According to multiple and ongoing reports, Indiana is one of many states facing a shortage of teachers.  This shortage can be attributed to many factors, not the least of which include salary disparages, high turnover rates surrounding the COVID era, and a decrease in the number of people interested in pursuing teaching degrees after high school.   “We’ve seen a lower number of students choosing to study education as their field in college and at the same time, a decrease in the number of people considering going to college,” Carey Dahncke, executive director of the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning at the University of Indianapolis said to news outlets in March. “And so we’ve shifted trying to look at how do we lure people from other professions into teaching.”

There were about 1700 teaching jobs posted on an Indiana job bank website (https://app.hirenimble.com/jobs/state/in) at time of publication, with about 500 more statewide vacancies in support roles (guidance counselors, paraprofessionals, coaches). If those numbers don’t seem terribly high, remember that it is only late spring and a school year is nearing its close. Over the summer months recruitment needs become even more acute, as more teachers are retiring or resigning than are graduating teacher-Ed programs and attaining licenses. Recruitment therefore continues to focus on those who already have a bachelor’s degree, and perhaps are looking for a career change.  State and federal legislative measures have been taken to encourage people into the teaching field; House Bill 1528 passed in the House unanimously in March in an effort to boost the funds for Hoosiers transitioning into teaching from other careers. Such Transition to Teaching (T2T) programs are based on the premise that the candidate already has content knowledge in the licensing area, so those with jobs that have used mathematics, sciences, engineering are ideal for people interested in much needed STEM teaching careers. The programs have been incentivized, with funding readily available for most.  They typically consist of 18 hours of coursework for secondary education and 24 hours for elementary education, early childhood education, and P-12 education. No education courses are required as prerequisites for admission. Candidates for admission must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited higher education institution.  Candidates applying for admission to a T2T program are no longer required to pass the Indiana CORE assessment content test prior to program admission.
A brief Google search of “Becoming a Teacher in Indiana” online will show dozens of grants, scholarships, and opportunities available for application.  The QR code below will take you to a good starting-place website with valuable information on achieving teaching certification.