Teaching has always been a popular, yet competitive job field. However, one state is giving people the chance to enter teaching after deciding their last career wasn't right for them. According to the Commercial Appeal, Teach Tennessee is recruiting mid-career professionals or retiree's to become teachers for seventh to 12th grade math, science, engineering, technology and foreign languages. The program was launched in 2005 by Governor Phil Bredesen, and is designed for professionals with college degrees to teach the subjects that they have had real life experience in. This years class was the eighth since the program began, according to the news source, and 228 people have completed it. The graduating classes have included 62 with master's degrees, 38 with doctorates, four lawyers, two medical doctors and four veterinarians. Bredesen told the recently graduated class that he launched the program after he spoke with a retired Air Force officer. "He had a Ph.D. in math and physics from the Air Force Academy, had flown a helicopter in combat, then went back to the Air Force Academy to teach," said Bredsen to the news source, "He retired to Chattanooga and wanted to teach high school math but was told the long list of classes he would have to go back and take." According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the teaching field is expected to grow by 13% between 2008 and 2018.  |