One state department of education has reported a significant increase in applications for teacher licenses for the upcoming school year.

"It's unprecedented," Barb Allen, supervisor of licensing, told the Denver Post. "I have been in this department for over 16 years in licensing. And we're just buried."

In the last 10 months, more than 1,000 people have applied for substitute authorization at the Colorado Department of Education, which is a 51% increase since last June, according to Allen.

The supervisor said people who become an employee of a school district can get "good benefits," which may appear attractive for someone who recently lost a job due to the poor economy, according to the article. Allen said demand is strong for teachers who can specialize in math, science, special education and bilingual education.

In the area of special education, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expect a 15% increase in job growth by 2016 mainly because the number of students requiring special education services has grown steadily in recent years due to improvements that have allowed learning disabilities to be diagnosed at earlier ages.