There is a huge variation in the "cost of living" across the U.S. Without a doubt, California is one of the most expensive places, and housing costs in large cities are "pricier" than in outlying areas. I live near Chicago, not Los Angeles, so I can't answer specific questions, but hopefully MSMomm and SoCalGal and others can help you. All the best to you and your "new family"!

Thank you so much everyone for that clarification. Healthy 11- that is helpful to know. Over here students start university after year 13 so i teach year 6-12 over here but mainly year 11-12. Well that is encouraging to know it is taught.
It is difficult as I have a head of department post here in a very good school in terms of our results/reputation( permanent) and the motivated and enthusiatic students really are a pleasure to teach ( I am dreading telling my older students that I will not be sticking around next year as I just feel responsible for getting them through their courses and into their desired niversities) However my partner was made redundant over here, but offerd a post in LA with the same company.We need an income.
We have made the decision to move, helped by the happy coincidence that i am pregnant which means i will actually be taking maternity leave till next summer- returning to the UK to finish the academic year by which time i imagine we will have made a decision as to whether it is going to work out for us better in LA or London.
I have done a little research and I am pretty shocked by the cost of living over there.It looks like 50% of our post tax income will go on rent and we will get through our entire income every month- still i will get to be at home for the first year with baby which is a luxury.

What do you think the average family living reasonably modestly in LA needs to have a good quality of life over there? It seems $80-90 K is the minimum from what my brief research on other forums/sites.

Dear LondonTeacher: Depending on your credentials, you may find it easier to locate a part-time teaching position at one of the 13 or so community colleges in the Los Angeles area. I say part-time because tenure is always an issue at the college level.

Community colleges in the US offer low-cost, post-secondary education to a wide variety of students. Google "California community colleges" for further information.

Just adding a bit to healthy11's response, my daughter attended a private Catholic high school in Burbank, California (Burbank is part of Los Angeles County, but it is it's own separate city). She was required to take religious studies throughout her entire four years of high school.

My husband studied Philosophy throughout his college years. Religious studies are also taught in college here in the U.S.

Should you lean toward teaching Religion, parochial high schools would be a good place to start looking. Philosophy is usually considered higher education, so colleges and universities would be the place to look for a teaching job.

HI. I know there are some differences in grade levels in the U.S. versus the U.K., so I wanted to give you a brief overview....

In the U.S., High School is considered grades 9-12. Grade 9 is called Freshman year of High School, Grade 10 is Sophomore year of High School, Grade 11 is Junior year of High School, and Grade 12 is Senior year of High School. Students leaving Grade 12 are usually around 18 years old. The government, through taxes, provides free public schooling through grade 12, but some families chose to attend Private Schools instead...Some private schools are religious based, while others are "independent," and may focus on certain types of students, like those who are "gifted" or those who have "learning disabilities."

Grade 13 is usually called Freshman year of college. In the U.S., there are also many different kinds of colleges/universities, but even the public colleges DO charge tuition. Private colleges charge more. There are community colleges which usually offer a wide-range of different classes, and may have 2-year associate's degree programs. There are 4-year colleges, through Grade 16, which offer bachelor's degrees. Some colleges go beyond the undergraduate programs, to offer Master's degrees and PhD's. (Think of them as Grade 17 and beyond.)

I don't know what type of teaching certification you need in the U.K., but in the U.S., there are certain requirements to teach at different levels, and those requirements vary by state. I am not in California, however to teach at the community college level where I live, Grades 13 & 14, instructors often need "prior experience" in the subject, but they don't require a formal teaching certificate. To teach at the High School level, you might need more formal credentials. (My husband works full-time as an engineer, but teaches part-time in the electronics department of our local community college, because he's got proven expertise in that topic.)

Getting back to your original question, my son attended a private high school that did require religion courses. He took a class in "morality" in Grade 12, along with a psychology course. He has a friend at a different private high school who took a "Religions of the World" class. He is now attending a college, Grade 13, and taking a course in sociology. I think your background would be better suited to the Grade 13/14 community college level, but one never knows what kinds of teaching opportunities are available until you arrive in the U.S. and start looking.