Laid-off Illinois teachers turn to nanny jobs

Some of the 8,800 Illinois teachers handed pink slips last year are finding work as nannies, and many are now earning more than they were inside the classroom.

The Chicago Tribune's Vikki Ortiz Healy reports that four fresh graduates of Illinois State University's education school are applying for each teaching job opening as budget crunches have reduced the number of education jobs in the state. The shortage is forcing former and would-be teachers to explore other options in child care, to the delight of parents who want to hire a nanny with an education background. Healy interviewed several former teachers about their decision to become nannies here.