Alabama lawmakers passed this week H.B. 306, which calls for creating a temporary teaching certificate to allow veterans without a bachelor’s degree to teach in K-12 schools. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Rick Rehm (Henry/Houston–R), passed the Alabama House by a vote of 103-1. A companion bill in the Alabama Senate, introduced by Sen. Matt Woods (Walker–R), is also moving through the legislature.

To qualify for the Military Veteran Temporary Teaching Certificate, veterans must have served for four years on active duty, have at least 60 hours of college credit with a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, and pass the relevant Praxis content test, among other requirements. The certification is valid for five years and is non-renewable, and is intended to serve as a bridge to full professional licensure.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R), who emphasized making the state more veteran-friendly as a top priority for her administration during her State of the State address last month, is expected to sign both bills. [Military.com, Al.com, WSFA 12]

“Veterans offer a unique perspective, which is needed across many careers, including in our classrooms… 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.”

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey [January 20, 2026 Press Release]

Zoom Out

Alabama joins a growing contingent of states leveraging veterans to address critical teacher shortages. Two other states have programs enshrined in law. Neither state requires veterans to possess a bachelor’s degree to qualify:

  • In 2022, Florida signed into law its Military Veterans Certification Pathway, which Alabama closely modeled its program off of. The pathway program aims to support Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) $8.6 million initiative to support career and workforce development opportunities for veterans and their spouses. [K-12 Dive]
  • In 2023, Texas passed H.B. 621, which allowed veterans without a bachelor’s degree to obtain a temporary certification to teach career and technical education classes. [The Spokesman-Review]

Several other states have programs and initiatives that streamline the transition for veterans to the teaching profession, but still require a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience: 

  • Since 2013, North Carolina’s Brass to Class Act has allowed veterans to receive teaching experience credit for leadership experience gained in military service. This can count toward some licensure requirements, but doesn’t waive the bachelor’s degree requirement itself.
  • Ohio’s Military Veteran Educators Program Recruiting Initiative (MVEPRI) and state initiative, “Operation Teach,” assist veterans in transitioning to the teaching profession, but they don’t waive the requirement of a bachelor’s degree or teaching certification. This week, MVEPRI announced a new round of hiring bonuses to help bring even more veterans into the classroom. [10 WBNS Columbus]
  • Georgia created a veteran-friendly alternative certification approach in 2021. Districts may hire eligible veterans into a nontraditional pathway that leads to full certification, typically through a three-year Military Support Provisional Certificate issued by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
  • While Michigan requires prospective teachers to hold a bachelor’s degree and complete an approved teacher prep program before earning a teaching certificate, the state implemented a policy waiving the bachelor’s degree requirement for many state government jobs for eligible veterans. [The Detroit News]

This article is sourced from Whiteboard Notes, our weekly newsletter of the latest education policy and industry news read by thousands of education leaders, investors, grantmakers, and entrepreneurs. Subscribe here.