Tennessee Troops to Teachers Expands to Reach Spouses

Nashville, TN – Tennessee Troops to Teachers, a federally funded program to assist eligible military personnel in transitioning to a new career as a public school teacher, today announced the addition of a companion program called Spouses to Teachers.

Spouses to Teachers is a U.S. Department of Defense funded program that provides assistance to wives or husbands of any active, reserve or National Guard duty military  in becoming a public school teacher.
“These programs offer individuals a step in the right direction to a rewarding career that they might not have taken otherwise,” said Tim Webb, Acting Education Commissioner. “We need to take advantage of every pool of candidates to fulfill our needs in the classroom and bring dedicated instruction to our students.”

Spouses eligible for the program include those with little or no college background, those with a baccalaureate degree or higher and those seeking state-to-state certification. Participants can receive assistance in navigating the educational system in the state and financial support for testing requirements.
“Because of their military services, troops and their spouses often spend time in various parts of the world and, with both of these programs, we stand to cultivate that diversity and in turn use it as a tool in the classroom,” said Mike Schroeder, Director of Tennessee Troops to Teachers.

The Spouses to Teachers program has 41 candidates and is currently accepting applications. There are over 300 current Troops to Teachers participants working in Tennessee schools.

For more information on these programs, visit www.tennessee.gov/education/lic/troop.shtml, or contact Mike Schroeder at (615) 532-4869 or by e-mail at Mike.Schroeder@state.tn.us.

For more information, contact Rachel Woods at (615) 253-1960 or Rachel.Woods@state.tn.us.