SAN ANTONIO – Texas lawmakers are trying to give school districts one more tool to help them fill vacant positions in the classroom.
House Bill 621, a provision to current law, was enacted during the last legislative session to certify military service members and first responders to teach.
Bill author State Rep. Matt Shaheen, District 66, said he’s aware that the bill has not made a big dent in the education shortage problem.
“We certainly can do a better job of promoting it. There’s some things that we can do with respect to communicating through our veterans organizations and, like, throughout the state of Texas,” Shaheen said. “But I think we do need to take a look at the scope. It’s just too narrow. And, quite frankly, there’s a lot that our military — a lot of their experiences that they can share with these students in a learning environment. Obviously, that would just be so beneficial to our students.”
According to the Texas Education Agency statewide, 46 veterans and two peace officers have been hired using the new provision.
The three-year certification is specific to jobs teaching about careers or technology. Shaheen said it could lead more veterans into a career in education.
“The veterans that I’ve talked to, the veterans that I know, you know, they’re service-minded, right? They sacrificed a lot of their years for love of country, and they love these students. So they want to do what’s best for them,” Shaheen said.
Shaheen said there’s a possibility of expanding the scope of what veterans can teach.