Military veterans bring many positives — and some needs — into teaching 

With the Iraq war over and U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan under way, the number of military veterans seeking new careers in the classroom is likely to increase. Public schools have hired over 17,000 veterans who have participated in Troops to Teachers (TTT), a federal program designed to assist those leaving careers in the military to transition into teaching careers (see www.troopstoteachers.net).  

Despite some educators’ bias against former service members, the advantages of hiring veterans as teachers are manifold. Service members must live and work with individuals from other cultures, quickly adapt to changing conditions, be resilient, and collaborate with others to achieve a common mission — all attributes that will serve them well as teachers. TTT completers who enter teaching are more likely than traditionally certified teachers to be persons of color, teach in high-poverty schools, and teach in high-need areas such as math, science, and special education (Gantz, 2004; Nunnery et al., 2009). Also, in a profession that loses over 50% of its members in their first five years, TTT completers are more likely than traditionally certified teachers to stay in the profession (Owings et al., 2006).