Military Veterans Make Ideal Candidates to Become Educators, DoD Should Work to Save and Restore Federal Troops to Teachers Program

Chris Meek — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 16:01:22 -0500

While many states and the private sector make focused efforts to help active duty military personnel transition to civilian employment, many have recognized that a clear win-win opportunity exists in the education profession. After all, if there is anything that people learn during service in the military it’s most definitely leadership and discipline - two invaluable commodities that will always be needed within our classrooms, perhaps now more than ever before.

Realizing that veterans and active duty personnel preparing to transition to civilian life make ideal candidates to teach the next generation, I penned an op-ed for the Stamford Advocate in February 2021 which focused on the challenge of bridging the gap between active duty and academia. I advocated for bettering and leveraging programs like Troops to Teachers, a federal program designed to assist aspiring veteran educators, provide young minds with inspiring leaders, and improve the overall education system.

I was disheartened to hear that the program, which encourages military veterans to become public school teachers and offers counseling to help veterans navigate the process of meeting the proper licensing requirements, was officially shuttered by the Department of Defense (DoD) in October due to efforts to reallocate resources to “higher priority programs more closely aligned to the National Defense Strategy.”

While I can certainly appreciate this sentiment - especially in light of threats that our adversaries like Russia and China currently pose and the ever increasing need for advanced technology and research - I still firmly believe that the DoD should attempt to streamline the program before making the ultimate decision to eliminate it completely. If not, I believe that we’ll stand to regret the decision.

Since its inception in 1993, the program has been a fixture in both Democrat and Republican administrations and to date, has produced around 23,000 veterans turned teachers who may not have found their passion for education without the program, which provides up to $10,000 of financial support per individual.

I would also be remiss not to point out the positive impact that veteran turned teachers undoubtedly have on the children they educate. In a time when parents feel more empowered than ever to be directly involved in their children’s education, it is especially important that a focus is placed not only on what students are being taught in the classroom but on those who we recruit as educators. As referenced above, veterans come with unique leadership skills, discipline, perspectives and experiences that serve as assets to the classrooms they teach in.
However, it is hard to overlook the $15 million per year price tag that comes with the Troops to Teachers program, especially when considering the DoD’s mission to reallocate finances into higher priority programming. As I pointed out in my op-ed, while 23,000 veterans turned teachers is certainly an achievement, it amounts to fewer than 750 per year. It’s hard to imagine that the program has ever truly reached its peak performance. On top of that, $10,000 for each of the 750 veterans that pass through the program each year only equates to $7.5 million, which means that almost 50% of the program’s spending is in overhead costs.

Before making the ultimate decision to end the program entirely, I believe that the DoD should work to structurally and financially reform Troops to Teachers to not only free up funding to go towards other defense programming but also make better use of the remaining funds and reduce overhead costs significantly to produce even more veteran turned educators each year.
According to a joint letter written to the U.S. House and Senate by the American Legion and other veteran’s groups advocating for the program, “studies have shown that Troops to Teachers educators fill thousands of vacancies in high-need schools and subject areas.” This is important now more than ever before, especially when one considers the results of a January 2021 RAND survey which indicated that 25% of teachers surveyed admitted they wanted to leave their profession upon the conclusion of that academic year.

Veteran educators can be counted on to fill the many academic positions that are currently available today and if restructured, the 28-year-old Troops to Teachers program can be an essential component in meeting the educational demands of our time while providing an easier pathway for transition from military life into a civilian career in education for veterans.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Dec 5 at 2021 4:25 PM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 16:25:49 -0500

Excellent info share brother Chris Meek

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Dec 5 at 2021 6:58 PM

SPC Margaret Higgins — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 18:58:33 -0500

@ Chris Meek: I am a mentor; a coach; and, an author on Facebook.

Response by LtCol Robert Quinter made Dec 6 at 2021 6:33 AM

LtCol Robert Quinter — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 06:33:43 -0500

An excellent review of a worthy program. My only question is why the DOD should sponsor and fund the program? Having spent some hours reviewing the DOD budget, there is an amazing percentage of that budget that has no relationship to our military capability except in the minds of legislators and lobbyists who take advantage of the "has to pass" reputation of the DOD budget. Wouldn't it be more appropriately be funded by the Department of Education or even the states who establish teaching credential requirements?

Response by Cpl Vic Burk made Dec 6 at 2021 7:01 PM

Cpl Vic Burk — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 19:01:56 -0500

I had a reply I posted to this thread, but it seems to have disappeared. @SSG Carlos Madden LTC Kevin B. Anyone know where it went. Maybe it was too long?

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Dec 9 at 2021 7:18 AM

Lt Col Charlie Brown — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 07:18:02 -0500

We are in desperate need of teachers all across the country.

Response by Sgt Seth Mansur made Dec 10 at 2021 9:37 AM

Sgt Seth Mansur — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 09:37:01 -0500

Agreed! I benefited from this program about 12 years ago when I first transitioned to full time civilian work. More veterans in schools are great to give exposure to the next generation, and certainly having vets in schools is a value add with the rise in shootings at schools.

Response by CDR Jerry Womack made Dec 17 at 2021 3:20 PM

CDR Jerry Womack — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 15:20:34 -0500

I disagree. I'm a veteran (20 years Navy) and a retired teacher. In the military, individuality is discouraged. It is the unit. The platoon, the squadron, the ship, etc. In public education nowadays, it is all about the individual. A lot of us vets just cannot adjust. I could go on and on and on but I think the point is already made.

Response by SSG Rafael R. Rodriguez Sr. made Dec 19 at 2021 11:11 AM

SSG Rafael R. Rodriguez Sr. — Sun, 19 Dec 2021 11:11:31 -0500

Sad to hear that this program is not funded anymore. I know alit of states are hurting for teachers. This was a good way, Fast Start Program for veterans needing a job, to get there certification as teachers.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 24 at 2021 1:41 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 24 Dec 2021 01:41:41 -0500

Please post, comment and share the hell out of this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLPaBqEQML8&t=57s

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Response by LTC Paul Rivette made Jan 1 at 2022 1:11 AM

LTC Paul Rivette — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 01:11:14 -0500

When I retired I started substitute teaching at my daughter's school. Also appointed to a special advisory council for the city school board. The principal and many others worked on me to go into teaching full time.
So I checked out Troops to Teachers. The program sounds great. However the problems were not at the DOD - the huge roadblocks came from the state. In order to certify as a teacher I was going to have to go back to college to earn a Bachelors in Education. I already had a Bachelors and a Masters degree, but the education specific classes would put me in school full-time for at least 2 years. No consideration given that I had, in fact, been developing course material, lesson plans, evaluations and teaching for over 25 years.
I talked to several Soldiers who had tried Troops to Teachers. All had the same story - the principals and staff at the school loved them (esp in the high-risk schools) but the Official Standards made the process extraordinarily difficult. Many who went to the college classes found the environment extremely hostile to them based on their background.
So the costs, time and hostility of the higher education officials who are gatekeepers to the required certifications are the reason for the the failure of the program.

Response by SSG Rafael R. Rodriguez Sr. made Jan 11 at 2022 3:04 PM

SSG Rafael R. Rodriguez Sr. — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 15:04:11 -0500

As the LTC and CPL stayed, we are in desperate need of good teachers. Troops to Teachers was a good way to help folks out of the military to transition to become teachers without all in incurring cost and many prerequisites.

Response by SFC Patrick Mulhill made Jan 20 at 2022 3:19 PM

SFC Patrick Mulhill — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 15:19:28 -0500

the biggest downfall of this program is it is tailored to the Officer Corps. Most active duty enlisted do not have a college degree and if they do, they pursue a career in that particular field. TTT was pitched to enlisted as something they can do, however they need to get a degree first before applying for TTT.