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I don't think you need four years of college though.  I think it's just 45 credit hours (or meeting one of the other options to qualify).  

 

Ack!  You're right.  45 credit hours -- either you or your husband. 

 

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Yep, eastern Washington might be a good fit.  We're on the western edge of eastern Washington, actually right in the center of the state. We're about two hours from Seattle traveling east on the interstate; I personally wouldn't go any further east because I need to be closer to the "big water" (Puget Sound and/or the ocean) and until you get to Spokane, which is about three hours away, it feels all sparse and deserty.  Where I live, the population is about 18,000 with half that being from the state university here.  The uni has an excellent music program (thus lots of opportunity for concerts and the like as well as lessons via programs or student teachers).  It also has some great science programs for non-students.  There are three community colleges sorta near here -- one 40-45 minutes away and two just over an hour away. There are places with more CC's on the west side, but then you fight the COL.  The COL is quite a bit lower here than Seattle (!), but not as low as somewhere out in the middle of nowhere-eastern Washington.  A house in our neighborhood -- 1960s rancher on two acres -- sold for about $200,000.  There are both new and older houses in town in the $100's with major fixers under $100,000 (not many of those).  Great, vibrant downtown (has been a "Distinctive Destination" with .... some organization whose name escapes me right now) with a lot of festivals held locally. Has been a "Tree City USA" for many years and we have lots of parks.  This is a pretty area with mountains, rivers, lakes, hiking, boating, etc within short distances. 

 

Homeschooling in Washington is relatively easy; you do have to "qualify" by meeting one of four criteria (have a four-year degree, have the superintendent say it's okay for you to homeschool, take a class about homeschooling and one more that I can't remember). You have to notify the school district each year, but you don't have to turn any course work or curriculum plans in.  You're supposed to test every year after 3rd grade.

 

 

Ellens****g?  

 

We always stop for milkshakes on the way from Seattle to Spokane in Ellen***g if that is where you are.

 

Dawn

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Sounds like Greenville, SC, to me.

 

Greenville sounds like a great idea.

 

Areas in NC are very nice too although I don't know which ones would work well for your price point.

Richmond, Virginia. Two acres of land? That's a tall order. Maybe with a commute. Maybe even look into Charlottesville although that may be pricey. Not sure.

 

CA is not family-friendly at this point. Terrible drought, high taxes, high cost of living.

 

Alley

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Boise, Idaho! I used to live there and still love it when we visit. All the things you mentioned and more.

That was my immediate thought too:). But I am quite partial as I grew up there and my parents still live there. We would LOVE to move back, and my hubby has a constant eye on even remotely suitable positions--he even applied for one that would be a 50% pay cutðŸ˜.

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Greenville sounds like a great idea.

 

Areas in NC are very nice too although I don't know which ones would work well for your price point.

Richmond, Virginia. Two acres of land? That's a tall order. Maybe with a commute. Maybe even look into Charlottesville although that may be pricey. Not sure.

 

CA is not family-friendly at this point. Terrible drought, high taxes, high cost of living.

 

Alley

 

 

Yeah, that is a hard one.  I looked around my area, even on the SC side since i live so close, and the only things around $100K were mobile homes or were very far out.  I only looked in areas that were not considered bad neighborhoods as I doubt OP wants to live in a bad neighborhood.

I don't know about townhouse, that might be a better possibility around here.

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Yeah, that is a hard one.  I looked around my area, even on the SC side since i live so close, and the only things around $100K were mobile homes or were very far out.  I only looked in areas that were not considered bad neighborhoods as I doubt OP wants to live in a bad neighborhood.

I don't know about townhouse, that might be a better possibility around here.

No townhouses, and I've lived in a neighborhood where our ice cream guy was shot and killed, so I think I'll pass on bad neighborhoods. ;)

 

That was my immediate thought too:). But I am quite partial as I grew up there and my parents still live there. We would LOVE to move back, and my hubby has a constant eye on even remotely suitable positions--he even applied for one that would be a 50% pay cutðŸ˜.

 

I hope you find something!  That's an awful situation to be in. :/

 

Ack!  You're right.  45 credit hours -- either you or your husband. 

 

Well, I'm about one class away from graduation for a BA/BS and dh has a MS, so I think that's covered!

 

 

I guess I should start a separate post, but I'm going to try search again.  Everything I search for Western NY comes up for places with similar names in Virginia. Anyone have an opinion on Western NY?  Ny taxes look really high, but I'm in IL, so it can't be *that* much worse, right?  

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I don't think you need four years of college though. I think it's just 45 credit hours (or meeting one of the other options to qualify).

Yep, which is 45 credit hours on a quarter system. So the equivalent of 1 year of college. Off hand, I don't know of any homeschoolers here who don't meet that requirement and have needed to use any of the other three options. It's not really much of a barrier.

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Yep, eastern Washington might be a good fit.  We're on the western edge of eastern Washington, actually right in the center of the state. We're about two hours from Seattle traveling east on the interstate; I personally wouldn't go any further east because I need to be closer to the "big water" (Puget Sound and/or the ocean) and until you get to Spokane, which is about three hours away, it feels all sparse and deserty.  

that's because it *is* all deserty.  dh knows the mile markers for when you hit trees coming west to the mts-  and when the trees start going into Spokane.

but moses lake does have a cool water park. . . . .

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......but moses lake does have a cool water park.....

 

ML does have a fancy-schmancy water park!  But we actually prefer the small one in Quincy -- no crowds, lots of shade, you can take food in, and it's a lot cheaper. Our whole family of two adults and five kids will be $21.50 when we go in August, plus the snack bar stuff is reasonably priced, too. Okay, so it only has two slides and a mushroom feature spray thing on the zero-entry slide side -- and a full-sized swimming pool on the other side -- but did I mention no crowds?  The longest you wait in a line is about three people, so maybe a minute's wait. I think the highest number of people we've ever seen there is about 60-75. We haul in lunch, snacks and drinks, drag a table over, lather on the sunscreen and settle in for the day. (Sometimes we head to Moses Lake for Kids Bowl Free in the evening.)

 

But shhhh!  Don't tell anyone else about the Quincy water park.  It's a secret

 

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The academic world is very tough these days.  I'm sorry to hear of the difficulties your husband has had in finding a good job.  Many of my husband's best students are having to wait years before getting a good job.

 

 

Have you considered looking at positions overseas (in foreign US-based institutions or foreign universities)  in your husband's field?  The benefit packages can be quite tempting and the pay is often better than stateside positions.  The ex-pat lifestyle is fun after you get used to being out of your element.

 

If he is in the hard sciences, he might consider the AAAS Science and Technology Fellowship.  http://www.aaas.org/program/science-technology-policy-fellowships

The program sends academics into government positions to help form policy.  My husband did it for one year, learned a lot, helped form counter-terrorism policy.  I believe this helped him get his new position.

 

Good luck!

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The academic world is very tough these days.  I'm sorry to hear of the difficulties your husband has had in finding a good job.  Many of my husband's best students are having to wait years before getting a good job.

 

 

Have you considered looking at positions overseas (in foreign US-based institutions or foreign universities)  in your husband's field?  The benefit packages can be quite tempting and the pay is often better than stateside positions.  The ex-pat lifestyle is fun after you get used to being out of your element.

 

If he is in the hard sciences, he might consider the AAAS Science and Technology Fellowship.  http://www.aaas.org/program/science-technology-policy-fellowships

The program sends academics into government positions to help form policy.  My husband did it for one year, learned a lot, helped form counter-terrorism policy.  I believe this helped him get his new position.

 

Good luck!

That is fascinating.  We've seen quite a few positions overseas, but with pets, no savings, and 5 kids it just doesn't seem doable.  Maybe Canada? ;)  I would *love* to live overseas for awhile and give the kids that chance. 

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ML does have a fancy-schmancy water park! But we actually prefer the small one in Quincy -- no crowds, lots of shade, you can take food in, and it's a lot cheaper. Our whole family of two adults and five kids will be $21.50 when we go in August, plus the snack bar stuff is reasonably priced, too. Okay, so it only has two slides and a mushroom feature spray thing on the zero-entry slide side -- and a full-sized swimming pool on the other side -- but did I mention no crowds? The longest you wait in a line is about three people, so maybe a minute's wait. I think the highest number of people we've ever seen there is about 60-75. We haul in lunch, snacks and drinks, drag a table over, lather on the sunscreen and settle in for the day. (Sometimes we head to Moses Lake for Kids Bowl Free in the evening.)

 

But shhhh! Don't tell anyone else about the Quincy water park. It's a secret.

 

Isn't that their municipal pool? We go there sometime when we are camping in that area. I simply adore the area around the dry falls and the gorge. So rich in geologic history.

 

We have a nice pool like that with two large twist slides, a lazy river and such about 10-15 minutes away. I take the boys every other week. This is why I like the King Snohomish metro area, high housing costs be damned.

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I hesitate to throw this one out here, because I'm not sure it meets everything on your list.  But, here goes -- Nebraska.  The COL is low, the people are nice and there are teaching jobs available.  You didn't say what area he is in, but here is a list to start with.  http://www.nebraskaeducationjobs.com/jobs/list_jobs.php

 

The state is very homeschooling friendly.  I find it beautiful and it's not totally flat.  We do get snow, but I like to see the seasons change.  

 

Good luck with your search.  :)

 

 

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We lived in Va for about 8 years. While it's pretty. Has a mild climate. And northern Va has a lot to offer.  One of the biggest downsides for us was taxes. Personal property tax to the tune of 60 to 150 per year per car right at Christmas time - the bill is due December 5th.  And it has a state tax - and they require you to pay tax on all purchases you made out of the state of Va.  Homeschool laws are pretty good.  But you can't participate in the schools at all. And they do not recognized homeschool credits - so if you decide in 11th grade you want to go to high school, they'll put you in at 9th grade.

 

I'm a Florida native, and I still love Florida.  Homeschooling is very easy.  Lots of things to do.  Very hot in the summer. No state income tax.  But I hate how they are paving over all the natural areas.

 

I'm in North Dakota now.  I know you said it's out because of the laws, but a lot has changed in very recent years.  Used to be that if you didn't have a Bachelors degree or a teaching cert. they'd monitor you.  Not so anymore. Now, if you have a high school diploma you can homeschool without the monitoring.  You have to file a notice of intent every year and test in grades 4, 6, 8 and 10.  If you or your spouse has a Bachelor's degree, you can opt out of the testing. 

 

The state that scares me is PA, followed closely by MD and CA.  But that's an opinion that is not based on personal experience.

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Isn't that their municipal pool?

 

Yes, I think it is.  (You can see it on the right side of the header on this page.) We went on a really hot 4th of July once and there were maybe 50 people there.  There's just never been a crowd to speak of and we've gone 5-6 times (once a summer usually since it's just over an hour from here).  I think the crowds head down to Moses Lake or over to Ephrata, leaving the smaller water park for the rest of us.  Works for me! 

 

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Isn't that their municipal pool? We go there sometime when we are camping in that area. I simply adore the area around the dry falls and the gorge. So rich in geologic history.

 

We have a nice pool like that with two large twist slides, a lazy river and such about 10-15 minutes away. I take the boys every other week. This is why I like the King Snohomish metro area, high housing costs be damned.

 

great pool - and it's indoors, which is advantageous in this area during most of the year.  dudeling can be happy with it and not whine he wants to go to great wolf.  it even has a dump bucket.

 

and the library system here . . . . .one of the best in the country.

(are you north or south of the county line?)

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great pool - and it's indoors, which is advantageous in this area during most of the year. dudeling can be happy with it and not whine he wants to go to great wolf. it even has a dump bucket.

 

and the library system here . . . . .one of the best in the country.

(are you north or south of the county line?)

<brief interruption-sorry>

Will one of you please pm the location of this pool?!

We love the KCLS!!!

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I hesitate to throw this one out here, because I'm not sure it meets everything on your list.  But, here goes -- Nebraska.  The COL is low, the people are nice and there are teaching jobs available.  You didn't say what area he is in, but here is a list to start with.  http://www.nebraskaeducationjobs.com/jobs/list_jobs.php

 

The state is very homeschooling friendly.  I find it beautiful and it's not totally flat.  We do get snow, but I like to see the seasons change.  

 

Good luck with your search.   :)

 

Would you mind me asking good areas of Nebraska you'd recommend?  Ones that aren't too dry or flat?  Dh has driven through on the way to CA and told me no way, but I told him that's certainly not the whole state.  It's huge!

 

Many areas of WI would fit. We love it here.

I super puffy heart love WI, but the teaching climate there is somehow worse than here. :/  We were very disappointed that we did not make a finalist for a job application we had in there this year.

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I should have mentioned the JoCo, KS area is not flat, has plenty of trees, a well established JuCo system and VERY easy homeschooling (one 5 min form 1 time ever).

 

Nebraska and Iowa are good choices too. Seriously, the Midwest has more to offer than most people realize.

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Eastern WA/Eastern OR or Idaho?

 

Spokane. Enumclaw. There are community colleges in almost every middle-sized town in WA and they're all hiring since the state just increased the budget a tiny bit.

 

I don't know if Oregon has as many CCs as we do but it's lovely. It's a great place to live if you have a middle or low income and want to live simply. You don't have to live by the big cities.

 

Eugene, Ashland... so many nice places.

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Middle or East TN :)  It checks off everything on your list.  Plus, after two years residency, any of your high school graduates can get free CC for two years.  

 

Knoxville is a great area.  Lots of the perks of a city, but easy to live farther out away from everything without being "far away".  We live very rurally, but can get to downtown Knoxville in less than 20 minutes.  

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Would you mind me asking good areas of Nebraska you'd recommend?  Ones that aren't too dry or flat?  Dh has driven through on the way to CA and told me no way, but I told him that's certainly not the whole state.  It's huge!

 

I super puffy heart love WI, but the teaching climate there is somehow worse than here. :/  We were very disappointed that we did not make a finalist for a job application we had in there this year.

 

If he has only driven through on the interstate, he hasn't seen much of what Nebraska is.   ;)  The interstate is pretty boring.

 

Lincoln has a lot for kids to do and I know there are opportunities there for violin lessons.  They have a children's zoo, children's museum, Morrill Hall, active homeschool groups, and much more.   There is a community college there, along with the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.  

 

Omaha would be larger.  They have a children's museum, the Henry Doorley Zoo, and active homeschool groups there.  Omaha has the University of Nebraska - Omaha.  I'm not as familiar with Omaha, though.  

 

We live in the middle of the state.  Kearney or Grand Island would be good options.  Kearney has the University of Nebraska at Kearney and Grand Island has the community college.   Kearney has a children's musuem.  There are homeschool groups in this area too.  I know children in this area too that play the violin.  There must be lessons available somewhere.  

 

It's really not as flat as most people think it is.  We've had a ton of rain this year, so the state is pretty green right now.   There are acreages here and there are quite a few families living on one income.  

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great pool - and it's indoors, which is advantageous in this area during most of the year. dudeling can be happy with it and not whine he wants to go to great wolf. it even has a dump bucket.

 

and the library system here . . . . .one of the best in the country.

(are you north or south of the county line?)

We are in King County. I have and use my UW, Seattle and King County library privileges. Sometimes we hang out at the Sno Isle library after swimming, before speech therapy and it seems nice as well but I don't have a card.

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Spokane. Enumclaw. There are community colleges in almost every middle-sized town in WA and they're all hiring since the state just increased the budget a tiny bit.

 

I don't know if Oregon has as many CCs as we do but it's lovely. It's a great place to live if you have a middle or low income and want to live simply. You don't have to live by the big cities.

 

Eugene, Ashland... so many nice places.

You can't get by on a community college instructor's pay (assuming single income family with kids) pretty much anywhere in Western WA,

Especially if you want a house with 2 acres or more of land. Eastern WA and Eastern OR are much cheaper housing wise.

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Have you looked at the greater Grand Rapids, MI area?  There are many colleges and CC in GR and surrounding area.  GR is a bigger city but not too bad.  It has top notch medical care.  You can easily find 2 acres reasonable within 30 minutes of GR or so.

 

We are a bit west of GR and have Lake Michigan within a short distance, we have several great local, county and state parks within 5 miles that offer boating, hiking, horseback riding, skiing, kayaking, mountain biking, etc.

 

Homeschooling in MI is easy.  COL is pretty good.

 

We do have winter.  By the lake though we get a lot more snow than GR to the east.  It is cloudy in the winter closer to the lake but sunnier the farther east you go in the state.  Summer can be cool (like this past week) or HOT with temps over a 100 for a few days.  We do have humidity.

 

As to animals, about the worst we have are mosquitoes.  There is one poisonous snake but it is very rare.  A few rare black bears (more north), coyotes, deer, etc.

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Yep, which is 45 credit hours on a quarter system. So the equivalent of 1 year of college. Off hand, I don't know of any homeschoolers here who don't meet that requirement and have needed to use any of the other three options. It's not really much of a barrier.

 

I've met a few who've done the class instead. It seems like that's a really easy way to qualify. It sounded as if the class is just one session for a couple of hours.

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I super puffy heart love WI, but the teaching climate there is somehow worse than here. :/ We were very disappointed that we did not make a finalist for a job application we had in there this year.

I'm not a teacher so I'm kind-of guessing at what that means. But I do know many teachers here from elementary to high school and cc and they are very happy in their jobs. So it may not be as bad as it seems from the outside. But I wouldn't be surprised if you were right either.

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That is fascinating.  We've seen quite a few positions overseas, but with pets, no savings, and 5 kids it just doesn't seem doable.  Maybe Canada? ;)  I would *love* to live overseas for awhile and give the kids that chance. 

 

 

Why not?  I shlep along four kids on these trips around the world.  Homeschooling makes that easy. :)  If you get a job, usually they will pay something to help your kids go to International school.  You can ask to have that $$ go to homeschool materials or tutoring.  We did that on a Fulbright.

 

Apply and see what happens.  You can always say no if you can't make it work.  But if they want you, and they can make it worth your while, I'd do it in a heartbeat.  You won't be living the true ex-pat lifestyle in academia (American Club membership paid, maids and nannies, BMWs and frequent vacations to exotic beaches), but depending on the country, you can be living it up and saving at the same time (we always take home money - from living/doing research in Tokyo, one of the most expensive places in the world to live).  

 

The pets thing can be harder but if expats can do it you can too.  It does cost money though to put them in a kennel for several months if the country in question requires it.

 

Keep your options open - that's my husband's motto for all hist students.

 

Love from one academic wife to another!

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I'm not a teacher so I'm kind-of guessing at what that means. But I do know many teachers here from elementary to high school and cc and they are very happy in their jobs. So it may not be as bad as it seems from the outside. But I wouldn't be surprised if you were right either.

 

I do, too.  However there have been changes to the tenure and college system that has made it possibly a very unstable job for us to move that far for.  Does that make sense?  I'm not sure how public schools are affected, and some of the tech schools are affected less (we were turned down for one that likely had a billion candidates), but it does worry me right now.  If you search in WI news, you'll see some of what I'm talking about.

 

I live in Southwestern Ohio and we meet all of your criteria.  

That's where I'm from. :) Jobs are hard to find in dh's field, though. And I'd be really close to family which I guess is both good and bad. ;)  Alas, the life of academia...

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I do, too. However there have been changes to the tenure and college system that has made it possibly a very unstable job for us to move that far for. Does that make sense? I'm not sure how public schools are affected, and some of the tech schools are affected less (we were turned down for one that likely had a billion candidates), but it does worry me right now. If you search in WI news, you'll see some of what I'm talking about.

 

OK, so I guessed right. :). Good luck in your search!

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I've met a few who've done the class instead. It seems like that's a really easy way to qualify. It sounded as if the class is just one session for a couple of hours.

I've heard you can even do it online.

 

That said, all of the homeschoolers I know tend to have degrees so I don't know too much about it.

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Has your dh ever considered applying to teach full time at a private school , or prep school? Most do not require public school credentials, and many do in fact, prefer a more diverse teaching staff. The National Association of Independent Schools has a website. You do not need to be a member to access their employment search pages.

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Has your dh ever considered applying to teach full time at a private school , or prep school? Most do not require public school credentials, and many do in fact, prefer a more diverse teaching staff. The National Association of Independent Schools has a website. You do not need to be a member to access their employment search pages.

I saw two openings this year in his field and both paid very very poorly.  

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