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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 service members may receive federal funding to
help them meet state certification requirements as teachers 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:
The Professional Standards Commission (PSC) initiated a new educator assessment
program to replace the Praxis I and Praxis II assessment series in the fall of 2006.
The new state assessment is the "Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators"
(GACE). There are two GACE assessments required for all teachers certifying
in Georgia. These assessments are the GACE Basic Skills Assessment and the GACE
Subject Content Area Assessment.
The GACE Basic Skills Assessment replaced the Praxis I exam and is required for
all teacher certification programs in Georgia. Normally it should be taken prior
to the GACE Subject Content Assessment. The GACE Basic Skills Assessment is four
hours long. It includes separate assessments in math, reading comprehension and
writing.
The GACE Subject Content Area Assessment 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 reside in Georgia, go directly
to the GACE web site to register for the GACE Assessment. These assessments are
also available at military base education centers for military personnel living
outside the state of Georgia
Georgia Certification:
The first step toward obtaining teacher certification in Georgia is to go to the
Georgia Professional Standards Commission website at www.gapsc.com and review the information available there.
You will find the answer to many of your certification questions. Review the section
under "Steps to Teach" on the right hand side of the page. Pay special attention
to item # 6, the Certification Self-assessment .
There are several possible avenues available for completing your initial teacher
certification requirements in Georgia.
- The first option is to complete your certification requirements via a traditional
state approved university teacher certification program. A list of universities
in the state and the certification programs that they offer can be found by linking
to Georgia Certification Programs.
- There are 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 addition step for Georgia Certification
but due to reciprocity agreements between most states the process is fairly simple.
- The Georgia Professional Standards Commission initiated a program called The Georgia
Teacher Alternative Preparation Program (GATAPP) in the summer of 2001. This program
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 get to
the GaTAPP website click on GaTAPP.
- In March 2004, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission approved the Test Based
option for certification. This method of certification is a one-year program that
allows individuals with specific colleges majors to combine the associated GACE
II exams with a formal one-year on-the-job program of supervision approved by the
Professional Standards Commission that satisfies requirements for Georgia certification.
To find out more about it 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 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 I and GACE II 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:
The Georgia teacher vacancy website is teachgeorgia.org. 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 .
Bill Kirkland
Georgia Troops to Teachers Program Manager
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