KnowYard Community

Starting salary in my district is $52K. Starting salary at Buc-ee's is $50K. With less stress, less responsibility, and no papers to grade at home. That tells you everything about how we value teachers.

Get a dog. I'm only half joking. Even a small loud dog changes the calculation for someone trying doors at 3am.

I have everything delivered to my office now. Annoying to carry it all home but at least it's secure.

Package lockbox on the porch. $80 on Amazon. You put a sign on it that says "delivery drivers: please place packages inside." Works 95% of the time. Haven't had a theft since.

Call your city's code compliance. An apartment without AC in July may violate habitability codes. The city inspector showing up lights a fire under landlords real fast.

The "but you get summers off" crowd has clearly never met a teacher. My wife spends summer doing curriculum planning, professional development, and setting up her classroom. It's unpaid work.

The real cost is what Texas is losing. Good teachers leave for other careers or other states. What's left is a teacher shortage that keeps getting worse. My kid's school has had 3 substitute teachers this year because they can't fill positions.

Document everything in writing. Every call, every text, every email. Take photos of the thermostat showing the indoor temp. This is your evidence if it goes to court.

The fact that he tried the handle and moved on when it was locked tells you everything. Most of these people are looking for easy targets. Make your house not the easy one.

Same thing happened to us last month. We added window sensors and a door bar on the sliding glass door. Total cost: $80. Sleep much better now.

Left teaching last year for corporate training. Same skills, double the salary, and I don't cry in my car anymore. I miss the kids but I don't miss the system.

Share that footage on your neighborhood social media. Nextdoor, Facebook group, whatever. Other people's cameras might have caught him arriving or leaving in a car. Plate numbers are what police need.

Deadbolt, motion sensor lights, and a door reinforcement kit. The kit is $50 and makes it nearly impossible to kick the door in. That's the most vulnerable entry point.

The real answer is that it depends on what trade and what degree. A CS degree from a good school pays more than plumbing. But a plumbing license pays more than a generic business degree with $40K in loans.

You can do both. Get your trade license AND take classes part-time. My buddy is a licensed plumber making $75K while finishing his business degree at night. He wants to run his own shop.

My wife is a teacher and her take-home after insurance, retirement, and union dues is about $3,200/month. Our mortgage alone is $2,100. Do the math.

Year 8 teacher here. I love teaching. I cannot afford teaching. I tutor, do test prep on weekends, and drive for a rideshare in the summer. It shouldn't be like this.

Do NOT withhold rent without following the proper legal steps. Texas is very landlord-friendly and they can evict you fast if you just stop paying without going through the process.

Texas Property Code 92.056. Send a WRITTEN notice (certified mail or email with delivery receipt) describing the condition and giving them reasonable time to fix it. If they don't, you have options including repair-and-deduct.

I bought a whole-house generator after 2021. $8K installed. I shouldn't have to do that but I have elderly parents living with me and I'm not risking it again.

Whatever you pick, the yard sign and window stickers matter almost as much as the actual system. Most burglars are opportunistic and will skip a house with visible security signs.

The caveat is that trades destroy your body. I'm 38 and my knees and back are shot. The money is real but so is the physical toll. Have a plan for what you do at 50.

Solar panels with battery backup. Not cheap but after 2 summers of anxiety I made the investment. When ERCOT asks me to conserve, I just switch to battery. Independence from this grid is priceless.

The inspection system exists to generate revenue. Change my mind. A car that runs perfectly, stops properly, and has functioning lights should pass.

Stores in wealthier areas don't lock stuff up even though they get shoplifted too. It's a customer experience decision, not purely a theft rate one. Think about what that says.