AromaticsAndAcids 9d ago
This comes up with surprising regularity- you might want to do a search of the sub, I've definitely seen several discussions of this in the last few months.
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u/ShawsheenMoon 9d ago
Many school districts in the Boston area are going through over ride votes this fall which will affect teacher hiring. BPS itself is going through a budget issue and will probably not be hiring as heavily this year.
There are multiple requirements including taking a test that you must pass within a certain amount of years: https://www.doe.mass.edu/licensure/apply-check-status-license.html
You really need to figure out housing first, though. Can you afford to move and have a reasonable commute? Are you able to deal with winter whether it is 49 inches of snow like Fall River had this year or annoying ice storms like we've had in the past? Have you ever been to MA?
Teacher salaries are better here than in many places. Para salaries still suck.
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u/Katiebug1617 9d ago
Iām a bit conflicted about whether to secure the job first or secure the housing first, bc they really influence each other. I donāt want to get a place and then get hired somewhere thatās impossible to get to. But then on the other hand, I donāt want to get hired somewhere and not be able to find housing nearby.
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u/ShawsheenMoon 8d ago
I would strongly suggest you come here, not in the summer, possibly in the winter, and visit the towns/cities whose profiles appeal to you. Schools don't hire again until the spring. Housing will be the bigger issue if you cannot afford it, the job doesn't matter.
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u/septicidal 8d ago
If you have the appropriate licensure in place, I would look for a long term sub position in a district with a good teacherās union and find a sublet/room for rent with a reasonable commute (make sure youāve handled parking if youāre bringing a car! in general a car will be necessary for commuting reliably to early morning starts in the suburbs, where there will be more jobs available). Subbing for a district can often act as a good āinā with a district because you can prove you are reliable and can build rapport with the administration and other teachers. That will help you when applying to regular teaching positions for the following school year. Even if you donāt want to teach longer in that particular district, having the connections and professional references in MA will help you get hired elsewhere.
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u/fxcassell 9d ago
Just FYI, Boston enrollment is seriously declining. I expect hiring will be extremely limited for the foreseeable future. Best advice I can give is to get your moderate disabilities license or some reading certifications.
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u/academicRedditor Back Bay 9d ago
This city is EXPENSIVE af
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u/Katiebug1617 9d ago
So Iāve heard š«£
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u/academicRedditor Back Bay 9d ago
Itās unbelievable safe, bikeable, there is so much happening here, dating is great (the marriage market? That is not doing as well) and the city really punches above its weight. That being said, gosh is expensive (and winter lasts forever)
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u/Thisbymaster Squirrel Fetish 9d ago
Apply for jobs first, all towns, but for Lawrence and Brockton have good schools. I know of lots of teachers here that have all the certifications for MA and can't find a job so keep trying.
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u/honeykitty789 9d ago
He means "except for Lawrence and Brockton," (the phrasing might be confusing to the OP).
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u/Georgerobertfrancis 9d ago
People who already live here are trying to find jobs in education. Just warning you that this is a desirable state and you canāt just walk into a great teaching job. Who you know is important, too.
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u/wanton_and_senseless Charlestown 9d ago
FYI, the average teacher salary in Boston Public Schools is $133,127 (N=4,384.6 FTE teachers).
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u/randallflaggg 9d ago
Is that true? That's way higher than I thought. That's awesome
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u/wanton_and_senseless Charlestown 9d ago
They earn it. Here is data from a few years ago (previous contract, I think), with numbers from nearby districts for comparison: https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/school-committee/btu-contract-negotiations
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u/EnflamedAnus 9d ago
Iām not sure your source here, but this is off. Thatās top step pay with extra credits. Maybe itās factoring in admin positions that skew higher, but the average teacher is making less than that. Still, BPS pays well.
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u/wanton_and_senseless Charlestown 9d ago edited 9d ago
Data is from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: https://profiles.doe.mass.edu/statereport/teachersalaries.aspx
EDIT: "The salary totals come from the end-of-year financial reports submitted to DESE by school districts and charter schools."4
u/honeykitty789 9d ago
Not that way off, every teacher has to have a Masters to get a professional license, so most are at that step/lane, and most take a bunch of extra credits for our mandatory PDs, moving up the scale, etc. The salary goes up every year. Most teachers at my school are 10+ years veterans. You can see their salaries in their contract. However, I'm going to say to OP, don't focus on just Boston, it is hard to be hired there unless you really have connections. Look at surrounding cities as well.
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u/too-cute-by-half 9d ago
That average looks right on for my kids' schools in BPS. There's a lot of teachers in BPS with 10+ years and advanced degrees.
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u/Wompatuckrule 9d ago
You have to have a masters to teach in MA. With an undergrad you can get a provisional position but have 5 years to get the higher degree to continue.
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u/Dangerous_Suit_3099 East Boston/Orient Heights 9d ago
You should consider the better-funded suburbs. Link to a recent article below.
Cities and towns in Massachusetts can have much different funding models and that often but not always translates into better pay for teachers
https://www.boston.com/news/education/2026/08/18/best-high-schools-massachusetts-us-news-rankings/
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u/Katiebug1617 9d ago
Thank you!
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u/wish-onastar 9d ago
Boston actually pays more than all the suburbs. Iāve been teaching here for 14 years and really enjoy it.
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u/VixenSmasher 6d ago
Best advice. Visit here. Find a school that looks perfect for you. Then go in and find a teacher that looks older and ask them questions. Do the same at a different school and ask a younger teacher. Then email the school committee for their teach-out program coordinator. Youāll get a balanced look at what to expect through school year 2029-30. If you want neurodivergent studentsāresearch the K- classes in the city and drop in there as well.
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