In order to address the current and persistent shortage of teachers, more secondcareer teachers have been hired since the last years. While the German Association of Education (DGfE) criticizes this approach, empirical studies have shown challenges but also potentials for school and teaching. There is, however, a lack of a sophisticated overview of potentials and challenges perceived by school leaders. This article aims to offer a contribution to structuring this. Answers to open-ended questions from an online survey have been evaluated by using the structured content analysis by Mayring. The results show a differentiation on the level of the second-career teachers’ personal characteristics and on the level of school and teaching and educational administration development. Based on the results, the necessity of standardizing the qualification of second-career teachers is discussed.

Keywords
teacher shortage, career changers in the teaching profession, school leader