National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011

Floor Speech

* Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the Courtney/Petri/Matsui amendment which would transfer the Troops to Teachers Program back to the Department of Defense from the Department of Education and would make essential improvements to the program to ensure that veterans returning from service have access to its benefits.

* Currently, the Troops to Teachers Program is operated by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) within the Department of Defense. The Department of Education simply transfers funds to DANTES. Our amendment would transfer the program back to the Department of Defense, thus streamlining the program. Both the Department of Defense and the Department of Education support this transfer, which is reflected in the President's Fiscal Year 2011 budget request.

* Additionally, our amendment would 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 change would create a 49-percent increase in the number of schools eligible under the program.

* As the language of H.R. 3943 reflects, it is the intent of this amendment to strike "high need'' from the stipend participation language in the Troops to Teachers statute. There was a late night drafting error that mistakenly did not delete the term "high need'' as was planned and is consistent with the language in H.R. 3943. As this provision is finalized in conference, it is essential that this technical change be made to implement the original intent of the amendment.

* This amendment also makes this program more accessible to our veterans returning from service by reducing the length of service requirements for active military. Many of our young men and women returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan who would like to pursue teaching careers are currently ineligible for the program. The amendment reduces the required length of service from six years to four years.

* Finally, this amendment creates an advisory board to ensure continued success, by increasing awareness and participation and ensuring the program meets the needs of schools and veterans.

* I want to thank my colleagues, Representative Courtney and Representative Petri for their work on this amendment and for their continued support of the Troops to Teachers Program, as well as both the House Committee on Armed Services and Committee on Education and Labor for their assistance in this amendment. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. es to support the amendment.

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