School Districts Seek Second-Career Teachers.

• Position: Brief Article

A teacher shortage has many school districts hiring non-traditional instructors in growing numbers, notes Jim Powell, professor of secondary education, Ball State University, Muncie, Ind. "Our country is facing a teacher shortage for many reasons. We see an aging teaching force, decaying urban areas, and booming populations in several parts of the country where local colleges are not producing enough K-12 instructors."

As a result, many people re-entering college for a teaching degree have retired from their first career, creating an opportunity to focus on a new one in their 40s or 50s. "Most are military or government workers who have all their retirement benefits and are looking for a great second career. Others are people who have been in the workforce for a few years and found out that they don't like their jobs."

Non-traditional students make the transition to college quickly, take less time to graduate, and often have better grades than typical college students between the ages of 18 and...