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 Congratulations on your interest in teaching
in Georgia! The Troops to Teachers Program is a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Education
and the Department of Defense. The purpose of the program is to assist eligible men and women who have
served the nation as members of the Armed Forces and are now seeking second careers as teachers in America's
public schools. Eligible military veterans may receive federal funding to help them meet state teacher
certification requirements and for agreeing to teach in high needs schools.
The Troops to Teachers Program is not a teacher certification program. Troops to Teachers Candidates
must meet the same certification requirements that any other teacher must meet. The Troops to Teachers
Program does however provide financial assistance to eligible individuals in the form of a stipend of
up to $5000 to help pay teacher certification costs or a bonus of up to $10,000 for teaching in a high
needs school.
If you have specific questions about teaching in general, please contact one of the registered "Georgia Mentors" at the top of this page. They are former service members
that have used the Troops to Teachers Program and are now teaching in Georgia Public Schools.
Troops to Teachers Eligibility and Application:
Please visit the National Troops to Teachers
to determine eligibility for the program. By linking from this web site to the National Troops to Teachers
Home Page, you may download the Troops to Teachers application packet. All applications are sent to
the Troops to Teachers National office in Pensacola, Florida. The address is available with the application
package that you download.
The GACE Basic Skills Assessment and GACE Subject Content Assessment:
All new teachers certifying in Georgia must complete the requirements of the "Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators ®" (GACE®).
There are two parts to the GACE assessments. They are the GACE Basic Skills Assessment and the GACE
Subject Content Area Assessment.
The GACE Basic Skills Assessment is normally taken prior to the GACE Subject Content
Assessment. The GACE Basic Skills Assessment is four hours long. It includes separate tests in math,
reading comprehension and writing.
The GACE Subject Content Assessment is second part of the GACE requirement. It is a
subject specific assessment designed to evaluate the specific subject area in which you intend to certify
and teach.
Assessment Preparation Materials (Study Guides) for all GACE Assessments are available on the GACE Web
Site which is www.gace.nesinc.com.
If you live in Georgia, go directly to the GACE web site to register to take the GACE Assessments. These
assessments are also available at military base education centers for military personnel living outside
the state of Georgia
Georgia Certification:
One of the first steps in obtaining teacher certification in Georgia is to review the information found
on the Georgia Professional Standards Commission website at
www.gapsc.com. You will find the answer for most of your certification questions there. Review
the section under "Steps to Teach" on the right side of the page. Pay special attention to
item # 6, the Certification Self Evaluation.
There are several possible avenues available for completing your initial teacher certification requirements
in Georgia.
- The first option is to enroll in a state approved university teacher certification program. A list of
state universities and the subject areas certification programs that they offer can be found by linking
to Georgia Certification
Programs.
- There are also universities that offer online certification via distance learning programs. For a list
of some of those universities go to the Distance Learning Programs link. Completion of a certification program from
an out of state university requires an additional step for Georgia Certification but due to reciprocity
agreements between most states the process is fairly simple in most cases.
- The Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (GATAPP) is the state’s official alternative
teacher certification program. It was designed specifically for career switchers and has proven to be
a valuable asset to individuals desiring second careers as teachers. It enables individuals with non-education
backgrounds to enter the teaching profession via an alternative certification-training program. Teachers
enrolled in GaTAPP are actually allowed to teach while completing state certification requirements.
GATAPP is one of the quicker routes to teaching and for teacher certification. To find the GaTAPP website
click on
GaTAPP.
- In March 2004, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission approved the Test Based Option or One Year
Practicum Program as a fourth possible method of obtaining initial teacher certification. This method
of certification is a one-year program that allows individuals with specific colleges majors to combine
the associated GACE Assessments with a formal one-year on-the-job program of supervision that satisfies
the Professional Standards Commission requirements for Georgia certification. To find out more about
this option go click on Test
Based Option.
A Troops to Teachers representative visits each of Georgia's seven major military bases monthly to brief
both the Troops to Teachers Program and Georgia teacher certification. Contact your base education office
to find the date and time of their next visit.
Substitute Teaching:
As with any profession, networking your skills and talents is essential to finding a teaching position.
Many Troops to Teachers candidates have found working as a substitute teacher to be an excellent way
to network in a school district. To become a substitute teacher simply go to your local board of education
and request a substitute teacher application. The process is fairly simple and it is a great way to
get experience in the classroom. Once you have met the GACE Basic Skills and GACE Subject Content Assessment
requirements and proven yourself in the classroom as a substitute teacher there are a number of things
a school system can do to assist you in the employment process.
Georgia Teachers Vacancies Website:
We also recommend that you register on the state’s
www.teachgeorgia.org web site. It is the states official website where school systems post their
teacher vacancies. It will prove to be a valuable tool in your employment search. Most of Georgia's
181 school systems post their job vacancies there.
There are a lot of exciting things happening at the moment both in the Troops to Teachers Program and
with the teacher certification process in Georgia. You can contact The Georgia Troops to Teachers office
by phone at 1-800-745-0709. The Georgia Troops to Teachers email address is GATroopstoTeachers@gapsc.com.
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