THE Troops to Teachers program, which facilitates the transition of current or former military members into a teaching career in the public school system, is having a job fair at the Sheraton Laguna today.
According to a news release, the program was initiated in 1994 by the Department of Defense. It is currently administered by the Defense Activities for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) in Pensacola, Fla. Guam is part of a network of state and regional Troops to Teachers offices.
The program has helped more than 16,000 former military personnel transition into a rewarding teaching career, according to the release.
Components of the program include provision of information on teacher licensure and assistance with test preparation, and job placement. Depending on the availability of funds, according to the release, “stipends of up to $5,000 may be provided to eligible applicants to pay for teacher certification, or bonuses of $10,000 for teaching for three years in targeted schools like the Guam Department of Education.”
Dr. Sam Mabini, Ph.D., a volunteer Guam Troops to Teachers coordinator, stated: “Since early this year, we’ve been working with the regional director at the Mountain Pacific Troops to Teachers office in Colorado and the CNMI coordinator. We now have local volunteers on-island to serve as coordinators to better serve our military personnel and our schools.”
For additional information on the Troops to Teachers program, contact Dr. Sam Mabini or Jamie Mason, volunteer Guam coordinators, at 671-797-1966 or email guamusa[at]mptt.org. Information about the regional office – the Mountain Pacific Troops to Teachers – is also available here.
