Contra Costa Times, December 2, 2007.

With a blue ruler clutched in her tan fingers, third-grade
teacher Lucy DiBianca unveiled the joys of the metric system to her students at
Sun Terrace Elementary School.

She raced around the room measuring arms and thumbs. The students sized up
dimes, keys. As DiBianca sped across the carpet, a russet-colored vest flapped
about her wiry frame that buzzed with the energy of an electron.

When her students finally surrendered to centimeter -- "Oh my gosh you
guys, I think you got it!" -- DiBianca took them out for tennis in the
quad. Afterward, they tackled lessons on water and rudimentary ballet.

What none of her students know is that the indomitable Mrs. DiBianca --
scaler of El Capitan, explainer of kelp, fan
of the decimeter -- is technically retired.

But like many recent retirees, the 64-year-old from Walnut Creek chose to return to work part
time. In DiBianca's case, she came back to the campus where she's taught since
1985.

"I retired two years ago, but I feel great. I have a lot of
energy," she said. "I love the kids at this school."

With fewer college graduates entering the field of education, a growing wave
of retirees from all professions are finding a welcome home as employees or volunteers
at campuses across the Bay Area.

Reaping the benefits are schools desperate for everything from thoughtful
classroom aides to credentialed teachers not yet sold on hanging up their
protractors.

The Mt. Diablo school district calls on a roster
of 262 retired employees for temporary assignments, said Gail Isserman,
assistant superintendent for personnel services. More than 200 are either
teachers or principals. The others are office managers, secretaries or clerks.

"They bring a level of knowledge and expertise to whatever they're
doing," Isserman said. "Also, they know our district. People trust
and appreciate the work that they do."

For DiBianca, she relishes coming to school Thursdays and Fridays to see her
students and old friends. But the former triathlete also loves biking to the
top of Mount Diablo, taking pilates and gardening.
Now she can do all that and teach, without the stress of a full-time job.

"This gives me an opportunity to do everything I love," she said.

Far from settling into the La-Z-boy, many baby boomers are embracing
retirement as a time to try out a new career or earn a little cash doing what
they did best, said Mark Beach, a California spokesman for AARP.

"The whole notion of retirement is changing," Beach said. In an
AARP survey, 80 percent said they plan to work during retirement years.

"Part of it is motivated by economic necessity and part of it is cultural,"
Beach said. "Boomers tend to view themselves as younger."

Sandy Brickell, a retired principal of Sequoia
Elementary School in Pleasant Hill, filled in at Mt. Diablo
Elementary last year when the position went vacant. She did the same this year
at Pleasant Hill Elementary School.

Just like the old days, she found herself waking up at 5 a.m. to prepare for
the day and staying at school until 7 p.m.

"I could be doing a lot of different things," Brickell chuckled,
cleaning her office late on a Wednesday night. "I guess I just can't say
no."

Retiree Louise Olsen returned to Sun Terrace to teach kindergarten part
time. She enjoys teaching the letter N, the number 5 and how plants grow to her
boisterous students.

"It keeps you in the middle of life," Olsen said.

Sun Terrace Principal Felicia Stuckey-Smith welcomes back retirees like
DiBianca and Olsen because of their skill, ability to mentor younger teachers
and a devotion to teaching.

"You don't want to lose an experienced teacher," she said.
"And these are people who still want to be here."

Even for retirees who never worked in education, schools remain a huge draw
for those who want to give their time.

Ronnie Williams worked in information technology. The day he retired, he
called to volunteer at Santa Fe Elementary School in Oakland.

Carla Eustace-Pulliam was an information technology manager for Alameda County. The 57-year-old from Montclair retired early and now volunteers in two Oakland elementary
schools, Emerson and Civicorps.

Her work there marries a love of children with a belief in community
service.

"I think it's important that we all give back, that we help each
other," she said.

Both volunteers found their schools through the Bay Area chapter of
Experience Corps, a national organization that pairs adults 55 and older with
elementary and middle schools. Last school year, 121 people logged 26,578 hours
at schools in Oakland, San
Francisco and San Rafael
through the nonprofit program, said Janet Oh, Experience Corps Bay Area
director.

The program most often attracts retired educators or health care workers.

"More and more, we get people who are younger and younger and have just
entered retirement," Oh said.

Volunteers from Experience Corps make a huge impact at Emerson, said
fourth-grade teacher Edison Allen.

"To me, it fills a big void," Allen said. "It's helping me,
and it's helping the students."

Many of his pupils arrive without knowing the basics of multiplication, or
even of addition and subtraction. That's where Eustace-Pulliam, who graduated
with a degree in math, comes in.

On a sunny November day, she arrived for school dressed like a sprinter:
pale yellow track jacket, black capri pants and her hair pulled into a
ponytail.

She led Dimagio Garrison, 9, and Autumn Finney, 10, out of class to an
alcove where the din of recess faded into distant murmurs. With a red marker,
she squiggled a set of arithmetic problems on a dry erase board.

"Start with those, Autumn."

Twelve minus six. Six plus six. After minutes searching for the right answer
to two times six, Autumn unearthed the solution.

"I got it right!" she exclaimed. Autumn began a slow victory dance
in her chair, swaying her fists overhead.

"They're really happy when they get it," Eustace-Pulliam said.
"And I'm happy when they get it."

As much as she loves tutoring, she said she could never teach a class.

"I don't think I can handle 20 kids," she said. "That's a job
for a young person."

Shirley Dang covers education. Reach her at 925-977-8418 or sdang@bayareanewsgroup.com.