MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – Troops to Teachers offered a class for service members looking to become a teacher after their career in the armed forces aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., June 19.
The class was given to any service member or dependent to provide information and advice on how to begin college education and gaining the credentials needed to become an educator.
Service members are targeted to become educators because of their self-discipline and maturity. Forty percent of new teachers do not make it past their first three years; however this is not true for teachers who have been in the armed forces.
“People who have served have an honest care for the success of their students,” said Bill Leitheiser, the Mountain Pacific branch director of Troops to Teachers. “They already want to serve the community, give back and make a difference.”
Azusa Pacific University and National University representatives spoke about what each college has to offer. Both colleges listed are accredited for their teaching programs.
Troops to Teachers offers stipends and scholarships for teaching in a low-income school up to $10,000 on top of the post-9/11 G.I. Bill and financial aid service members can receive.
Troops to Teachers offers counseling and assistance to service members in every state, and helps with credentials needed to become a teacher. The program assists service members in choosing college courses to take while they are enlisted, so when they transition out of the military, service members will be able to begin a new career in teaching.
With the options offered by Troops to Teachers, Marines and sailors can make an easy transition from serving to becoming a teacher as a second career.