Next month, schools in Florida will open their doors with a total of 9,500 vacant teaching positions. The state hopes to fill the void by modifying its standards in order to recruit military veterans into the classrooms.
On July 1, a new law came into effect that provides veterans with new teaching possibilities. The program has been in effect for a long time, but only recently has the state revised some of the standards in order to find more instructors.
Veterans must have served at least 48 months in the military, have 60 college credits, a 2.5 GPA, and pass a mandatory exam in order to apply. Vets may teach for up to five years if they satisfy the requirements and are assigned a mentor to assist them adjust to their new career.
Since its inception in 1993, the government program has helped more than 100,000 veterans transition into careers as school teachers around the country.