Anne Arundel has become the second county in Maryland to join a program offering current and former military members and their spouses a head start on a teaching career.
Many of those eligible prefer to settle around military installations like the U.S. Naval Academy and Fort Meade, said Robert Henry, Maryland Troops to Teachers coordinator.
“This gives us an avenue to reach those in the military who may be considering a career change and, particularly, those who may want to start teaching,” said Bob Mosier, school system spokesman.
The Arundel school system will consider applications from discharged military members and spouses as well as active qualified military members, up to two years before their military commitment ends, school officials said.
Under Troops to Teachers, funded by the U.S. Education Department and administered by the Defense Department, applicants must meet licensing requirements, be “highly qualified” and be honorably discharged.
The federal No Child Left Behind Act defines “highly qualified” as holding at least a bachelor?s degree in the subject area taught, knowledge in that area and full state certification.
Troops to Teachers will help applicants as they complete their certification requirements and make the transition to become teachers, Mosier said.
The school system also will provide counseling about employment and teacher-prep programs.
The program should help ease teacher shortages in math, science and special education, Henry said.
Job fairs will highlight this partnership and its benefits. Dates have yet to be determined, Mosier said.
In Maryland, Prince George?s County schools became the first to join Troops to Teachers two years ago.
