Alabama could soon be allowing military veterans to teach without the usual certifications, following other states by offering former service members a unique opportunity while combating an ongoing teacher shortage that plagues not only the state but the nation.
Companion legislation introduced in the Alabama House and Senate in January calls for creating a temporary teaching certificate, which would last military veterans five years and not require a bachelor’s degree. Senate Bill 149 and House Bill 306 were introduced by Sen. Matt Woods and Rep. Rick Rehm, both Republicans, respectively, and the Alabama House passed Bill 306 on Tuesday by a 103-1. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, also a Republican, has to sign the legislation into law.
“This bill not only strengthens our teacher recruitment efforts, but also creates a clear, meaningful pathway for Alabama’s veterans to continue serving by bringing their leadership, discipline and real-world experience into our classrooms,” Woods said in a statement in January. “Our students, our veterans and communities across the state of Alabama will all benefit from this important partnership.”
While not requiring a bachelor’s degree, other requirements must be met to fulfill the obligations of the teaching certificate. They include the following:
Veterans qualify if they've served four years on active duty and have at least 60 hours of college credit with a GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
They must pass a criminal background check.
They must be recommended for certification by a local superintendent or private school administrator and have other credentials.
They must achieve a passing score on the relevant Praxis content test, which is part of the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program (AECAP).
If the veteran vying for a teaching position fulfills all of those obligations and becomes employed, the superintendent would assign a mentor for the veteran for at least two years if applicable.
The temporary certificate can only be issued once, it is not renewable, and veterans are to be told about impending certificate expiration and be provided pathways to full professional certification. The Alabama State Board of Education will create rules to implement these provisions, with the act taking effect on Oct. 1, 2026.
As a U.S. Army veteran, I have seen firsthand the skills our servicemen and women bring to the workforce, especially in the teaching profession. I think it is important for our students to be exposed to the experiences that military veterans can bring to the classroom. - Rehm in a statement
“I appreciate Gov. Ivey’s leadership and support for policies like the Military Veteran Temporary Teaching Certificate, which will strengthen teacher recruitment and reinforce Alabama’s reputation as one of the most veteran-friendly states in the nation," Rehm added.
Other states have passed similar measures to Alabama, including Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Washington.
Military.com reached out to Ivey’s office, the Alabama Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Education for comment.
Alabama's Educational Strain
Gov. Ivey, in her most recent State of the State Address, said this legislation was one of her top priorities and has higher aims of making Alabama the most military- and veteran-friendly state in the nation.
“Veterans offer a unique perspective, which is needed across many careers, including in our classrooms,” Ivey said last month. “When we pass Senate Bill 149, we will create a pathway for more veterans to help educate the next generation."
Not only will we be providing a quality education for children across our state and getting more teachers in the classroom, we will allow more veterans to be gainfully employed when returning from service. This legislation will go a long way for students and veterans alike.
The legislation, likely to be signed by Ivey, comes at a time when teacher shortages in Alabama have caused strain across the state’s education system.
In December 2025, the Alabama State Department of Education (ASDE) unveiled a digital educator preparation report card showing data as to why teachers are leaving the state or the profession altogether, along with methods to address the issue.
The report card showed a shortage of 548 elementary education teachers across all Alabama districts, in addition to 415 unfilled positions for collaborative special education teachers across all grades. There was also a shortage of 256 early childhood education teachers based on the most recent data from 2024-25.
“We need to understand why they are leaving education in the first place,” Alethea Hampton, educator preparation administrator for the ASDE, told Alabama.com in December. “Because if we can understand the why, then we can begin to work on those things that are causing individuals to depart the profession before even becoming certified.”
One of the most common reasons for not filling positions was prospective educators being unable to pass the Praxis exams.
National Teacher Burnout
Teacher burnout across the U.S. has accelerated, notably since the COVID-19 pandemic and combativeness that erupted out of state-specific and federal orders that included removing students and educators from schools altogether for months at a time.
About 1 in 8 teaching positions were either vacant or filled by an underqualified educator after the previous school year, according to a Stateline report from May 2025.
Reasons identified by Stateline included tax revenue being siphoned toward private school vouchers in multiple states, as well as scrutiny regarding books, teachings and displays that have in some instances been connected to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
In turn, some students who were negatively impacted by pandemic-era shutdowns are still climbing back to normal levels.
A 2025 study published by researchers, based on surveys of roughly 500 public school teachers, found that 78% debated leaving the teaching professional entirely since COVID. Reasoning included a lack of administrative support, excessive workloads, inadequate compensation, and challenging student behaviors.
The authors called stress and burnout a “major public health challenge confronting the education system as teachers are essential individuals supporting children and youth in their formative years."
Different states are dealing with it in their own ways, though concerns have been shared nationally in certain regards.
The Connecticut Education Association surveyed its members about the state of the teaching profession and asked for five primary concerns. Findings, published in November 2024, cited stress and burnout as the top factors.
While burnout is often used as an umbrella term, educators got more granular and cited challenges with student/discipline first, followed by insufficient pay, lack of respect, politicians and non-educators making decisions that affect education, and too many district initiatives.
