Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

 WASHINGTON – Lisa White is not your average third-grade teacher.

 “I guess you could say that I run a tight ship,” said White, a veteran of the Air Force and a teacher at Lamont Elementary School in New Carrollton, Md.

 White, 42, served as a military command and control specialist for eight years before becoming a grade school teacher. She had been out of the military for nearly five years when she heard about the federal program that would train her for a career in education.

 That program, called Troops to Teachers may be expanded under new legislation proposed by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and other lawmakers.

 “Teachers are a vital part of our society,” McCain said at a recent press conference.

 The legislation would make more schools eligible to participate in the program and decrease the amount of service time required for a member of the military to qualify for the program. The program currently requires people to complete six years of military service.

 The proposed legislation would cut that time to four years for those who served before 9/11. Those who have served at least 90 days since 9/11 would also qualify. Many recent veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are not eligible under the existing program.

 “We want veterans to know there is a place for you in the classroom,” said Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., a cosponsor of the bill.

 “The effect is going to be tremendous for the students in this country,” said William McAleer, chief of Troops to Teachers. “I think it’s going to do a great job for communities.”

 Officially known as the Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education, the program has trained 12,000 former members of the military since it began in 1994. Program officials do not keep track of how many of those teachers have stayed in the classroom.

 The government provides educational stipends to the veterans, and those who agree to teach in schools in low-income neighborhoods can earn bonuses. In return, the new teachers must commit to three years in the classroom.

 White is one of those veterans who have found a place in the classroom.

 “When I went into teaching, I found that my life experiences benefit the children,” White said.

 Though teaching is a lot different from her career in the military, White said that some things are similar – such as the need to be organized, to multi-task and meet deadlines.

 “I think it makes me a better teacher, going into the field after having been in the military and having been exposed to things,” she said.

 After leaving the Air Force, White spent four years working on her teaching degree, then taught at a military school in North Carolina for two years.

 “I felt that by being a veteran in that kind of community, I can understand what they’re going through,” she said.

 In 2007, White moved to Maryland to teach in the Prince George’s County Public Schools. Although White said she would like to teach in a military school again, for now she enjoys teaching in a civilian school. In a public school, White said she exposes her students to things other teachers haven’t experienced.

 “I teach them things I learned in the Air Force, like paying attention to detail,” she said. White said she also brings discipline, patriotism and a knowledge of history to her students.

 Barry Jordan, 48, is training in the Troops to Teachers program and is a substitute teacher at Wise High School in Upper Marlboro, also in Prince George’s County. Jordan retired from the military in 2005 after 23 years in the Air Force.

 Jordan has been substituting in special needs classes since 2005 and is working on his teaching certification. Jordan said he decided to go into teaching after the military because he wanted to provide a positive direction for young people.

 “I kind of feel a need to do that,” Jordan said.

 Jordan said teaching has given him a sense of fulfillment, and he would recommend the Troops to Teachers program to other veterans.

 “It gives the troops another opportunity to serve their communities,” he said.

 The Post-9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act would give $50 million annually for the program over the next five years. Now, $30 million is allotted annually for the program. Under the proposed legislation, more participants could qualify for financial assistance for teacher certification and training. The act would also create an advisory board that would help increase awareness of the program, boost participation and ensure that the programs meets the needs of participating schools and veterans.