Anyone from Chattanooga?

I live about 2 hours NE of Chattanooga in the mountains and work about an hour NE of Chattanooga. The pay rate in Chattanooga is higher than in Knoxville. I work in home health. The agency that I worked at for four years until last summer was north of me and therefore had Knoxville type wages. When I went to work at my present location (considered to be in the Chattanooga market) my pay went up dramatically. My husband is in the Ironworkers union out of Chattanooga. Their pay scale is also higher than Knoxville's union. I think this may be in part to the close proximity of Atlanta. I don't know the starting out rate, but have a friend who works ICU in Cleveland (30 mins north of Chattanooga.) She has been a RN for ten years and she is making around $28/hour plus benefits. The cost of living is relatively low here so that 's a pretty good wage. I don't know that there is the extreme shortage of nurses here as in other parts of the country, but finding jobs is not difficult.

Hello,
I am a new grad and have just moved to Chattanooga. So far I have had one interview and the starting pay is $17.00 for a new grad- this seems to be about average for all of the hospitals in the area. Not great but its the going rate!

My daughter lived in Red Bank for three years. She was very happy with their school system. I had to use Erlangers healthcare system and found it quite good (and I am the one that is the nurse). I think my duaghter would love to return there, it is her hubby that loves Florida.

Grannynurse

I'm in Chattanooga & work for Erlanger. And yes, it is a good health care system. (I've been a patient at one of the other hospitals & changed docs to make sure that I wouldn't need to go back to the facility.) Pay & benefits aren't bad. Houses aren't too pricey - just depends on where you want to live & what you want to spend. It's a good place to live.

The quality of the schools are highly dependent upon which part of town you live in. I have my 8 y/o dd in a magnet school that is well known for its success. I won't send her to the elementary school she's zoned to attend. Like every other school system, we have our funding issues & local feuds between our elected servants. Just seek out the best & stay involved.

regards,
eltrip

If my daughter and her family had not returned to SW Florida, they were seeking to have my oldest granddaughter enrolled in the arts magnet school. We had heard nothing but good things about their programs. Now she is stuck in a poor school system whose main focus seems to be on brother Jeb's brother's no child left behind.

Grannynurse

I have a niece & nephew in the Center for Creative Arts (CCA). It is a school that goes from grades 6-12. My dd attends the School for Arts & Sciences, a K-12 school. She got in last year for 2nd grade. We'd been on the waiting list since kindergarten. I am so grateful that she won't have to change schools again (unless she decides to attend CCA). We have been so happy there this year & look forward to a good year for 3rd grade as well!