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In a May 28 vote, the House of Representatives approved a defense funding bill that included an amendment to strengthen the Troops to Teachers (TTT) Program. The amendment was cosponsored by Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI), Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA). The bill next goes to the Senate.
The amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 would transfer the successful Troops to Teachers (TTT) Program from the Education Department to the Defense Department and make important changes to ensure it will continue to provide opportunities for veterans transitioning into second careers as educators.
Rep. Petri has been a supporter of the TTT program since its authorization in the 1994 Defense Authorization Act. TTT has placed over 12,000 veterans in the nation's classrooms. TTT is a unique program that provides veterans with a $5,000 stipend to help cover the costs of obtaining a teaching certification in exchange for three years service in an eligible school. An additional bonus of $5,000 is available for teaching in a "high need school."
"This structure has proven very effective in transitioning qualified retiring military personnel into second careers in teaching," Petri said. "TTT participants fill several critical needs among educators: eighty percent are male, over one-third are ethnic minorities, and a majority bring an expertise in science and math to the classroom. These troops also bring valuable life experience and character traits that are uncommon in our nation's classrooms."
However, Petri said, the success of this program is in jeopardy without changes included in the Courtney/Petri/Matsui amendment. When the program was transferred from the Defense Department to the Education Department, a simple drafting error in the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act resulted in an Education Department ruling restricting the number of school districts in which veterans can fulfill their teaching requirement. Since the implementation of this ruling in September 2005, retiring military have found the number of schools at which they would be eligible to teach drastically reduced.
The Department's new interpretation locks out schools in many rural areas and small communities.
"This is a shame, especially given the success of this program and its ability to meet some of our nation's greatest teaching needs," said Petri. "In my own state of Wisconsin, only 11 out of 426 school districts qualify for participants to fulfill their teaching requirements. A 2006 Government Accountability Report (GAO) of the program found that the 2005 ruling had reduced interest and participation in the program, as schools in regions where troops lived were no longer considered eligible."
"Our amendment would correct this ruling and ensure that veterans participating in the Troops to Teachers program receive a $5,000 stipend for teaching three years in any school that is in a district receiving Title 1 funds. This would result in a 49 percent increase in the number of schools eligible under the program. The amendment does not change the criteria for the additional $5,000 bonus, maintaining the incentive for troops to teach in the highest need schools," Petri said.
The amendment also makes the Troops to Teachers Program more accessible by reducing the length of service requirements for active military. The make-up of the military has drastically changed since this program was first authorized sixteen years ago. Many young men and women returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan who would like to pursue teaching careers are currently ineligible for the program.
To ensure continued success of the program, the amendment creates an advisory board charged with improving awareness, increasing participation and ensuring the program meets the needs of schools and veterans.
Earlier this year, Representatives Petri, Courtney and Matsui introduced H.R. 3943, the Post 9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act, which contains these improvements to the program. This bill has 169 bipartisan cosponsors and the support of both military and educational organizations. These include: the American Legion, National Education Association, Association of the United States Army, Association of the United States Navy, Military Order of the Purple Heart, National Association of the State Boards of Education and many more.
Finally, the Courtney/Petri/Matsui amendment would transfer the Troops to Teachers Program back to the Department of Defense. Currently, the program is operated by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES). The Department of Education simply transfers funds to DANTES. Both the Department of Defense and the Department of Education support this transfer, which is reflected in the Administration's Fiscal Year 2011 budget request.
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