11 minute read
Troops to Teachers
Supporting Troops in the Northeast: Connecticut and New York TTT Programs Taheesha Quarells, Director, Troops to Teachers Program
Kimberly Audet, Program Manager, CT Troops to Teachers
Courtney Inniss, Director, NY Troops to Teachers
The Troops to Teachers (TTT) program helps service members and veterans become certified and employed as K-12 teachers in eligible and high need schools. This Congressionally authorized program aims to address historically high veteran unemployment rates and national teacher shortages by providing education and certification counseling and employment facilitation to service members and veterans to help them obtain job placement as teachers. TTT has 19 grants with State Departments of Education that provide program coverage in 31 states.
The network of TTT state offices:
Support service members and veterans with one-on-one counseling for teacher certification and employment in the classroom Deliver outreach activities to increase awareness and program participation Facilitate early workforce engagements by connecting participants to other school-related jobs while participants pursue certification Help participants prepare for the job search process and facilitate connections to job opportunities Build strategic partnerships to advocate on behalf of veterans within their state to remove barriers related to financial stressors, administrative burdens, and acknowledgment of military experience
Throughout this year, the DIB has highlighted the state offices that provide these valuable services to service members and veterans across the country. This month, we feature the TTT programs in Connecticut and New York. Next month, look for the North West Regional offices.
The Connecticut (CT) Troops to Teachers Program is operated under the CT State Department of Education. CT is an attractive state for service members and veterans to consider because it:
Has the fifth highest average teacher salary in the nation, at over $72,000, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Consistently is among the highest student outcomes in the nation, and continues to build on its national reputation for making great strides each year to further improve these outcomes. Is at the forefront of innovation in education, especially when it comes to supporting teachers. CT has a nationally recognized teacher induction program to support early-career teachers and provide support to teachers throughout their career through high-quality, job-embedded mentoring and ongoing professional learning. The state is able to leverage its small size to make change happen quickly and meet the demands of a rapidly changing world. Offers veterans the potential to develop their leadership skills and has meaningful impact in Connecticut’s collaborative and supportive education community. Veterans who become teachers have a great reach and influence in CT because teachers are valued, appreciated and encouraged to be change-makers in their classrooms and communities.
State TTT Outreach
On a regular basis, CT engages in outreach efforts to increase awareness and to build partnerships that remove barriers to certification and employment for service members and veterans. The CT Education Communities of Practice meets three times throughout the academic year. The sessions are facilitated by district leaders and teachers, who design sessions for veterans to meet one another; get questions answered; have discussions about teaching in CT with teachers from around the state; meet with CT State Department of Education staff who provide guidance on certification pathways; and expand their network of CT educators to support their development as a teacher. The CT TTT program also conducts monthly briefings for service members and veterans that illustrate the step-by-step process to become certified in CT.
Contact tttconnecticut@j2tinfo.com for the dates and times of Communities of Practice, monthly briefings, and other CT Troops to Teacher events.
CT
Connecticut’s students need veterans.
Connecticut Troops to Teachers is a program for all service members and veterans to receive assistance in transitioning their leadership, core values and acquired skills to a career in teaching. Connecticut Troops to Teachers provides access to: • career counseling for veterans by veterans; • program coordinators and faculty advisors at each of the Connecticut
State Universities; • committed veteran mentors from point of enrollment through successful employment; • a support network of aspiring and experienced veteran educators; and • hiring officials in Connecticut partner districts.
I am a service member or veteran and interested in learning more.
Submit the Troops to Teachers online application at proudtoserveagain.com or contact Connecticut Troops to Teachers at tttconnecticut@j2tinfo.com.
I am a veteran and a certi�ied teacher.
Serve as a mentor to program participants. Contact Connecticut Troops to Teachers at tttconnecticut@j2tinfo.com .
I am not a veteran but want to help.
Share information about the program with a veteran in your family or community.
Follow the Connecticut Troops to Teachers program at the Connecticut State Department of Education: @EducateCT @ctdepartmentofeducation
Learn more about the national Troops to Teachers program at www.proudtoserveagain.com, and follow them at: @TTT_DANTES @TTT.DANTES
Above and left: Terance Henkle, LCDR USN-Ret.
Terance is an earth science/biology teacher at Fitch High School in Groton Public Schools.
Teaching in CT
A key incentive for service members and veterans considering CT as a possible post-military location is the Veterans Tuition Waiver. Veterans may attend Connecticut Public Colleges and Universities tuition free. State statutes allow tuition to be waived for qualified veterans attending the University of Connecticut, Connecticut State Universities and the 12 Community-Technical Colleges. Waivers cover only the cost of tuition for credit-bearing undergraduate and graduate programs. Other charges, such as for books, student activity and course fees, parking, and room and board, are not waived. To qualify for a waiver at the University of Connecticut and Connecticut State Universities, veterans generally must be admitted to a degree program. The Community-Technical Colleges are more flexible. Veterans are encouraged to take a copy of their separation papers with them when applying for admission and registering for courses.
The below certification information may be helpful for service members and veterans who are considering teaching in CT.
Candidates may qualify to teach an occupational subject with a high school diploma and 3-8 years of trade experience. Candidates who are interested in enrolling in a teacher prep program can seek temporary authorizations to teach if they have a bachelor’s degree and at least 12 credits in the content area they want to teach. Candidates may qualify for a long term substitute authorization with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree and 12 credits in the content area For those military spouses who already hold a teaching certification, there is a Military Spouse Teacher Permit that facilitates transferring their licenses to CT. For more information, visit
https://portal.ct.gov/SDE/Certification/Bureau-of-Certification/Interstate-Flexibility-and-CT-Reciprocity
Meet the Staff The CT TTT program includes the following staff members:
Kimberly Audet, Program Manager,
kimberly.audet@ct.gov
Kimberly has been in education for over 15 years. She is a certified educator and supports schools and districts throughout the state. As a member of the Talent Office at the Connecticut State Department of Education, Kimberly works closely with the Bureau of Certification and CT districts in order to provide the most up-to-date information to CTTT participants related to certification areas, shortage areas and incentives, traditional and alternative pathways, and employment opportunities.
melissamichaud@bristolk12.org
Melissa is participating in the Teacher Leader in Residence 2020-2021 program. She has been a certified Special Education teacher for 3 years and is a Navy Veteran. She will graduate from Central Connecticut State University’s Post-Baccalaureate program and simultaneously obtain her Master’s degree in Special Education. She has worked as a paraprofessional at varying private Special Education schools around CT along with serving as the music teacher, substitute teacher, Para-educator, and Pre-school assistant teacher at St. Paul’s Catholic School. She has been working with the CT Troops to Teachers program as a panel member and community of practice member for the last two years.
CT Contact Information Teach Connecticut - https://connecticut.teach.org
CT State Department of Education Bureau of Certification - https://portal.ct.gov/SDE/Certification/Bureau-of-Certification
CT State Department of Education - CT Troops to Teachers Website- https://portal.ct.gov/ SDE/Talent_Office/Connecticut-Troops-to-Teachers-Program
Facebook: @ctdepartmentofeducation
Twitter: @EducateCT
Office Location: 450 Columbus Blvd., Hartford CT 06016
The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), in conjunction with St. Francis College (SFC), a Yellow Ribbon School, houses the New York Troops to Teachers Program (NYTTT). The NYTTT program expands on the current process of assisting interested veterans in becoming fully state-certified educators, while helping program participants secure full-time teaching positions within the New York City public school system, grades K-12. The New York City public school system has over 160,000 staff members working in 1,866 schools all located within the five boroughs of New York City (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island) and servicing over 1.1 million students. New York City is home to a diverse student population and the largest school system in the nation.
The New York Troops to Teachers Program is unique because it helps program participants work in the classroom as a substitute teacher or substitute paraprofessional while completing the necessary coursework and testing leading to full New York State teaching certification.
The NYCDOE is committed to safe schools with quality teachers. In the 2019-20 school year, the NYCDOE introduced a new framework for teaching students how to resolve conflict, build relationships, and keep NY school communities safe through a Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education. To celebrate teachers that are making a difference, The Big Apple Awards, a citywide recognition program, celebrates New York City teachers who inspire students, model great teaching and enrich their school communities.
State TTT Outreach
The New York Troops to Teachers office offers monthly Information Sessions and Bi-Monthly Personal Development Initiatives (training, seminars, webinars, and round table talks – mentoring events). They will be hosting base visits quarterly. New York Troops to Teachers participants are invited to participate in monthly professional development training provided by the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) Teacher Center.
Incentives for Teaching in NY
In NY, there are a variety of incentives offered to military members transitioning to employment as a teacher.
New York State: • The Albert Shanker Grant Program makes funding available to support eligible New
York State public school teachers seeking their first National Board Certification. • Helen Bach Moss Memorial Better Beginnings Award provides a cash stipend of $5,000 to an elementary teacher with an additional $1,000 for the teacher’s school district who demonstrates early childhood education as the most effective investment for long-term educational success. • Mentor Teacher Internship Program (MTIP) provides the opportunity for beginning teachers to broaden and enhance their classroom teaching and related skills while participating in a productive, supportive and collegial mentoring experience. • Teacher and Leader Quality Partnership
Program is New York State’s program that aims to improve the academic success of
New York’s students by improving the quality of their teachers. • Teacher Opportunity Corps I enhances the preparation of teachers and prospective teachers in addressing the learning needs of students at risk of truancy, academic failure, or dropping out of school; and to increase the participation rate of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged individuals in teaching careers.
City of New York:
The Mayor’s Graduate Scholarship Program provides City government employees with the opportunity to continue their education in graduate study. Participating schools offer full or partial scholarships in areas of business and public administration, policy analysis, law, engineering, nursing, public health, computer science, education, and other profession specific programs to eligible/qualified applicants.
New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE):
• NYCDOE is the largest school system in the nation and serves as a direct employer that offers a $500 stipend to participants that transition to full-time employees. • The Career Training Program (CTP) provides eligible UFT paraprofessionals with the opportunity to earn a Bachelor’s degree. The program pays tuition for 3 to 6 credits per semester for undergraduate study at participating colleges and universities. • The Jose P. Graduate Scholarship Program grants full-tuition for participants pursuing graduate degrees in high needs areas such as Bilingual/Monolingual Speech-Language Pathology, Blind and
Visually Impaired, School Psychology and Bilingual Special Education at partnering colleges and universities. • Established partnerships with colleges and universities throughout the NY Tri-State area.
Pathways to Teaching in NY There are a variety of pathways offered by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to earn teacher certification. One key pathway is the Individual Evaluation Pathway: • Some subject area licenses allow for the Individual Evaluation Pathway, where applicants may pursue college study at their own pace to fulfill the requirements for a teaching certificate. • The applicant may then apply directly to the State Education Department for certification. This pathway is ideal for our target population, Veterans, and transitioning service members because many have their Bachelor’s degree or have taken some college-level courses. • This certification allows academic credits from various colleges and universities to be combined. It does not require that the applicant has completed a state-approved program in a specific license area. • By utilizing the Individual Evaluation Pathway, applicants who have already received an undergraduate degree in any major are now permitted to take only the extra courses that they need to earn the teaching license.
Meet the Staff
The NY TTT program includes the following staff members: • Courtney Inniss, Director, NY Troops to Teachers, (718)489-2020, cinniss2@sfc.edu • Dana McGraw, Senior Program Manager, Data Specialist, Office of Scholarships, Incentives, and Speech
Programs (SISP), NYC Department of Education, (718)935-3623, dmcgraw2@schools.nyc.gov • Luis Echevarria, Director, Scholarships, Incentives, and Speech Programs (SISP), NYC Department of
Education, (718)935-4549, lechevarria@schools.nyc.gov
Contact Information Email account: tttnewyork@j2tinfo.com https://www.sfc.edu/admissions/military/troopstoteachers
Twitter: @NYTroopsToTeach
Social media accounts are temporarily deactivated for updates and maintenance. They will be reactivated when we relaunch programming on October 1, 2020.
Office Location:
St. Francis College, 180 Remsen St., Brooklyn, NY 11201
Office of Scholarships, Incentives, and Speech Programs HC School Support
Division of Human Capital 65 Court Street, Room 508, Brooklyn, NY 11201 Attn: New York Troops to Teachers
