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RETIRED TROOPS TAKE ON NEW ASSIGNMENTS AS

TEACHERS -- 274 have signed up for program

since it began in Tennessee.

 

 

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Retired troops take on new assignments as teachers

274 have signed up for program since it began in Tennessee

By COLBY SLEDGE
and MICHAELA JACKSON
Staff Writers

It's hard to imagine an eighth-grader taking orders from a retired Army officer — unless the command involved square roots and parallelograms.

That's a normal scenario for students in Bill Hedges' math classes at Bellevue Middle School, a participant in the Troops to Teachers program in Tennessee.

"It's different," said Hedges, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served in Operation Desert Storm. "The set of stresses and things like that I dealt with in the Army were totally different, but I think that as I look at challenges and things I have to do day to day … I think those are easier just because of my experiences."

Male teachers needed

National studies have lamented the lack of male teachers in early grades, especially as role models in schools with high poverty rates.

Tennessee reports that only 22 percent of the state's 70,900 licensed school employees are male. That's on par with figures from the National Education Association that estimate men make up only 24.9 percent of the country's 3 million teachers.

The Troops to Teachers program helps fill that gap: More than 80 percent of participants are men.

And Rusty Ward, an eighth-grader in Hedges' algebra class, took note.

"He's only my second man teacher," Rusty said.

The U.S. Department of Defense started the program in 1994 to help recruit teachers in schools with many low-income students. Since 1995, when the program began in Tennessee, 274 retired military personnel have been placed in schools. Overall, more than 9,700 military personnel have gone through the program.

"Most of the troops have had situations that were difficult or uncomfortable," Tennessee Troops to Teachers state program manager Mike Schroeder said. "Therefore, when they go into the school system and run into some problems or difficult situations, they tend to stick it out."

Hedges stuck it out in the military for 24 years, serving in various U.S. and world locations before retiring in July.

The very next month, having completed his education certification at Trevecca Nazarene University, Hedges picked up the chalk for the first time as a teacher.

"I'm not doing it for the pay because Lord knows it's not that great," said Hedges, who has two children at Bellevue Middle School.

"I'm doing it because I like the young people, and I like to think that maybe I can have an impact in some small way."

Hedges teaches algebra and geometry, making him part of the 27 percent of Troops to Teachers participants who teach math. Many of the candidates go into high-need areas such as math, science and special education.

Teacher brings respect

Hedges has worked out well with the students and faculty, Principal John Duckworth said, adding that Hedges' previous job certainly didn't hurt his performance.

"He brings a certain respect to the classroom with him, but he does not allow his military experiences to overshadow his connection with students," Duckworth said.

And students seemed to agree, saying they didn't even mind if Hedges' classes were difficult — a sure accomplishment for any teacher.

"He makes it fun," eighth-grader Herasanna Richards said. "I complain sometimes that it's hard, but I know in the long run I'm going to thank him a lot for it."

Otherwise, students at Bellevue Middle didn't really notice a difference between Hedges and other teachers — except, perhaps, in volume level.

"He projects very well," said eighth-grader Chandelor Simon. "We have microphones that all the teachers have so they don't have to talk so loud, and I don't think I've ever seen him use it."

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Larry Scott  --