Troops to Teachers Program Will Improve Mountain State Education
From The Governor’s Desk
A weekly column by Gov. Joe Manchin
It takes special men and women to honor and accept the pledge to serve our country in the Armed Forces. The same can also be said about the individuals who commit to the field of teaching. Fortunately, for West Virginia, we were able to link the two disciplines of teaching and military service together, during an announcement this week.
I was very pleased to join state education and military officials, along with Charleston’s Piedmont Elementary School teachers and students, to launch the Troops to Teachers program. Strengthening education and finding ways to solve teacher shortages has remained a top priority that many people have joined together to address. The Troops to Teachers program is an example of that combined effort.
The Troops to Teachers program was established by the Department of Defense to help improve public school educati on by providing funds to recruit, prepare and support former members of the Armed Services as teachers in high-need school districts. Since the program’s inception in 1994, thousands of veterans have become teachers throughout the United States. This joint federal and state program is also designed to help relieve teacher shortages in specialization areas such as math, science, career and technical education, and special education, while assisting veterans in making successful transitions into second careers.
Adding another pipeline of talented individuals to education in West Virginia is good news. I am very familiar with the professionalism and leadership that our committed people in uniform display while serving this state and nation. Certainly that same attitude and ability will be directly transferable into our schools.
Veterans have an array of talent to offer our educational institutions. Troops turning to education bring a team approach that will be useful working alongside fellow staff members and leadership training that is necessary for constructive classroom management. Military vets are also accustomed to working in very diverse settings and taking on a variety of challenges.
The Troops to Teachers program is a big step toward attracting and developing new educators. We intend to grow this program in the Mountain State and hope to discover more routes that lead quality individuals to our classrooms.
I would like to thank Superinten dent Steve Paine and the West Virginia Department of Education, Adj. Gen. Allen Tackett and the West Virginia Army National Guard, and our veterans willing to commit themselves to this worthwhile endeavor.
For more information on the Troops to Teachers program, call the West Virginia Department of Education at 800-982-2378 or visit the Web site at http://wvde.state.wv.us/troopstoteachers.