Troops to Teachers (TTT) Program for state of Missouri
Abstract
The original intent of the Troops to Teachers (TTT) program was to assist eligible members of the Armed Forces to obtain certification or licensing and transition into K-12 teaching careers as highly qualified teachers. For the original program, Missouri led the Central States Troops to Teachers program in the consortium states of Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. Between 2011 and 2016, over 3,000 service members or veterans have registered with TTT. Through the program, 182 first-time teachers were hired. In 2016, over 80% of the teachers placed were retained for the second year. Missouri is proud of the record of service in these states using available funding and has demonstrated its commitment to offer TTT services for the 2016-2017 year by using reserve funding. The continuation of this program as a grant model is an important opportunity to restructure and improve service to veterans becoming teachers. Missouri will now lead Iowa and Kansas encompassing nearly a million veterans and many high need teacher school districts (as defined in subsection (a) of such section 1154). The application focuses on how these states will meet the goals of recruiting new participants and getting participants hired. These goals will be accomplished through developing the right veterans to become great teachers, streamlining teacher certification for veterans, and marketing veterans as high-value hires to school districts. Developing the right veterans to become great teachers invests limited resources most effectively. Missouri is proposing to create a profile of what makes an excellent veteran teacher candidate. This profile will allow targeting to veterans mostly likely to be successful while improving service to all who want to transition to teaching. The transition assistance includes innovative direct guidance and counseling on how to become a teacher, reducing barriers for obtaining academic credit and certification, and increasing employability with a marketing plan to schools. There are many critical teacher shortages across the consortium. TTT will show veterans as high-value hires to school districts, highlighting the value of veteran applicants, and provide data showing veteran success as teachers. The consortium objectives consist of proven methods of outreach to veterans and school as well as unique services regarding certification. Our innovations include new data review methods and outreach through social media. The consortium will provide highly motivated and informed veterans to school districts needing quality teachers while facilitating that connection. Missouri designed the implementation of these strategies to be scalable to funding received and plans to provide as many of these services as funding allows. With full funding, the Missouri consortium proposes to increase the pool of veterans registered for TTT to 656 (2016: 569) and new teachers hired to 40 (2016: 22). The consortium team will consist of the Missouri director of Veteran Education as program coordinator and four program assistance staff; two in Missouri and one staff each in Kansas and Iowa. The Missouri team will provide administrative and fiscal management duties and all members of the team will implement the consortium strategies. The team will be based out of Jefferson City, MO, with satellite offices in Kansas City, as well as sites to be determined in Iowa and Kansas. Oversight will be provided by Tom Robbins, coordinator of Adult Learning.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 21, 2017
- Source ID
- N002441710030
Entities
People
- Tom Robbins
Organizations
- United States Navy