Vocational School Opportunities

The Guard can help you or your spouse obtain teaching certificates. Your recruiter can supply more information about these innovative programs.

Troops-to-Teachers 

Troops-to-Teachers is a program designed to help military personnel transition to a new career as a public school teacher. Stipends up to $5,000 and bonus incentives up to $10,000 are available for agreeing to teach in a "high need" district. This program provides mentoring opportunities, placement information and alternative teacher credentialing opportunities. Guard Soldiers must have 10 years of service to qualify for stipends.

Soldiers enlisting in the Army National Guard directly from active duty with six or more years of service are also eligible.

Spouses-to-Teachers       

The Spouses-to-Teachers program provides funding and support services to allow Guard spouses to obtain their teaching license. This pilot program is only available in selected states. 

The PRAXIS Series™ Tests 

The three-part Praxis Series™ Assessments provide tests and other services that states use as part of their teaching licensing certification process. A number of professional associations and organizations require these tests as one licensing criterion for individuals entering the teaching profession.

Praxis I® tests are Pre-Professional Skills Assessments (PPST®) designed to measure basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics. These are taken early in your college career.

PRAXIS II® tests are Subject Assessment tests that measure knowledge of specific subjects that K-12 educators will teach, as well as general and subject-specific teaching skills and knowledge. There are Subject Assessments, Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) Tests and Teaching Foundations Tests.

Praxis III® Classroom Performance Assessments test the skills of beginning teachers in classroom settings. Currently, DANTES only funds levels I and II.