This program helps turn troops into teachers
SUMMARY
Troops to Teachers, a Department of Defense funded program, has been working to help service members transition to careers in education since 1993. The program is part of the Defense-Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support, or "DANTES," which assists service members in acquiring degrees or certifications (or both), during and after their obligated service.
Through DANTES, service members can apply for scholarships, grants, loans, and tuition assistance, as well as get help understanding their VA education benefits.
Eligible DANTES users who utilize the Troops to Teachers program may qualify for additional funding — up to a $5,000 stipend or a $10,000 bonus.
Stipends may be used to pay for certifications, classes, or teaching license fees. Bonuses are awarded to those who've already completed their education and received certification and licensure; they are designed to be an incentive for teaching in high need or certain eligible schools.
"High need schools", according to TTT, are schools in areas where 50 percent of the elementary or middle school or 40 percent of the high school receives free or reduced lunch. "Eligible" schools will have at least 30 percent of its students receiving free or reduced lunch, have an Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 13 percent or more, or be a Bureau of Indian Affairs funded school.
Service members awarded stipends or bonuses must either agree to teach full time in an eligible or high need school for three years, or must commit an additional three years to the military.
The Troops to Teachers program has several goals:
- Reduce veteran unemployment.
- Improve American education by providing motivated, experienced, and dedicated personnel for the nation's classrooms.
- Increase the number of male and minority teachers in today's classrooms.
- Address teacher shortage issues in K-12 schools that serve low-income families and in the critical subjects - math, science, special education, foreign language, and career-technical education.
TTT actively recruits service members from its program to teach in Native American "school[s] residing on or near a designated reservation, nation, village, Rancheria, pueblo, or community with a high population of indigenous students."
In addition to financial assistance and job placement, TTT offers support to its participants through counseling and mentorship programs.
To date, TTT has awarded over $325,000 in stipends, nearly $2.5 million in bonuses, and helped place over 20,000 veterans into jobs.
