by Kris Kennedy

Created on: June 05, 2009

Troops to Teachers

Schools are in need of teachers and troops need to return to the work a day world after service in the military. There have been many programs over the years that have helped place people in schools who have accomplished other activities.

Administration of the Program

The Department of Education and the Department of Defense are collaborating to provide the school with elementary, science, math, vocational fields and special education teacher. The Department of Education provides the Department of Defense with funds to help military personnel to receive certifications of needed teachers. The participants receive a stipend up to $5,000 a year to pay for other expenses than education. The participants must agree to accept employment in one of the target areas after leaving the military or receiving the certification. One of the target areas is schools with 50 percent poverty rate.

he military who qualify must have left military service with an honorable discharge. There is not a time limit after leaving military to qualify for the program.

Other Programs

Burn out occurs in many fields and education has decided to be proactive to see that they can grab hold of these successful individuals. Business leaders can leave the business world and return to educate in the schools. They have proven to be successful teachers because they can act an air of reality to classroom work.

Advantages

The advantages of the program are that the schools are developing shortages in math, science and special education. Military personnel frequently have to teach young adults who enter the military straight from high school so it mirrors the work of the military. The military has state of the art Information Technology programs which transfers to programs needed for vocational programs in school.

The military has always been the center of educational programs for this program. The Vietnam era educated a high percentage of our baby boomers and many enter the military and come out as doctors and other professionals. With this program, the country receives the professional needed while providing the education the nation believes the nation owes our veterans while providing the education that the country needs.

Since the military recruits receive, testing prior to entering the military and Troops to teachers insist the military students pass tests in the subject area desiring certifications. The schools would not accept teachers below the standards required of any other educator.

As the schools deal with the teacher shortage we have not experienced since the sixties, we can use education as the means to honor the work of our troops as they enter the new work.

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