[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 157 (Tuesday, October 27, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S10780]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. McCAIN (for himself and Mr. Bennet):
  S. 1932. A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 to allow members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty 
on or after September 11, 2001, to be eligible to participate in the 
Troops-to-Teachers Program, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to be joined by Senator 
Michael Bennet in introducing the Post-9/11 Troops to Teachers 
Enhancement Act. This legislation would allow more veterans and school 
districts to participate in the Troops to Teachers program. In addition 
to expanding the program, the proposed bill would create an advisory 
board that would be charged with improving awareness and participation 
of the program, ensuring that the program meets the needs of our 
schools and veterans. I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will also 
support this important piece of legislation.
  In 1994, Congress authorized the Department of Defense, DOD, to 
oversee a new national program, Troops to Teachers, which was designed 
as a Transition assistance program for retiring or separating members 
of the military to obtain their teaching credentials and place these 
teachers in schools throughout the country. The program was 
reauthorized by Congress in 1999. That reauthorization transferred 
responsibility for oversight and funding from the DOD to the Department 
of Education and authorized $10,000 bonuses to participants who agreed 
to teach in ``high-need'' schools. Troops to Teachers was later 
incorporated and reauthorized under the No Child Left Behind Act of 
2001. Since its inception, over 11,000 teachers have been hired by 
school districts across the Nation, of which many are nontraditional 
first-time teachers.
  Teaching is among the most honorable professions in our society. I 
believe we should encourage military veterans to enter the teaching 
profession and that this bipartisan bill would further enhance the 
Troops-to-Teachers program. Simply put, the proposed legislation would 
reduce the years of military service requirements from 6 to 4, extend 
the eligibility to all schools that receive Title I funds, and create 
an advisory board that would coordinate and make recommendations to 
Congress in regards to the program.
  Current eligibility guidelines for the Troops to Teachers require 
that members of the military have 6 years of service and that members 
of the guard and reserve have 10 years of service with a commitment to 
serve an additional 3 years. The requirement of 6 years active duty is 
leaving many single enlistment contract 4 year veterans and/or Guard 
members out of consideration. Lowering the required years of service 
would expand eligibility and create a larger pool of potential teachers 
for this program.
  Under the current Troops to Teachers program, participants who agree 
to teach for 3 years in a ``high need'' schools are eligible to receive 
a $5000 stipend to offset the cost of teacher certification. The 
proposed legislation would extend the eligibility for the stipend to 
any eligible teacher who agrees to teach 3 years in a school that is in 
a district receiving Title I funds. The proposed bill would retain the 
optional bonus of $10,000 which is available to individuals who take 
jobs in low-income schools. This legislation would result in a 49 
percent in the number of eligible schools for the program. For my home 
State of Arizona, over 600 additional schools would become eligible to 
participate in the program.
  A recent GAO Report revealed that although Troops to Teachers is a 
successful program, it suffers from a lack of coordination and 
oversight. To remedy this concern, the proposed legislation would 
create an advisory board that consists of a representative from the 
Department of Defense, the Department of Education, and representatives 
from state offices and veteran's service organizations to make 
recommendations on ways to improve and expand the program.
  Our veterans make excellent candidates to impart the virtues of 
serving to a cause to the next generation and instill the value of 
learning as a means to self-improvement and much nobler ends. Their 
unique experiences bring a more diverse teaching environment to our 
children and grandchildren.
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