Troops to Teachers
Troops to Teachers is a cooperative project between the U.S. Department of Education and the South Carolina Department of Education. Troops to Teachers is a federally funded program to assist retired and separated members of the Armed Forces, as well as Guard and Reserve personnel with obtaining certification and employment as teachers. Troops to Teachers provides support to personnel who are making the transition to teaching and to the districts who hire them.
Background
Troops to Teachers was originally established in 1994 as a Department of Defense program. The National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2000 transferred the responsibility for program oversight and funding to the U.S. Department of Education but operated by the Department of Defense. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 provides for the continuation of Troops to Teachers through Fiscal Year (FY) 2006. Under this program, eligible military personnel have the opportunity to pursue a second career in public education. Troops to Teachers is managed by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), Pensacola, Florida.
Goals and Objectives
The goal of this legislation is to help improve American education by providing motivated, experienced, and dedicated personnel for the nation's classrooms.
The three main objectives of the program are to:
- Help relieve teacher shortages.
- Provide positive role models for the nation's public school students.
- Assist military personnel to successfully transition to teaching as a second career. Eligible veterans may receive either a stipend of not more then $5,000 to assist in attaining teacher certification or a $10,000 incentive grant bonus for participants who teach for three years in a high needs school.