Across the nation, schools increasingly are tapping into a vast resource pool--retired educators. The potential effects of the retirement boom--baby boomers reaching retirement age--have been well documented. An April 2009 "New York Times" article estimates that by 2013, more than one-third of the nation's 3.2 million teachers could retire. One study suggests that by 2015, the United States faces a potential shortfall of 280,000 teachers just in mathematics and science. This loss of collective knowledge, talent and experience could have a devastating effect on public education. Rather than watch idly as this mass exodus occurs, many states are bringing back retired teachers to work on a part-time basis. One such program is in the state of Tennessee. Since 2001, the Tennessee Department of Education has achieved outstanding success by calling upon retired teachers and administrators to serve as coaches, mentors and guides. These Exemplary Educators, as they are called, assist low-achieving schools while sharing their vast knowledge and experience with the next generation of educators. The results thus far have been excellent. Since 2001, Exemplary Educators have helped 176 schools achieve adequate yearly progress (AYP) over a two-year period. In 2008-2009, 42 Tennessee schools were moved off the state's high-priority list, with 38 categorized as in "good standing." Significantly, all 42 schools were part of the Exemplary Educator program. The program is managed by Edvantia, which uses a rigorous selection process to recruit retired educators with proven track records. Through funding from the Department of Education, Edvantia then hires the Exemplary Educators as independent contractors and provides intensive professional development, which clearly is the program's foundation for success. The training incorporates Edvantia's patented coaching standards, which emphasize a learning culture, shared leadership, school-family-community connections, an aligned and balanced curriculum, shared goals for learning, purposeful student assessment, and effective teaching. As a follow-up to the initial professional development, Exemplary Educators must attend at least four training sessions per year to learn about the latest research, work through specific issues, and share ideas with their peers.