Professionals Finding 2nd Careers in the Classroom

For nearly 15 years, Rick Villano managed retail stores, working as many as 70 hours a week and often feeling stressed and unsatisfied.

Now he’s teaching high school math and comes home tired but exhilarated. Although his pay was cut by a third and he still works late some days, he is finally spending his time how he wants instead of how his employer wants.

“In retail, I was working every holiday and every weekend,” Villano said. “I’m still working long hours, but I’m helping kids learn math. I’m not helping Kinko’s make more money.”

Villano, 39, is among a growing number of professionals taking pay cuts to become teachers in schools throughout Ventura County and California. Looking for more flexible and rewarding careers, they are leaving jobs as engineers, lawyers and salespeople and helping to fill the state’s severe shortage of teachers.

Some were forced out by budget cuts or downsizing. Others simply had enough corporate stress and wanted to spend more time with their families.

Nobody knows exactly how many second-career teachers have joined the scholastic ranks in recent years, but state officials and educators say rising salaries and aggressive recruitment are luring professionals to the classroom.

At the same time, more California colleges and universities are offering alternative programs that speed the process for people entering the teaching profession as a second career. Rather than taking time off to attend school full time, participants can begin teaching immediately while they take classes at night or on weekends.

The number of state-funded alternative teacher certification programs in California has increased from 29 to 65 in six years. And the number of people certified as teachers through those programs has more than tripled, according to the National Center for Education Information.

In the last school year, California certified 7,923 program graduates as teachers, compared with 1,238 in 1994-95.

The flexibility of the alternative program appealed to Villano. He teaches during the day at Nordhoff High School and takes afternoon classes at Cal State Northridge toward his teaching credential and his master’s degree.

After three months in the classroom, Villano said he doesn’t feel nervous any more. He has control of the class, he says, and most of the students turn in their homework.

And there haven’t been major discipline problems. He attributes much of this to his management experience, a skill that translates well to teaching.

“I’ve had rough days, but I don’t think I’ve had horrific, terrible days,” he said.

But on those rough days, Villano struggles to keep his students motivated.

“The hardest thing is the kids who don’t want to learn and don’t care,” he said. “I can’t force a kid to do his homework.”

Villano said he doesn’t believe teaching is for everybody. “It really depends on the career,” he said. “If somebody goes from engineering straight into teaching, it’s going to be a culture shock.”

Charles Cornwell, 30, also decided to go into teaching--after a first career as a lawyer. He is teaching fifth grade at Ventura’s Sheridan Way Elementary School, the same campus he attended as a child. And he is taking credential classes in the afternoons.

Last year, Cornwell worked part time at the school as a physical education coach. That hooked him. This fall he exchanged his briefcase for a backpack and his suits for casual clothes.

“It was a positive atmosphere,” Cornwell said. “That’s not something I’d see in the legal field.”

As a lawyer, Cornwell made nearly $200 an hour. As a teacher, he makes about $200 a day. And with $60,000 in loans to repay from law school at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, Cornwell said making the switch was the most difficult decision he has ever faced. He said he expects to do some legal consulting work on the side to pay his bills.

“Financially, it’s hard,” he said. “But teaching is something I truly love to do. This is the only job I’ve ever had that I loved coming to work.”

Besides the personal fulfillment, Cornwell said he likes the stability of teaching. He doesn’t have to drum up business, work erratic hours or worry about losing his job. Nor does he have to deal with stressful court and client demands.

Practicing law was about making money, he said, while teaching is about helping students learn.

But the job is more challenging than he expected. Most of his students don’t speak fluent English. They read at various levels. And they are talkative and rambunctious, he says.

Still, Cornwell believes he is making a difference in their lives.

During a recent class, the students wrote essays on what they wanted to be when they’re older. Of the 20 students, three wanted to become attorneys and six cited teaching careers.

Second-career teachers are not as prepared as recent college graduates, critics say, because they get the same training that teaching college graduates receive. But school administrators say mid-career teachers are held to the same standards as everyone else and are just as qualified.

They also praise mid-career teachers for bringing real-world training to the job.

“They bring relevance and experience to the subjects they’re teaching,” said Cary Dritz, Simi Valley Unified’s assistant superintendent. “They also bring maturity and a tremendous desire to be successful.”

But like new teachers everywhere, some quickly get overwhelmed and flee the classroom.

Janelle Sharp lasted only one year as a teacher before returning to her engineering job. The students in her math classes at Nordhoff High were simply too much to handle, she said. They talked constantly and would not stay in their seats. And then there were the spitball fights.

“I didn’t think I’d have the disciplinary problems I did,” she said. “Teaching is more for someone who is really bold and can stand up to the kids.”

Sharp, 29, said engineering is more predictable and less challenging, and it doesn’t require as many people skills as teaching demanded.

Last year, the state embarked on a $1-million advertising campaign aimed at luring middle-age professionals to education. The ad touted the benefits of teaching, emphasizing smaller class sizes and higher salaries. Officials also expanded CalTeach, which provides information and referrals to prospective teachers.

Now the state is establishing regional recruitment centers, where teachers will be able to get their transcripts reviewed, get fingerprinted or meet with job counselors.

School districts are expanding their efforts too, with some specifically reaching out to mid-career professionals.

Simi Valley Unified, for instance, has targeted a weak spot in most American schools--the shortage of math and science teachers. And its recruitment has worked; the district has hired teachers from a local high-tech company for both middle and high school science classes.

Administrators know careers in math and science don’t automatically translate to effective math or science teachers. Teaching also takes commitment and good classroom management, they say.

“Because [they are] successful in one career doesn’t mean [they will] be successful in another career,” said Rich Morrison, assistant superintendent for Ventura Unified. “But as long as they have the proper training and mentoring, they can be really fine teachers.”

Increasing teaching salaries is making recruitment efforts a little easier. This year, several districts in Ventura County and California have offered their teachers double-digit raises, which are being funded by $1.8 billion in unrestricted state education funds.

But beginning salaries for teachers still hover around $30,000, far lower than that in many other professions.

In addition to taking pay cuts, second-career teachers face another financial barrier. Most California school districts do not participate in the Social Security retirement system. As a result, the switch to teaching can cost teachers a large amount in retirement benefits.

But Nancy S. Brownell, director of the Cal State University Institute for Education Reform, said lifestyle is a stronger motivator for mid-career teachers than rising salaries.

“They are in a situation where money doesn’t drive their decision,” Brownell said. “It is more of a focus on wanting to help and give back.”

That’s why Anne Chess gave up a career as a veterinarian and became a teacher at Moorpark High School three years ago.

Chess, 50, knows the challenges--both financially and emotionally. She is struggling to make her mortgage payments, and she still does veterinarian work during summers to supplement her income.

Chess said she had trouble getting used to teenagers’ attitudes, jokingly comparing them with the animals she treated.

“The animals don’t always know they are being helped, so they kick and bite,” she said. “Sometimes the students react the same way.”

To spark their interest, she often takes her algebra students outside to measure the height of trees or go on a scavenger hunt for different shapes.

“We don’t just teach out of a book or just stay in the classroom crunching numbers,” she said. “We go outside and get real-life experience with math.”

Villano tries to do the same. Many of his students have struggled with math their entire lives, and his goal is to get them turned on to the subject.

And nearly every day, Villano said he sees that light click on in his students’ eyes when they figure out how to solve a problem or get a good grade on a quiz.

“I enjoyed the lifestyle of making money,” he said. “But this is where I want to be.”

Teaching as a Career

A growing number of professionals are switching careers and becoming teachers. The following resources are available for those interested in pursuing a second career in teaching.

* CalTeach is an information and referral recruitment center for prospective teachers in California. The Web site is https://www.calteach.com, and the toll-free advice line is (888) CAL-TEACH.

* The National Teacher Recruitment Clearinghouse has resources for prospective teachers looking for jobs. The Web site is https://www.recruitingteachers.org, and the telephone number is (617) 489-6000.

* The California Department of Education has information about school districts and education policy. The Web site is https://www.cde.ca.gov, and the telephone number is (916) 657-2451.

* The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing is the state agency that establishes the requirements for credentials. The Web site is https://www.ctc.ca.gov, and the telephone number is (916) 445-0184.