María Elvira Salazar: “today I am introducing the Troops to Teachers Improvement Act of 2007, which will help more of our veterans and service…”

“today I am introducing the Troops to Teachers Improvement Act of 2007, which will help more of our veterans and service members find second careers in our classrooms. This bill will expand the accessibility of this program, so that more military personnel will be able to enroll, receive $5,000 toward their teaching certification, and teach in a school near their home. Since it was created in 1994, the Troops to Teachers program has helped place over 10,000 new teachers in classrooms around the country. The program provides guidance, teacher certification assistance, and bonuses for military personnel who give at least three years of service in the classroom. When Congress established the Troops to Teachers program, it created two levels of bonuses for military personnel and veterans who participate. An individual was eligible for a $5,000 stipend so long as he or she taught in any school in a district that received Title I funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.”