Sen. McCain, Rep. Courtney Propose Enhancement for Troops to Teachers Program
TROOPS
New London Day
Jeanne Amy
Boston University Washington News Service
10/27/09
WASHINGTON—A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, proposed Tuesday to expand a program that enables former members of the military to become teachers in high-need school districts.
Since 1994, the Troops to Teachers program has helped military retirees or persons who left the military with six or more years of service receive certification and become teachers in school districts identified as high need. The bill offered on Tuesday would decrease the number of service days required to qualify for the program and increase the number of former members of the military who could qualify for financial assistance to receive certification.
It would also create a cross-agency advisory board to promote awareness of and significantly increase funds for the program.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is sponsoring the legislation in the Senate and Courtney is introducing it in the House. During a press conference Tuesday, McCain said he believes the bill will have few opponents.
“It’s been a very successful program, there’s no doubt about that, but unfortunately it hasn’t been as successful as it can be because of the glitches that were unanticipated, such as eligibility and time and service in the military,” McCain said.
The legislation would cut the required six years or more of continuous active-duty service to four years and also make eligible any member of the military who has served at least 90 days of continuous active duty since September 11, 2001.
The proposed bill would do for Troops to Teachers what the post-9/11 G.I. Bill amendments did for the G.I. Bill, Courtney said.
“There is no more public-spirited or idealistic group of Americans” than service men and women, Courtney said. “I think they will bring a thoughtful, broadminded view of the world that no college or university could ever teach to people who are training to be teachers or professors.”
The Post 9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act would authorize $50 million annually for the next five years. The program is currently authorized at $30 million annually, but the Department of Education usually allocates about $15 million for Troops to Teachers each year.
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