Honoring Military Spouses Through Teacher Pathways | RealClearDefense

The month of May is national military appreciation month with observations such as military spouse appreciation day in which we celebrate the heroic efforts and sacrifices of our nation’s military spouses. Any soldier or veteran will tell you of the incredible service and resiliency of the military spouse whose unwavering support makes it possible for us to enjoy our freedoms. Retired Gen. Martin Dempsey, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, often highlights their “strength and inspiration,” explaining how they are “the glue that holds our families together.”

While the service of our nation’s military spouses remains not only laudable but critical to our safety, our nation’s commitment to them has been thoroughly inadequate. Findings from the US Chamber of Commerce show how military spouses suffer from unemployment and underemployment at disproportionate rates compared to the rest of American adults. Constant moving between duty stations creates a unique challenge for military spouses who often have to sacrifice their careers for the sake of our national security. When a military spouse moves to a new duty station, they struggle to find the employment they desire and the income that their family needs.

One of the leading barriers preventing military spouses from attaining the appropriate employment they deserve is strict occupational licensing requirements, which vary from state to state. At least 35% of military spouses are employed in occupations that require a license or certification, and obtaining these credentials is both expensive and time-consuming. Certain states have recognized these challenges for military spouses and have made common-sense exceptions, such as creating reciprocity in licensing requirements, but much work is still to be done.

Recent events in the Covid-19 crisis have highlighted the widespread need for relaxing the licensing barriers that all Americans are struggling with now, which military spouses have battled for years. Elizabeth O’Brien, one of the nation’s leading experts on military spouse workforce development, explains how overnight, we have seen “state governments expedite occupational licenses to return frontline workers to the workforce.” O’Brien notes how military spouses have been advocating for decreased regulation around occupational licenses for decades and that “this crisis is proving that not only is deregulation possible but that workers can and do thrive when licensing barriers are reduced.”

As the effects of Covid-19 continue to unfold, one occupation that has found a recent uprise in appreciation yet traditionally suffers from licensing regulations is teaching. State by state requirements involving costly exams and often trivial certifications prevent an experienced teacher from entering a classroom in a new state. This is especially evident for military spouses who are usually forced to move to new states every few years, where the difficulties of constantly renewing their teaching license would be unbearable.

State government and local officials throughout the country who consistently face high teacher shortages are doing a disservice to their students in preventing military spouses from entering their classrooms. Military spouses bring a diverse set of skills and talents, in addition to unmatched levels of grit and commitment to serving others that school leaders would be eager to hire. For military spouses moving to a brand new community and looking for meaningful employment, what better way to welcome them than by providing accessible pathways for them to become teachers.

Over the years, certain states have understood the value of having military spouses in their teaching force and have eased the burdens on spouses looking for teaching employment in their states. Iowa has led the way on this in the past by providing temporary licensure for military spouses without them having to complete extra requirements that previously hindered them. Currently, 28 states have issued teacher reciprocity licensing since an Executive Order signed in 2018 supporting military spouse employment.

Continuing to reduce the barriers to allow for military spouses to flourish in their communities by serving students as teachers is a commitment that our military families deserve. It is also a commitment in which students across the country will greatly benefit from as military spouses represent the model of citizenry our students desperately could learn from.

Ryan Hooper is an Army veteran and current high school government teacher in Baltimore, MD.

Originally published at https://www.realcleardefense.com.