Bill hopes to expand Troops to Teachers

WASHINGTON - Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), along with Representatives Joe Courtney (D-CT) and Tom Petri (R-WI), introduced the 'Post-9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act' Tuesday on Capitol Hill. The bill seeks to expand the existing Troops to Teachers program to allow more troops to teach in America’s schools.

The Troops to Teachers program, originally created in 1994, provides qualified troops with financial incentives to teach in the nation’s neediest schools.

According the the lawmakers, the 'Post-9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act' will make the existing program more accessible by reducing length of military service requirements for participants, expanding the number of school districts at which troops may receive a stipend to teach, and by creating an advisory board charged with continuously seeking ways to improve awareness and participation in the program.

"As we continue to seek ways to improve the quality of education in our country, we should encourage programs like Troops to Teachers to incite returning service men and women from Iraq and Afghanistan to go into the classroom," said Senator John McCain. "Our veterans make excellent candidates to impart the virtues of service to the next generation and instill the value of learning as a means to self-improvement."

Click here for a summary of the 'Post-9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act.'