Troops to Teachers (TTT) was 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 continued operation by the Department of Defense. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 provides for the continuation of TTT through Fiscal Year (FY) 2006. TTT is managed by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), Pensacola , Florida.
The purpose of TTT is to assist eligible military personnel to transition to a new career as public school teachers in “high-need” schools. A network of state offices has been established to provide participants with counseling and assistance regarding certification requirements, routes to state certification, and employment leads. The TTT homepage provides information and resource links, including a job referral system to allow participants to search for job vacancies as well as links to state Departments of Education, state certification offices, model resumes, and other job listing sites in public education. As of December 2007, over 10,500 Troops to Teachers participants have been hired nationally in public schools through the program.
Goals and Objectives
Reflecting the focus of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the primary objective of TTT is to help recruit quality teachers for schools that serve low-income families throughout America . TTT helps relieve teacher shortages, especially in math, science, special education and other high-needs subject areas, and assists military personnel in making successful transitions to second careers in teaching.
Funding has been appropriated for FY 2008 to provide financial assistance to eligible participants, provide placement assistance, referral services, and maintain a network of state offices. Military personnel interested in a second career in public education may submit a registration form.
Pending availability of funds, financial assistance may be provided to eligible individuals as stipends up to $5K to help pay for teacher certification costs or as bonuses of $10K to teach in schools serving a high percentage of students from low-income families. Participants who accept the Stipend or Bonus must agree to teach for three years in schools that serve students from low-income families in accordance with the authorizing legislation.
Proud to Serve Again!
As the teacher shortage continues to grow, school districts are increasingly turning to TTT to find new teacher candidates. School districts that hire one military veteran through TTT almost always come back looking for more “just like him/her.” Military veterans have established a reputation as excellent teachers and exemplary role models for today’s students. The leadership skills, breadth of experience, dedication, commitment and maturity that our former marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen bring to the classroom are attributes sought by public school administrators and parents. If you are considering teaching as a second career, register online or submit a Registration Form to Troops to Teachers and join the thousands of other military veterans who are “Proud to Serve Again.”