COMETS 2005

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COMETS 2005

• TROOPS TO TEACHERS UPDATE
• SPOUSES TO TEACHERS INTRODUCTION

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Teacher Shortages WHY?

• Retiring Baby Boomers
• Increased Student Populations
• Competition from Business Industry
• Comparatively Low Salaries

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What Subjects?

• Math
• Special Education
• Science
• Bilingual/ESL Languages

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What Geographic Areas?

• Inner Cities
• Rural Districts
• Small Towns

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What Other Needs?

• More Minority Teachers
• Males at All Levels

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Background

• Began in 1994 as transition assistance program
• Financial aid for 2 years (FY 94 95)
• Provided placement assistance from FY 96 - 01
• Defense Authorization Bill of 2000 moved
  responsibility to Dept of Education
• No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 provides
  financial assistance, extends program thru FY
  06

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Program Purpose

• Recruit quality teachers for schools serving
  low-income families
• Help relieve teacher shortages, primarily in
  Math, Science, Special Ed
• Assist military personnel to transition to second
  careers as teachers in K-12, public schools

Americas school children need you
Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States
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Program Provisions

• TTT Program consists of information and
  advisement services, plus, financial assistance
  for eligible participants.
• Although some individuals may not be eligible for
  funding through TTT, they are still eligible for
  TTT guidance and application for admission to
  certification programs.

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National Outcomes

• Over 6,300 veterans entered teaching
• Retention gt75
• Excellent performance ratings
• Recognition of military as excellent resource
  for new teachers

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Success Factors
1. Veterans as Teachers 2. State Office
Support 3. Opportunities for Alternative
Certification Routes
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Program Eligibility

• Major Change

Eligibility now extended to National Guard and
Reserve Component Personnel
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Educational Requirements

• To teach Academic Subjects
• BA-BS degree or higher from an accredited
  institution
• To Teach Vo-Tech Subjects
• Equivalent of one year of college with six
  years of experience.

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Financial Assistance

• A stipend up to 5,000 to assist with teacher
  certification costs. Must teach in high-need
  district.
• A 10,000 bonus for participants who teach in
  schools serving students from low-income
  families.
• Both require 3-year teaching commitment.
• Maximum received can not
  exceed 10,000 .

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Financial Eligibility Active Duty

• Bonus Stipend Eligible
• AD-1. Retired Active Duty.
• AD-2. Active duty member with approved date of
  retirement with one year or less remaining before
  retirement.
• AD-3. Separated for physical disability on or
  after 8 Jan 02. Must apply within 4 years after
  separation.

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Financial Eligibility - Reserve Components

• Bonus Stipend Eligible
• RC-1. Retired from the Reserves.
• RC-2. Currently serving in the drilling reserves
  with more than 10 years of creditable service
  towards retirement and commit to serving an
  additional 3 years, or until eligible for
  retirement.

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Financial Eligibility -Reserve Components

• Bonus Stipend Eligible
• RC-3. Separated from the drilling reserves due
  to a physical disability on or after 8 Jan 02.
  Must apply within 4 years after separation.
• RC-4. Individuals transitioning from active duty
  on or after 8 Jan 02, and have served 6 years on
  active duty immediately before separation, and
  commit to 3 years with a drilling reserve unit.
  Must apply within 4 years
  after separation.

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Texas TTT Results
1,196 Hires in 305 Districts
Recent Funding Received
Texas Stipends 1.3 million TX Bonus 2.1
million National Funds 14.2 million Texas
distribution 24 of national funds
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Texas Military Demographics
Enlisted Personnel 58 Officer Personnel 42 Aver
age Enlisted Rank E7/E8 Average Officer
Rank O4/O5 Average Age 42 yrs
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Texas Teaching Levels
This is the area for tag lines for added emphasis
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Texas Teaching Subject Areas
This is the area for tag lines for added emphasis
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Texas Minority Hires Compared to All Teachers
This is the area for tag lines for added emphasis
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Texas Gender Hires Compared to All Teachers
85
79
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Texas Branches of Service Represented
This is the area for tag lines for added emphasis
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http//www.esc13.net/troops
Texas Military Initiative / Troops to Teachers
(TMI/TTT)
Introduction
Texas Military Initiative, Troops to Teachers, is
a federally funded program designed to assist
retiring and separating military veterans to
become teachers in the next careers.  Since its
beginning in November 1995, the Texas Troops to
teachers Office has counseled more than 10,000
veterans, advising them on routes and programs to
achieve full teacher certification in Texas, and
referring them to districts for employment. 
Texas leads the nation in the number of veterans
who have become Teachers with over 1700 hired
since 1996. The No Child Left Behind Act of
2001 provided for the continuation of Troops
to Teachers through Fiscal Year (FY) 2006.
Troops to Teachers is managed by the Defense
Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support
(DANTES), Pensacola, Florida.
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SPOUSES TO TEACHERS PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INITIATIVE PROGRAM START
DATE SEPT 1, 2004 6 PILOT STATES TX, VA, CO,
GA, CA, FL
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MILITARY SPOUSES SEEK
Professional careers Portability of
credentials Work environments attuned to
military family needs
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WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
SPOUSES OF ACTIVE DUTY PERSONNEL SPOUSES OF
DRILLING RESERVISTS OR NATIONAL GUARD
PERSONNEL SPOUSES OF RESERVE OR GUARD PERSONNEL
WHO HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED
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INFORMATION AND ADVISEMENT ON
STATE REQUIREMENTS FOR TEACHER
CERTIFICATION ROUTES TO CERTIFICATIONO CERT
PROGRAMS RECIPROCITY INFORMATION AND
ASSISTANCE INFO ON FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
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Financial Aid
Reimbursement is available for those exams
required for certification - up to 600.00 THEA
or GRE (if used to enter certification program)
TOPT TEXES EXCET
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http//www.esc13.net/spouses
Spouses to Teachers
Introduction
Spouses to Teachers (STT) is a Department of
Defense program designed to provide military
spouses an opportunity to obtain information
regarding teaching credentials and careers in
public education.  This initiative recognizes
that teaching is a professional career field of
great interest to military spouses.  However, key
to becoming a teacher is obtaining teacher
credentials accepted by the states in which
military families are likely to be
stationed.The Spouses to Teachers Program
creates a central office that provides military
spouses with information about these
credentialing requirements.  Both the national
and state STT Offices will maintain websites to
provide information regarding state licensure and
reciprocity requirements, credentialing programs,
potential teaching jobs and informative links
which will facilitate entry into the teaching
profession. The state offices will counsel and
advise spouses on their options for achieving
certification, and provide them with informative
materials to guide them through the process.  STT
provides funds (up to 250) to reimburse eligible
spouses for the costs of examinations required
for certification. Although STT itself will not
provide other financial assistance, the state
offices will compile helpful information on
sources of
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Spouses to Teachers Financial Aid
ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION CONDITIONAL GRANT
PROGRAM TEACH FOR TEXAS CONDITIONAL GRANT
PROGRAM FEDERAL STUDENT AID     
UNDERGRADUATE      POST-BACCALAUREATE     
ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION EDUCATION AIDE
EXEMPTION (EA) CENTRAL TEXAS WORKFORCE (FORT
HOOD AREA ONLY) TRANSITION TO TEACHING COOL
GRANT _at_ AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE NEW
10/20/04 PROJECT REAL (Texas Tech College of
Education) AIR FORCE AID SOCIETY (General Henry
H Arnold Education Grant Program)
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Partnering With Education Centers to Help Spouses
Help with transcript analysis for non-degreed
spouses develop degree plans that include
required subject area courses. If additional
courses are required to qualify for certification
programs, assist spouse in registration
process. Provide testing to spouses interest
inventories, CLEP, PRAXIS tests Help identify
sources of financial aid for spouses, assist in
completing application documents like the
FAFSA. Liaison with Spouses to Teachers Office as
soon as possible in process!
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Contact Information
Address Texas TTT / STT 5701
Springdale Road, Austin, TX
78723 Phones [phone] or (512)
919-5484 E-Mail meryl.kettler_at_esc13.txed.ne
t Home Page www.esc13.net/troops www.esc13.net/
spouses
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