As a fellow teacher, I have a number of thoughts:
- The math is clear: You will earn more if you have this certificate. I do think it's worth postponing home ownership for the short term. If you're going to do it, do it now; the sooner you have the certificate, the sooner you're earning more.
- In my state we have principal internships that pay you to go back to school and earn those certificates. Investigate ways not to pay out of your own pocket.
- About which certificate to earn, you've been in the system for three years -- are you clear on what principals do? It's VERY different from a teacher's job, and pretty much they deal with negative things all day. However, LOTS of teachers burn out in the classroom, and the principal certificate would allow you to go in a completely different direction.
- You say you might leave your state within a couple years. You know that's teacher suicide, right? Because we're state employees, we are tied to our areas. To max out a teacher pension, you have to stay long-term, and if you leave your state, you start from year zero again. So you're talking about earning 7-9 years in MA ... then leaving that behind and starting over again on your pension.