Not here! In California
It’s no secret that former members of the US military can make outstanding teachers. After all, when the military isn’t fighting, it’s educating and training. Troops get exposed to some really creative instructional techniques that involve things like technology and higher order thinking skills (essential for battlefield survival) that our schools now say they need, as well.
A great program is available to transition troops leaving the service into teachers, called “Troops to Teachers.” It could provide some great teachers here in Kentucky.
But, a state that is likely to get far more teachers from the military is California, where, as The San Diego Union-Tribune reports, that state’s effort actually has a headquarters at San Diego State University, right next to the huge San Diego naval and marine complex.
Here in Kentucky, if we have a “center” for Troops to Teachers, I’ve not heard about it. About all I could find on Kentucky’s Troops to Teachers program is some web information from the Kentucky Educational Professional Standards Board and a single individual listed as a point of contact. No college campus based center to help is identified.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Troops to teachers with gusto
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4 comments:
Thank you for providing an opportunity to share information for the Kentucky Troops To Teachers (TTT) program. You are correct, TTT is a great program available to transition troops leaving the service into teachers and it not only “could” but does provide great teachers here in Kentucky. The TTT program recruits former military personnel into educator preparation programs with the goal of helping these individuals become a fully credentialed teacher. Kentucky TTT has a very successful program and is currently ranked 13th nationally in educator hires and 15th in recruitment. Each state is unique and nearly impossible to compare one against the other due to differences in population, number of available teaching positions, and military installation sizes. Though, it may be of interest to note that Kentucky and California currently have the same number of TTT hires for this fiscal year.
Kentucky supports the work of TTT on many levels. In 2000, the Kentucky General Assembly passed legislation that added an alternative certification method specifically for eligible Kentucky veterans. This is commonly called the Veteran’s of the Armed Forces Option (Option #5). In 2008 House Bill 607 further enhanced the language in Option 5 to ensure that this route was more inclusive and would allow veterans of the reserves returning from active duty to pursue educator certification in Kentucky.
Kentucky’s TTT offices and website are located at the Education Professional Standards Board to assist with the certification process. Kentucky’s TTT Coordinator spends valuable time monthly, and often weekly, recruiting at both major military installations. We encourage you to explore Kentucky’s TTT program as it proudly continues ongoing work with our military’s finest.
www.proudtoserveagain.com
Troops to Teachers (TTT), was established in 1994 as a Department of Defense program. The National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2000 transferred the responsibility for program oversight and funding to the U.S. Department of Education but continued operation by the Department of Defense. TTT is managed by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), Pensacola, Florida.
RE: Comments from Kentucky Education Professional Standards (Board)
Thank you for providing additional information about Kentucky's TTT program, including the confirmation that former troops can be great teachers.
I would like to know if we have located service centers close to either of our major military installations in the way that California just did. It seems like a good idea considering that Fort Knox and Fort Campbell are some of the largest military installations in the country.
Due to Kentucky’s military-friendly teacher certification statutes (often few college courses are needed), it is more advantageous to base operations in the Frankfort certification office to assist soldiers in this process on a regular basis. Our TTT representative has coordinated with leadership personnel at both major installations so that he is at the monthly and mandatory Transition Assistance Program meetings for those being discharged. Thus, we are able to directly meet with every discharged soldier to personally inform him/her or the TTT program, while also having a base here to help them become certified. Experience tells us that this is the best deployment of our one TTT representative.
RE: Education Professional Standards Board on Sep 15, 2010 2:32 PM
Again, I appreciate the added information, and I hope service members who are interested in teaching and are getting ready to enter the civilian world will consider Kentucky.
Still, we have just one person in the state working the entire program, while California has set up a center near one of the nation's largest military complexes.
Are we doing anything to penetrate that market? What about Kentucky military members serving there and at other out-of-state locations? Are we reaching out to them to return home?
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