Florida Veterans to Teachers
Career Transition Assistance
Florida Veterans to Teachers (formerly Troops to Teachers) helps guide current and former military personnel and their spouses who want to transition into the teaching profession at the K-12 level. Our office is your one-stop shop for entering a career in teaching.
Many former military personnel have made this transition and found teaching a rewarding career. Some have even started other careers only to find the career they chose did not provide the satisfaction and enjoyment they anticipated. Teaching provides you an opportunity to be a role model to students and inspire tomorrow's leaders, which will positively influence them for the rest of their lives.
Teacher Demand
Florida has ample teaching opportunities and is the third-largest school system in the country. Five of the ten largest school districts in the country are in Florida. Because of this, Florida has a shortage of teachers, and the state needs teachers for all subjects. Annually, Florida produces the High Demand Teacher Needs List.
Certifications
Each state determines the requirements you must complete to qualify for a teaching certificate/license, including courses/training, exams, and classroom experience. What differs among states is how much classes/training, the method of training, and when you must complete certain requirements. Most states have two levels of certification/license. One allows you to start teaching while completing the remaining requirements for the final certificate.
Florida provides a great opportunity to enter the teaching profession. Florida offers a Temporary Certification, and there are three options by which you can qualify for this certificate:
- By degree major
- By coursework
- By exam
The Temporary Certificate allows you to teach for up to five years while completing the requirements for the Professional Certificate. Programs for the Professional Certificate usually take about nine months to complete and you can complete some programs from anywhere in the U.S. while working, even on active duty.
Program Benefits
The state of Florida wants more veterans to enter the teaching profession and supports their career transition by offering the following benefits:
- A waiver of certification application and exam fees for current military personnel, veterans with an Honorable Discharge, and their spouses.
- Veterans with an Honorable Discharge but no bachelor’s degree may be able to qualify for a Temporary Certificate.
- Veterans with an Honorable Discharge and employed on or after 1 July 2023 can receive a $4,000 sign-on bonus if they commit to teaching for two years. They can receive an additional $1,000 if they teach a high-demand subject.
- A personalization Career Transition Plan that outlines the process for entering the profession.
- A single point of contact throughout the entire program to keep the process simple and easy to navigate.