More Military Veterans Could Become Teachers

Michael Riley of the Denver Post is following a story on two U.S. Senators who would like to pass legislation that would pave the way for more military personnel to put their skills to use in the Nation’s classrooms:

Sens. John McCain and Michael Bennet want to put more battlefield veterans in classrooms as teachers, teaming up as a seasoned senator with military expertise and a freshman lawmaker who was superintendent of Denver Public Schools.

But in co-sponsoring a bipartisan bill known as Troops to Teachers, McCain, R-Ariz., is also handing Bennet, D-Colo., a potential campaign plum, an unusual move given McCain’s role recruiting GOP front- runner Jane Norton to race against the vulnerable Democratic appointee.

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Although it provides financial assistance for veterans to train as teachers, the existing program has tougher qualification requirements and limits the number of schools that can participate.

The senators’ bill would increase the authorized funding from $30 million a year to $50 million. Another 1,150 schools would be eligible to participate just in Colorado, many of them in poor and underserved areas. It also would reduce from six to four the number of years of noncombat active duty someone must serve to be eligible…Continue reading McCain, Bennet on front line to turn vets into teachers >>