Troops to Teachers

Troops to Teachers (TTT) is a DANTES-managed, DoD-transition program to help service members and veterans begin new careers as K-12 school teachers in public, charter, and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. The program provides eligible members with counseling, employment assistance, and financial support to help members meet education and licensing requirements to secure a teaching position. Since 1993, more than 21,000 veterans have successfully transitioned to a career in education.

Last month, we introduced you to the new TTT Director, Taheesha Quarells, and the Program Office team. For the rest of 2020, we will introduce you to all 31 state grant offices and their personnel.

Troops to Teachers has 31 states offering local assistance to program participants via grants received in 2018. The 2018 grants provide services for a 5 year term ending in May 2023. The main benefit of the TTT state grants is that local state education departments and agencies are able to assist military members, veterans and TTT participants with local counseling and guidance. These local offices become the frontline for certification and hiring information, resources, and technical assistance on meeting teacher requirements related to each individual state.

Throughout this year, we will provide information on the state grant offices includ:

• Websites • Social media pages • College or state education dept affiliation • Monthly programs • State incentives for military members • Certification information

This month, we are proud to introduce you to the following state grant office teams:

• Missouri • Iowa • North Carolina

Next month look for information on these teams: • Florida • Alabama • Michigan

Program Counselors (Left to Right):

James Henley, Program Coordinator, TTT Grantee Program, located in Jefferson City, MO

Elijah Root, Assistant Director, TTT Grantee Program, located in Kansas City, MO.

Turner Shipman, Supervisor, TTT Grantee Program, located in Kansas City, MO.

Laura Boddicker, TTT Iowa State Grantee Position (part-time), located within the I-SERVE office, College of Education, University of Iowa.

Office Websites, Social Media Accounts:

• • dese.mo.gov dese.mo.gov/adult-learning-rehabilitation-services/troops-to-teachers twitter.com/TTT_Central facebook.com/TTTCentralStates/

College or State Education Dept Affiliation:

• Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education • University of Iowa, College of Education

Monthly Programs: Pre-Retirement Briefing, Fort Leonard Wood, MO

State Incentives for Military:

Missouri Returning Heroes’ Education Act All Missouri public institutions of higher education that receive any state funds appropriated by the general assembly shall limit the amount of tuition such institutions charge to combat veterans to fifty dollars per credit hour, as long as the veteran achieves and maintains a cumulative grade point average of at least two and one-half on a four-point

DANTES Information Bulletin scale, or its equivalent. The tuition limitation shall only be applicable if the combat veteran is enrolled in a program leading to a certificate, or an associate or baccalaureate degree. dhewd.mo.gov/ppc/returningheroesact.php

Iowa National Guard Service Scholarship (INGSS) The Iowa National Guard Service Scholarship provides annual awards to Iowa National Guard members who attend eligible Iowa colleges and universities. Maximum individual awards cannot exceed the current maximum resident tuition rate at Iowa Regent Universities. National Guard officials have determined that they will pay 100 percent of the average Regent tuition rate for the 2019-20 academic year, an amount of $8,073. The Iowa Adjutant General determines eligibility. https://www.iowacollegeaid.gov/IowaNationalGuard

Certification Information:

• Missouri: dese.mo.gov/educator-quality/certification • Iowa: boee.iowa.gov/license-types-and-applications/license-and-authorization-information

Program Counselors (Left to Right): Douglas Taggart is a US Army Veteran, who served with the Old Guard (Alpha Company). You can contact him via email at doug.taggart@dpi.nc.gov or call 919-807-3346. Matthew Canon is a US Army Reservist. You can contact him via email at matthew.canon@dpi.nc.gov or call 919-807-3376, Toll-Free: 888-878-1600

Office Websites, Social Media Accts:

• • • dpi.nc.gov/troops facebook.com/TTT.NorthCarolina/ linkedin.com/in/douglas-taggart-68440913/

Office Address: NC Troops to Teachers, Department of Public Instruction, 6307 Mail Service Center, 301 N. Wilmington St., Raleigh, NC 27699-6307

College or State Education Dept Affiliation: Department of Public Instruction

Monthly Programs: NC TTT offers webinars, socials, mentoring events, base visits, etc.

Fort Bragg: monthly pre-retirements and a bi-monthly “Teaching as a Second Career”seminar offered at the Base Training and Education Center, Room F116, 1pm-3pm

Dates: March 18, May 20, July 15, September 16, November 18

Camp Lejeune: bi-monthly “Teaching as a Second Career” seminar offered at the John Lejeune Education Center, Room 112, 1pm-3pm

Dates: March 19, May 21, July 16, September 17, November 19

State Teaching Incentives for Military: The Corporal Pruitt Rainey Brass to Class Act: Provides a salary credit to veterans that become teachers in NC. For every two years of leadership or

DANTES Information Bulletin instructor experience from the military, a member can get one year of credit on the state salary schedule. For a 20-year retiree, with 18 years of leadership experience, that equates to a $9,000 annual salary boost when becoming a teacher in our state. https://www.dpi.nc.gov/educators/troops-toteachers/corporal-pruitt-rainey-brass-to-classact

Certification Information: If a member doesn’t have a teaching license, there may still be options for employment as a teacher. If the member has a technical skill, he/she may only be required to show work experience in the trade with a HS diploma or up to a bachelor degree for non-trade areas within career and technical education (CTE).

Career Technical Education Manual: Click here to download: files.nc.gov/dpi/cte_licensure_policies_and_procedures_manual_eff._7-1- 19.pdf

For academic teaching and other CTE areas requiring a bachelor degree, a residency license path may allow a member with a four-year degree to be hired as a teacher, if they have a good GPA (2.7) and can show knowledge in a related K-12 area (relevant major, 24 semester hours, or a content exam(s). An individual also has to affiliate with an “Educator Preparation Program” in order to get the residency license, concurrently with getting employment through this pathway.