Help Me Decide the Rest of My Life

[Kaos]

I usually scoff at threads like these. 

But I need second opinions. 

As some of you know, I'm currently a high school English teacher, and I have been for four years.  I enjoy my job, but I'm ready to advance my career.  I guess ambition's getting the best of me, and public school doesn't have much room for promotion. 

So I'm stuck on the following options for grad school, and I can't for the life of me figure out what to do.

Should I get....

an MFA in Creative Writing to teach college courses on writing and also spend time writing on my own?

an MA in Instructional Leadership with the intent of working towards a Ph.D so I can teach college courses?  (I could also become a principal at a public school if I needed to.  But fuck that for now.)

an MA in English with the intent of working towards a Ph.D so I can teach college courses? 

an MA in Language Arts education with the intent of working towards a Ph.D so I can - you guessed it - teach college courses? 

Why is this so difficult to decide?  I've been wondering about this for two years now.

I'm going to give you two words that will change your life. 

Community College. 

Get a masters.  Get it in a core subject -- history, science, math. 

Get into the community college system.  You'll make more money than you do at a four-year school with less investment of your time and money.  You'll have more freedom than you ever dreamed of. 

You won't have to publish to survive, thus freeing you up to write as much as you want for your own purposes. 

Do this.   

[Townhallsavoy]

Something I've noticed about Auburn's department of education:

Florida State has infiltrated the university. 

Seriously.  Rough estimate - 75% of the professors in Auburn's department of education attended or taught at Florida State some time in their career.

[GarMan]

Something I've noticed about Auburn's department of education:

Florida State has infiltrated the university. 

Seriously.  Rough estimate - 75% of the professors in Auburn's department of education attended or taught at Florida State some time in their career.

An idea...  Are there any other subjects that interest you where you could do consulting on the side, during summer breaks or sabbaticals?  Management consulting...  Managerial/cost accounting...  Various engineering disciplines (Structural, mechanical, etc.)...  Just thinking...  I don't know if any of that interests you, but pursuing a PhD in a more specialized discipline could open up all sorts of opportunities for you.  They seem to allow this sort of thing with teaching moreso than other industries. 

[BZ770]

I can vouch for 4 yr degrees are the new HS degree.  I made around 40K with my Business Degree in Sales and Management.  I work in a plant in operations and most of the guys I work with have four year degrees and most everyone pushes 100K on average with overtime.  Its the harder way of earning a living but money talks.  I really enjoy getting $50 an hour to work an overtime shift when at my old jobs you'd have to work OT on Salary and not get a Thank You.  My 2 Cents.