The Troops-to-Teachers program run by the Department of Education has attracted many more men and African-Americans to the teaching profession, when compared with the new-teacher population at large, according to a report last week from the Government Accountability Office.
Troops-to-Teachers provides stipends and educational support to military personnel who choose to become teachers in priority subjects and high-need districts.
According to the March 1 report from the congressional watchdog agency, 3,875 Troops-to-Teachers participants were hired as teachers between Jan. 8, 2002, and June 30, 2005. More than 80 percent have been male and more than 25 percent are black, compared with 26 percent male and 9 percent black in the overall new-teacher population. The program’s fiscal 2005 report documents a one-year decline in participation, attributed in part to the military’s ongoing demand for active and reserve troops.
