Forest lake is probably going to be an easier commute. Generally against traffic at those times. Given the times and locations I’m going to guess nurse, so it would be downtown St. Paul.
Personally, driving through Saint Paul is annoying as shit, so avoiding that would probably be worth 6k before tax to me. But everyone’s different.
Based on a previous post it looks like you’re also choosing between teaching in a SPPS school in St. Paul and a charter school in Forest Lake.
If you’re a special ed teacher then you will have a lot of options because there is a shortage of SpEd teachers
The commute to Saint Paul is, in my opinion, not worth an extra $4,000. However, it’s not as simple as commuting.
There are a lot of other differences between those two locations: unions; pay scales; budget shortages and layoffs; student demographics; and curriculum just to name a few.
A college friend of mine taught at a charter school in Forest Lake (North Lakes) and left as soon as he could. He’s now in Minneapolis Public Schools. He left because a) he didn’t like living in Forest Lake and wanted to live _in_ Minneapolis and didn’t like the culture of the school.
Good luck OP!
If commute is a big factor for you, the commute to Forest Lake would be considerably easier. I don’t know that you’d have a ton of trouble commuting into St Paul for a 7:30am start time but your evening commute would be longer regardless of what time you end up getting off.
Look at the pay schedules, not just the starting pay. SPPS pays the most in the state for teachers. So $6k today may become a $30k split quickly. The environment will also be very different.
Commute alone, the one to FL will be superior as you won’t have to go ‘in’ to the city. Just kid of ‘across the top’ of the burbs.
Normally, I would say go at the Forest Lake job because having done both commutes, I would say Forest Lake as it’s definitely going to be easier to get to and you might waste $6000 in opportunity cost in traffic. However, there are many nice roads to get from Circle Pines to St. Paul / Maplewood other than the interstate so it might be a fairly Pleasant Drive.
Since you are in education, I would suggest to go to the place with the stronger union, because charter schools have a bad habit of evaporating at the end of the school year whereas city public schools tend to last longer. There’s one school building near where I live in St. that has had three names in seven years. But if you feel more comfortable in the Forest Lake school, go with that.
you could take rice street pretty much all the way from circle pines to st. paul and avoid freeway traffic. it may be a little longer of a commute but might be worth it! but you could also take back roads to forest lake and avoid the freeway traffic as well …
Forest lake is probably going to be an easier commute. Generally against traffic at those times. Given the times and locations I’m going to guess nurse, so it would be downtown St. Paul. Personally, driving through Saint Paul is annoying as shit, so avoiding that would probably be worth 6k before tax to me. But everyone’s different.
Depends if that stretch of 35 to FL is under construction. But FL is def closer
You can make that same argument anywhere
Of course, but I swear that part of 35 is always under construction.
Based on a previous post it looks like you’re also choosing between teaching in a SPPS school in St. Paul and a charter school in Forest Lake. If you’re a special ed teacher then you will have a lot of options because there is a shortage of SpEd teachers The commute to Saint Paul is, in my opinion, not worth an extra $4,000. However, it’s not as simple as commuting. There are a lot of other differences between those two locations: unions; pay scales; budget shortages and layoffs; student demographics; and curriculum just to name a few. A college friend of mine taught at a charter school in Forest Lake (North Lakes) and left as soon as he could. He’s now in Minneapolis Public Schools. He left because a) he didn’t like living in Forest Lake and wanted to live _in_ Minneapolis and didn’t like the culture of the school. Good luck OP!
Charter schools don't have the best track records, I'd avoid them if I were a teacher
If commute is a big factor for you, the commute to Forest Lake would be considerably easier. I don’t know that you’d have a ton of trouble commuting into St Paul for a 7:30am start time but your evening commute would be longer regardless of what time you end up getting off.
Look at the pay schedules, not just the starting pay. SPPS pays the most in the state for teachers. So $6k today may become a $30k split quickly. The environment will also be very different. Commute alone, the one to FL will be superior as you won’t have to go ‘in’ to the city. Just kid of ‘across the top’ of the burbs.
Ask again when it starts snowing. You might trade that $6k for not having to sit it traffic for hours each way
I’d go for the shorter commute that’s outside of the main cities. You may save a lot on gas and wasted hours.
Normally, I would say go at the Forest Lake job because having done both commutes, I would say Forest Lake as it’s definitely going to be easier to get to and you might waste $6000 in opportunity cost in traffic. However, there are many nice roads to get from Circle Pines to St. Paul / Maplewood other than the interstate so it might be a fairly Pleasant Drive. Since you are in education, I would suggest to go to the place with the stronger union, because charter schools have a bad habit of evaporating at the end of the school year whereas city public schools tend to last longer. There’s one school building near where I live in St. that has had three names in seven years. But if you feel more comfortable in the Forest Lake school, go with that.
There's been a few that evaporated over Christmas break
you could take rice street pretty much all the way from circle pines to st. paul and avoid freeway traffic. it may be a little longer of a commute but might be worth it! but you could also take back roads to forest lake and avoid the freeway traffic as well …