Troops to Teachers program provides 'second career' option
Brentwood Home Page news reports
The Tennessee Department of Education is offering veterans an opportunity to become “second career” teachers and leaders through its Tennessee Troops to Teachers program.

“We want to fill our classrooms with the most dedicated and effective teachers,” said Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman. “Many of the men and women who have served our country in the military have a depth of experience and a dedication to service that can be beneficial in the classroom.”

Troops to Teachers works to improve education by providing motivated, experienced, and dedicated personnel for the nation's high-poverty classrooms. The program helps relieve teacher shortages, especially in math, science, special education and other critical subject areas, and assists military personnel in making successful transitions to second careers in teaching.

State offices provide counseling and assistance regarding certification requirements, routes to state certification, and employment leads. Successful program candidates obtain certification or licensing as elementary, secondary, or vocational teachers.

“Teaching is a rewarding career, and on Veteran’s Day we honor the military personnel who have chosen to serve our country and also our schools,” Cliff Yager, director of the Tennessee Troops to Teachers program, said last Friday. “Tennessee’s Troops to Teachers office has helped hundreds of military personnel become Tennessee teachers.”

The Troops to Teachers program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the state Department of Education in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense.

For more information on this program, visit the Troops to Teachers website at www.tennessee.gov/education/lic/troop.shtml.