Florida Veterans to Teachers

Career Transition Assistance

Florida Veterans to Teachers (formerly Troops to Teachers) helps current and former military members—and their spouses—start a new career as K–12 teachers. Our office is your one-stop shop for getting into teaching.

Many veterans have made this change and found teaching to be a meaningful and rewarding job. Some even tried other careers first, but found teaching gave them more purpose and joy. As a teacher, you have the chance to be a role model and inspire future leaders in a way that can change 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 sets its own rules for getting a teaching certificate or license. This includes what courses, training, exams, and classroom experience you need. What changes from state to state is how much training is required, how you complete it, and when it must be done. Most states offer two levels of certification. One lets you start teaching while you finish the rest of the 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 lets you teach for up to five years while you work on getting your Professional Certificate. Most programs for the Professional Certificate take about nine months to finish. You can do some of them online from anywhere in the U.S., even while working or on active duty.