A report [pdf] out this week looks at what it would take to get college-educated professionals to switch careers and become public school teachers.

Four in 10 college-educated professionals have thought about it.

STREET VOICES: It’s a good job. I have actually considered being a public school teacher. Now that I have a child, it’d be nice to have that schedule.

Schools need quality teachers. And lately, there’s been a push to attract them from other fields.

So what would it take to get folks to trade their business suits for a piece of chalk? It turns out the “sweet spot” is $50,000.

That’s not the answer these Loop workers came up with.

STREET VOICES:  I’m going to have to say 80 would be my sweet spot, with summers off. You can’t live in the city of Chicago on $60 grand.

Teachers starting at Chicago Public Schools earn $43,700.

Some bad news from the report: only 15 percent of potential teachers said they’d like to go into special education, where teacher shortages are greatest.

I’m Linda Lutton. Chicago Public Radio.