Troops to Teachers' educators meet with base Airmen

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Brian S. Orban
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho (ACCNS) --  Using a college classroom as their forum, a team of former military service members and college educators briefed more than 20 military members here on a program to help them become future educators in the nation's public school system.

Started in 1994 by the Department of Education, the Troops to Teachers program offers guidance, mentorship and grants to help those with at least six years service to make the transition from military life to the classroom.

According to Scott Fife, Troops to Teacher representative for Idaho, the program recruits those in uniform to serve in school districts with low-income families. A key goal is to relieve shortages in science, math and special education classrooms in these districts.

"I don't know of any job that's more important than teaching ... it's a noble profession," said Mr. Fife, who previously served in the Marine Corps and later in the Army National Guard as an education officer.

Across the United States, schools need teachers to fill the ranks of Baby Boomer educators, many of whom are reaching retirement age. As these teachers continue to retire, schools are hard pressed to keep classrooms filled, especially in urban school systems, Mr. Fife said.

"There are kids out there that need our help," said George Robinson, a former Air Force member who teaches special education in the Nampa school district west of Boise. Over the past eight years, he's personally helped make a difference in the lives of many troubled teens that often looked to him as a mentor and father figure as well as a voice of authority.

"You're not out there to get rich; you're there for the kids," Mr. Robinson said. "Would I ever give it up? Not a chance."

Less than half of all teachers across the nation are "traditional" educators -- those who start college immediately after high school and join the profession after they earn their bachelor's degree, said Dr. Wayne Carroll, a representative from Lewis-Clark State College. However, these traditional teachers handle only 40 percent of the education demands in their schools. The remaining teaching needs fall to those who get into teaching later in life, blending their life experiences and education into their curriculum.
That's where Troops to Teachers comes in. In addition to hands-on experience, military members bring a vast array of skills school systems need, according to Mr. Fife, who comes from a family of educators.

"Former military personnel have an advantage," he added. "They have their military discipline, core values and work ethic that schools look for when selecting candidates."

Military members, especially those stationed overseas or deployed in support of combat operations, bring other unique characteristics to the classroom, Mr. Fife said. He cited a recent article in a civilian newspaper indicating a lack of military history lessons in public schools -- something taught at all levels of military professional education. When introduced in classrooms by those who served in the armed forces, students relish the idea of learning this often-overlooked subject, he added.

During the two-hour briefing, representatives highlighted various avenues those in the service can use through the Troops to Teachers program. Members with a bachelor's degree have easier access to teaching academic classes like math, science and English. However, other service members without a bachelor's degree with at least eight year's experience can still enter the classroom by teaching vocational technical classes such as auto or computer maintenance, according to Harold Nevill, a Navy veteran who now teaches vocational classes. Those with a bachelor's degree with three years experience also qualify.

In many cases, military members teaching vocational courses invest their free time going to college in their spare time, taking classes they need to finish their bachelor's degree to enter academic teaching, Mr. Nevill said.

Representatives at the briefing highlighted a variety of benefits open to those opting for Troops to Teachers. Schools systems in Idaho offer beginning teachers more than $30,000 for nine months of teaching and include medical, dental and retirement benefits. The average teacher in the state makes roughly $45,000 per school year.

Unlike most workers in the United States, who work year round, educators have guaranteed summer vacation months as well as other holiday breaks during the school year, which makes it an ideal profession for those with school age children, he said.

"Granted, there is some night work involved to correct student's work, but what profession out there doesn't require people to sometimes work late hours?" Mr. Fife said.

Once hired through Troops to Teachers, military members don't need to limit their career options to the classroom. Some choose to branch out into other aspects of public education, including school principals, department heads, district administrators and college professors.

To qualify for Troops to Teachers, candidates need at least six years active duty service or equivalent time in the Reserves and a record of honorable service. Members who separated from the service due to medical disabilities also qualify. 

Airmen interested in the Troops to Teachers program should contact their local base education center.