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Fall 2003 Issue
| Troops to Teachers |
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By Kris Ann Hegle
Continued from page 1
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Parental involvement
Mustang officer Lt. William Byrd, usn-Ret., had clear goals when he took an early retirement from the military following a 17-year career that included service in both the Marine Corps and the Navy. He wanted to teach; he wanted to move to the Huntsville, Ala., area where he and his wife grew up; and he wanted to start a family.
While stationed in Norfolk, Va., Byrd contacted Troops to Teachers, which walked him through the process of earning his teacher certification in Virginia and then getting reciprocity to teach in another state. The program also provided him with a $5,000 stipend to help cover his education costs in exchange for Byrd's commitment to teach in a high-needs school system.
While on active duty, Byrd took the courses needed to become certified to teach math, science, social sciences, language arts, history, and economics because "the more certifications you have, the more likely you are to be hired." He retired in March 1997, completed his student teaching, and by August of that year he was working as a math and science teacher at Riverton Middle School in rural Madison, Ala.
Since coming aboard, Byrd has raised the Stanford Achievement Test scores among his seventh-grade math students by an average of 10 points and doubled the number of students who go on to eighth-grade algebra. His achievements in public education haven't gone unnoticed: In 2002, First Lady Laura Bush presented him with the Troops to Teachers "Excellence in Teaching" award. The Alabama Farmers Federation also named Byrd "Teacher of the Month" in January 2003, and Riverton Middleton School named him "Teacher of the Year" for the past two years. However, Byrd says the greatest award he's ever received was an invitation from students at nearby Buckhorn High School, who asked him to address them on Veterans Day.
Byrd thinks parental involvement has been instrumental to his success, and he's been known to randomly call students' parents the night before an exam, just to make sure they know their child should be studying. Students who don't do their homework are asked to come to the front of the class and call their parents using Byrd's personal cell phone.
Now the father of two, Byrd has found his teaching schedule matches his children's schedules, which allows him to spend more time with his family. He's also a father figure to many of his students, who are being raised in low-income, single-parent families - just as he was.
"The hardest thing for me is to figure out how much influence I can have on a child and why, in the one hour I have them a day, I can't completely turn them around, but I can help it happen," he says.
Teacher, role model
Sgt. Maj. Anthony Reese, usmc-Ret., still looks as fit as he did when he was on active duty. In fact, many of his fourth- and fifth-grade students at Audubon Elementary in San Diego ask him if they can feel his muscles. Other students have been known to fall in and march behind him or stand at attention and salute.
"They all know my background," says the 55-year-old father of four. "They just do it out of respect. I have a great rapport with [the] kids."
Many people are surprised to find the 30-year Marine Corps veteran, who is used to commanding troops who respond quickly, in front of a classroom of young children who respond, well, not so quickly when they are told what to do. Going from a male-dominated environment to a female-dominated environment also was a challenge for Reese, but he says he's learned to listen more and curb the aggressive leadership style that he acquired in the corps.
Although Reese acknowledges his transition was tougher than he thought it would be, he's highly regarded by both his students and his peers. In 2001, he spoke about the Troops to Teachers program when Laura Bush visited Audubon Elementary. Reese also has received several teaching awards, including one from Audubon, and in 2001, he was honored with the school district's "Veteran Teacher of the Year" award.
Before accepting him, Troops to Teachers program administrators examined Reese's college transcripts and gave him guidance about the courses he needed to receive his teacher certification, just like they do for others who have gone through the program. He made a commitment to teach at a high-needs school and received a $5,000 stipend to help cover his education costs. Program officials also gave him leads on schools that needed teachers.
"I made it known that I would like to go to a school that was economically deprived, and I wanted to give something back to the community," says Reese, who, like many of his students, grew up in a low-income, single-parent family.
Indeed, Reese seems to enjoy reaping the rewards of this new career where he is both a teacher and a role model. He's quick to share stories about his students, such as the fifth grader who stood before a school assembly and described how Reese had influenced his life, or the esl student who's doing a better job communicating her thoughts these days thanks to his help.
"I never forgot where I came from, and I can see that in the kids," he says. "That's why I am doing what I am doing where I'm doing it."
The fine print
Military personnel, including reservists, who are interested in a second career in education can apply to the Troops to Teachers program by visiting its Web site, www.proudtoserveagain.com. To qualify, military personnel must have received an honorable discharge and either earned at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution or have one year of college with six years experience in a vocational or technical field.
Servicemembers can receive a stipend of up to $5,000 to offset the costs incurred while they are earning their teaching credentials. Individuals who accept the stipend are obligated to teach in a school district or local education agency where at least 20 percent of the children come from families that are living below the poverty level.
Transitioning military members who choose to teach in a school where at least 50 percent of the children are from low-income families also might be eligible to receive a $10,000 bonus. However, the maximum amount an individual can receive through the Troops to Teachers program is $10,000.
Although the program helps streamline the certification process, it doesn't circumvent it, according to John Gantz, chief of the Troops to Teachers program in Pensacola, Fla. Military members who go through the program must meet the same stringent criteria as other prospective teachers.
Troops to Teachers also provides referral assistance and placement services through the program's new Jobs2Teach Web site, www.jobs2teach.doded.mil.
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