State Assistance Increases for Troops to Teachers Program

MORE LOCAL HELP

The Troops to Teachers (TTT) Program Office is pleased to announce that 11 states and 2 consortia of states will receive grants to help eligible and former members of the armed forces become K-12 public school teachers. Through these grants, a total of 23 states will begin projects designed to assist military members and veterans in exploring and selecting the best pathway to obtain employment as teachers. These projects will offer guidance on traditional and alternative teacher licensure programs, résumé writing, job search tools, and other employment support activities to veterans and military members who are within one year of exiting the military.

TTT is a military transition program within the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES). In conjunction with the Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA), DANTES released a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) on October 19, 2017, under the authorizing statute in 10 USC 1154(h) (2) (A), which permits the Secretary of Defense to make grants to states or consortia of such states in order to support efforts of recruiting eligible current and former members of the armed forces for participation in the Troops to Teachers program and facilitating the employment of participants as elementary school teachers, secondary school teachers, and career or technical teachers. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 grant was awarded in May 2018 for a 5-year period.

STATES AWARDED

The TTT program awarded grants to the following states with consortia states following:

• Arizona
• Colorado – (consortia) with New Mexico
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Montana – (consortia) with Alaska, Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
• New York
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• Texas
• Virginia

In an effort to broaden the program to additional states, a second grant announcement is open and will close on June 15, 2018.

GRANT GOALS

Based on grant guidance, the grant goals include, but are not limited to:

• Attract and increase the number of eligible current and former members of the armed forces participating in the TTT Program
• Reduce barriers that prevent veterans from meeting teacher certifications requirements for transitioning into teaching careers
• Provide individualized counseling to assist TTT participants with meeting the educational and certification requirements to transition into a teaching career
• Support state and local education agencies with hiring motivated, experienced and dedicated eligible members and former members of the armed forces; thereby, increasing the number of veterans employed as teachers
• Address geographic areas with critical teacher shortages, especially in high-need schools (as defined in subsection (a) of such section 1154), in particular the shortage of science, mathematics, special education, foreign language, or career or technical teachers; and in elementary schools or secondary schools, or as career or technical teachers.

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

Troops to Teachers was established in 1993 to help transitioning military members and veterans in beginning new careers as K-12 school teachers in public, charter, and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. The program provides counseling and referral services for participants to help them meet education and licensing requirements to teach and subsequently helps them secure a teaching position. Since 1993, more than 20,000 veterans have successfully transitioned to a career in education.

The TTT program office is located in Pensacola, FL. Program office representatives are responsible for counseling participants located in the 27 states not covered by the grant state offices.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information on the TTT program, call 800-231-6242, email ttt@navy.mil or visit the TTT website.

The website offers a list of teaching opportunities available to participants and a list of recruiting and other types of program events.

TTT social media platforms include:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn