Congressman wants Troops to Teachers expanded - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Congressman wants Troops to Teachers expanded

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Tom Petri of Wisconsin is pushing legislation to make more schools eligible for a program that recruits veterans as teachers.

The Troops to Teachers program has placed more than 11,500 veterans in American schools since it started in 1994. The program gives veterans a $5,000 stipend to help them obtain teaching certification in return for three years of teaching in a “high-need” school.

In 2005, the federal government defined “high need” in a way that excluded many rural and small communities from the program and focused efforts on poor, urban areas. The number of eligible school districts in Wisconsin dropped from 395 to nine.

Petri says many veterans who would like to participate in the program now can’t because no schools in their area qualify.

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Information from: The Post-Crescent.