Gov. Malloy Encourages Veterans to Apply for Troops to Teachers Program

Press Release

In observation of Veterans Day, Governor Dannel P. Malloy is reminding school districts, veterans and their families, and all residents about Connecticut's Troops to Teachers program, and encouraging service members and veterans to apply.

Troops to Teachers is an initiative that provides service members who are transitioning into civilian life and veterans who have already left service with the training necessary to seek careers as school teachers in K-12 schools. The program, which also helps participants find employment as a teacher once the training is complete, helps reduce veteran unemployment while also providing students with exceptional role models in the classroom.

"Ensuring that our veterans continue in successful careers beyond their military service while also providing the next generation of students with extraordinary role models is a win for everyone involved, and the Troops to Teachers program provides just that opportunity," Governor Malloy said. "The men and women of our armed forces have a unique set of experiences and skills that are beneficial in the classroom. I have had the pleasure of working closely with many of the people in our military and have witnessed their drive and passion for our communities. I encourage our veterans to consider extending their service in a new and exciting way by applying to the Troops to Teachers program."

In May, the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) -- a component of the U.S. Department of Defense -- awarded the Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) a $1.1 million federal grant to initiate and administer the program in Connecticut.

There are approximately 200,000 veterans living in Connecticut. Nearly 41,000 of these veterans are between the ages of 20 to 44 and enter the civilian workforce with a highly desirable set of technical and leadership skills that contribute to the profile of an effective educator. The program will assist eligible veterans in securing school or district positions during their educator preparation programs, as well as provide transition supports as veterans move into full-time teaching positions.

Connecticut's Troops to Teachers program will recruit a minimum of 40 veterans in the first year, securing a minimum of 20 teaching positions requiring a long-term substitute authorization or a Durational Shortage Area Permit in identified shortage areas. Troops to Teachers participants will serve as educators or administrators at high-needs public and charter schools that meet certain criteria, including schools that have at least 30 percent of their students eligible for free or reduced lunch; schools that have at least 13 percent of the students enrolled in the school qualify for assistance of the Individual Disabilities Education Act; and schools that have students enrolled in a Bureau of Indian Affairs funded school.

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