Dennis Apuan

“Troops to Teachers” Passes Out of
House – Next Stop Gov’s Desk

(DENVER) — A bill that provides financial incentives and professional development for our troops to become teachers passed unanimously out of the House today.

Senate Bill 62 adds military veterans to individuals the Colorado Department of Education considers when allocating scholarship money to colleges and universities getting teacher-training funds from the state’s Teach Colorado initiative.

“By providing scholarships for our troops to become teachers, everyone wins: veterans are more able to afford schooling and get a good job, schools that are having trouble hiring teachers will have a larger pool to choose from, and our economic and educational systems are strengthened. And veterans can continue serving their community – as a teacher,” said Rep. Dennis Apuan (D-El Paso).

The Teach Colorado Grant allows the state’s higher education institutions to establish a finance scholarships to help students go into teaching. If a student receives the grant, that student is required to fill a teaching job in a high-needs area like special education or high school math. Or, the recipient would have to work in a rural area where there are teacher shortages in virtually every subject.