WASHINGTON -- Rep. Tom Petri announced the reintroduction of Troops to Teachers legislation today at a Troops to Teachers Conference in Washington, D.C.

The Troops to Teachers program provides considerable financial assistance to military personnel who want to become teachers after leaving active service. Participants receive a stipend of $5,000 while obtaining teacher certification, and participants are also eligible for an additional $5,000 if they teach for three years in schools serving a high percentage of students from low-income families.

Indications of the success of the program are that over 30,000 individuals have applied for the program, and over 9,000 program participants have been hired as teachers throughout the country. This includes about 70 participants in Wisconsin, Petri's home state.

Rep. Petri during his keynote address to the Troops to Teachers Conference in Washington D.C.   Dr. John Gantz, chief of the federal Troops to Teachers program, is seated at the table.

But according to Petri there is a problem: "Unfortunately, because of Education Department actions, now there are no schools in my district that can hire Troops participants while allowing them to retain their certification stipend. Due to drafting error, Congress inadvertently created two conflicting definitions of 'high-need' for Troops to Teachers under the No Child Left Behind Act. In September 2005, the Education Department ruled in favor of the higher threshold for 'high-need,' overruling the original, congressionally-intended definition."

Petri said the stricter definition requires schools to have either 10,000 students or 20 percent of students from families below the poverty level - a challenging threshold for most school districts to meet. However, the original, intended definition of high-need was also retained in the law in the section specifically detailing the Troops program.

In November 2006, along with Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), Petri introduced the Troops to Teachers Improvement Act to address confusion surrounding the conflicting definitions of "high- need." Specifically, this legislation would allow participants to teach in high-need schools under the broader, original definition if no other school under the new, stricter definition exists within a 50 mile radius of the veteran teacher's residence.

"This is a pragmatic solution that is perfectly in-line with the spirit of No Child Left Behind, while also supporting our veterans and students by maximizing opportunities for participation," Petri said.

During his keynote address, Petri announced that next week he and Rep. Matsui will reintroduce the Troops to Teachers Improvement Act to continue to build support in the 110th Congress.