Mid-career decisions to teach

Interestingly enough, sometimes a downturn in the economy can bode well for public education. That is, it can provide a larger pool of people who consider going into teaching, especially in shortage subject areas like math and the sciences. A large company lay off or business consolidation can result in jobless people going back to school to retrain to become teachers. In education, we often refer to these people as "mid-career changers" - people who have come from prior work experience in some other sector and are able to apply that experience and knowledge to teaching.

The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) recently published a report, "Ensuring an Adequate Supply of Well-Qualified Math & Science Teachers," that describes the growing trend of mid-career changers turned teachers and the growing array of teacher pipeline and pathway programs that assist them into the profession. These programs can range from Masters in Teaching Programs that include teacher certification, alternative route to teacher certification programs or Teach for America programs. Washington, like many other states, recognizes mid-career changers as a viable candidate group for the profession. So much so, the Washington State Legislature has committed to footing the bill for mid-career changers to become teachers in shortage subject areas - and it has worked. According to the PESB, 688 mid-career changers, paraeducators / classified staff and conditional certificate holders have attained teaching certificates in shortage areas since the program began in 2001, and of those, 97% are currently working in our state's classrooms.