Integrity first. Service before self. Excellence in all we do.
Those are the core values that embody the United State Air Force, and those of retired master sergeant Jesse Wayne Rice Jr. Sgt. Rice will be carrying these values and his experience as a teacher in the Air Force into his career as math teacher at Frankfort High School.
Rice, who is originally from Cumberland, served in the Air Force for 23 years as a broadcast engineer and taught Military Vocational Education for 14 of those years.
Not only did Rice’s stint as teacher in the Air Force prep him for teaching later in life, but the Air Force also gave him the means he needed to accomplish this goal. The Air Force provided Rice with the Troops To Teachers (TTT) program. Rice is the first teacher in the state of West Virginia to participate in the TTT program, launched this summer by the West Virginia Department of Education.
“When I taught classes in the reserve, I noticed that everyone there was highly qualified and dedicated,” said Mineral County Superintendent of Schools Tilden “Skip” Hackworth, who was a teacher in the 99th Army Reserve Command. “Sergeant Rice posses these traits and they exemplify what the TTT program is all about, Once theses individuals retire from the service, they still have a lot of life to live, a lot of skill and information to give to young people, and Rice is a good example of this.”
TTT was coordinated by the Federal Department of Defense and the Department of Education. Since its beginning in 1994, the TTT objective is to help recruit quality teachers for schools that serve students from low-income families throughout America.
“The Troops To Teachers program is a excellent way to fill the gap for demand of public school teachers,” said Hackworth.
Rice describes the TTT as one of the many programs provided by the Air Force that prepares people in active duty for civilian life. Rice also explained that the Air Force provided various aptitude tests, such as the Myers-Briggs, a word association test used to hone in on a person’s aptitude.
Through these aptitude tests, Rice learned that he had a strong suit for math and science.
“I like things that don’t change,” he said. “And math doesn’t change.”
Through the TTT program, participants are provided counseling and assistance regarding certification requirements, routes to state certification, and employment leads.
Pending availability of funds, financial assistance may be provided to eligible individuals as stipends up to $5,000 to help pay for teacher certification costs, or as bonuses of $10,000 to teach in schools serving a high percentage of students from low-income families. Participants who accept the stipend or bonus must agree to teach for three years in targeted schools in accordance with the authorizing legislation.
In order to be eligible for this program, military personnel must be either serving active duty with approved date of retirement, with one year or less remaining before retirement, discharged from active duty, retired from active duty, serving in or discharged, or retired from the selected reserves.
Rice, who is the first person in Mineral County to participate in this program, is currently teaching geometry and algebra at Frankfort High School this semester. Next semester, he’ll be adding trigonometry to the mix. Rice plans to teach until he retires and hopes to dabble in science education as well.
Rice gives all the credit to Jamie, his wife of 25 years, for filling out all the necessary paperwork for TTT.
In addition to TTT, Chapter 31 of the vocational rehabilitation act is a program that provides services and assistance that enable qualified Veteran with service connected disabilities to overcome their barriers in order to have suitable employment upon discharge of the military.
To learn more about TTT, view the website at www.proudtoserveagain.com
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Integrity first. Service before self. Excellence in all we do.
Those are the core values that embody the United State Air Force, and those of retired master sergeant Jesse Wayne Rice Jr. Sgt. Rice will be carrying these values and his experience as a teacher in the Air Force into his career as math teacher at Frankfort High School.
Rice, who is originally from Cumberland, served in the Air Force for 23 years as a broadcast engineer and taught Military Vocational Education for 14 of those years.
Not only did Rice’s stint as teacher in the Air Force prep him for teaching later in life, but the Air Force also gave him the means he needed to accomplish this goal. The Air Force provided Rice with the Troops To Teachers (TTT) program. Rice is the first teacher in the state of West Virginia to participate in the TTT program, launched this summer by the West Virginia Department of Education.
“When I taught classes in the reserve, I noticed that everyone there was highly qualified and dedicated,” said Mineral County Superintendent of Schools Tilden “Skip” Hackworth, who was a teacher in the 99th Army Reserve Command. “Sergeant Rice posses these traits and they exemplify what the TTT program is all about, Once theses individuals retire from the service, they still have a lot of life to live, a lot of skill and information to give to young people, and Rice is a good example of this.”
TTT was coordinated by the Federal Department of Defense and the Department of Education. Since its beginning in 1994, the TTT objective is to help recruit quality teachers for schools that serve students from low-income families throughout America.
“The Troops To Teachers program is a excellent way to fill the gap for demand of public school teachers,” said Hackworth.
Rice describes the TTT as one of the many programs provided by the Air Force that prepares people in active duty for civilian life. Rice also explained that the Air Force provided various aptitude tests, such as the Myers-Briggs, a word association test used to hone in on a person’s aptitude.
Through these aptitude tests, Rice learned that he had a strong suit for math and science.
“I like things that don’t change,” he said. “And math doesn’t change.”
Through the TTT program, participants are provided counseling and assistance regarding certification requirements, routes to state certification, and employment leads.
Pending availability of funds, financial assistance may be provided to eligible individuals as stipends up to $5,000 to help pay for teacher certification costs, or as bonuses of $10,000 to teach in schools serving a high percentage of students from low-income families. Participants who accept the stipend or bonus must agree to teach for three years in targeted schools in accordance with the authorizing legislation.
In order to be eligible for this program, military personnel must be either serving active duty with approved date of retirement, with one year or less remaining before retirement, discharged from active duty, retired from active duty, serving in or discharged, or retired from the selected reserves.
Rice, who is the first person in Mineral County to participate in this program, is currently teaching geometry and algebra at Frankfort High School this semester. Next semester, he’ll be adding trigonometry to the mix. Rice plans to teach until he retires and hopes to dabble in science education as well.
Rice gives all the credit to Jamie, his wife of 25 years, for filling out all the necessary paperwork for TTT.
In addition to TTT, Chapter 31 of the vocational rehabilitation act is a program that provides services and assistance that enable qualified Veteran with service connected disabilities to overcome their barriers in order to have suitable employment upon discharge of the military.
To learn more about TTT, view the website at www.proudtoserveagain.com
