Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children

Supporting Youth of Guard and Reserve Institute (GRI)

The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) is providing a FREE institute entitled: Supporting Youth of Guard and Reserve Institute (GRI).

This FREE training will be held May 8-9 at the Hotel Chequamegon in Ashland, WI.
Travel and lodging are the responsibility of the participant.

The Institute is designed to support the work of school counselors, school administrators, mental health and social work professionals.

Please share with the appropriate parties and help us spread the word!

The Hardest Year

The Hardest Year is an excellent article about the unique stressors that face military children and how the Interstate Compact for the Education of Military Children is working to support families.

Military kids have many unique experiences (e.g., moving frequently, adjusting to new schools, making new friends) and then are further challenged with going through a deployment of a parent or caregiver. MilitaryKidsConnect.org is a department of Defense (DOD) website dedicated to improve family readiness by enhancing resilience and coping skill in military children who experience the deployment cycle of a parent or caregiver.

MilitaryKidsConnect.org provides distinct age-appropriate content for kids (6-8 yrs), tweens (9-12yrs) and teens (13-17 yrs) as well as information and resources for parents and educators. This website provides a safe, moderated online community for military children to connect with each other to share thoughts, ideas and questions about their unique experiences.

Please share this information about this great resource with those who would benefit.

“The Compact” is Making It Easier to Educate Our Military Children

For this informative article written by Robert L. Gordon III, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Military Community and Family Policy), go to this link.

Using Books in Child Care to Connect with Military Children's Lives

Operation Military Kids (OMK) has worked with the public libraries to supply multiple books to each region. Many of the books listed in the following resources are part of the OMK Reading Collection.

Selected Articles and Resources:
Real Life Calls for Real Books: Literature to Help Children Cope with Family Stressors
Shared Storybook Reading: General Reading Strategies
Children's Books about Family Relationships and Experiences
The Magic in Books: How to Read with Children

Branches of the Military

Learn more about the branches of the military at this link http://www.justmilitaryloans.com/understanding-the-u-s-military-branches/.

"Be Here" Attendance Campaign Toolkits

The DoDEA Educational Partnership Branch in coordination with all the Services is pleased to announce the launch of the "Be Here" attendance campaign toolkits! This campaign was developed by a working group of service representatives, DoDEA personnel, as well as LEA superintendents, and is designed to inform all stakeholders of the importance of school attendance. Many months of work has gone into developing the resources located on the below website.

These toolkits contain downloadable "ready-to-go" briefs, flyers, PSAs, newsletter/newspaper articles, message templates, and much more. The resources are organized into three toolkits:
1. Schools & Teachers
2. Parents & Students
3. Military Leadership & SLOs

Whenever possible, resources have been provided in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint format so that they may be modified and/or revised to meet your specific needs.

The toolkits are available at: http://www.militaryk12partners.dodea.edu/behere.cfm.

Youth Development "Brown Bag" Webinar Series

At the following website: http://www1.extension.umn.edu/youth/training-events/youth-development-brown-bag.html.

Joining Forces

Taking Action to Serve America's Military Families

Joining Forces is a national initiative that mobilizes all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned.

Key Policy Letter from US Education Secretary to District Superintendents

A letter to district superintendents regarding policies on deployment-related absences can be found here.

Newsletter for the Interstate Commission on Educational Opportunities for Military Children

Check out the latest edition of MIC3...NEWS, VIEWS, AND TRANSITIONS on the MIC 3 website.

Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children

Wisconsin is committed to working at the state and local level to ensure that children of military families are afforded opportunities for educational success. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction works to ensure that children are supported in achieving their educational goals.

Wisconsin became part of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children through legislation that was enacted in 2010. The compact provides for the uniform treatment of military children transferring between school districts and states. The compact was developed by the Council of State Governments’ National Center for Interstate Compacts, the Department of Defense, national associations, federal and state officials, departments of education, school administrators, and military families.

Military families move frequently. While reassignments may be beneficial for military personnel, they can be difficult for children. Most military children attend six to nine different school systems during their PK-12 educational career and will transition more than twice during their high school years. School enrollment, eligibility for programs, placement, and graduating on time can be difficult due to frequent relocations. In addition to adjusting to new cities, bases, and homes, military children also deal with making and losing friends as they frequently change schools. While the military has made great strides to support transitions for personnel and spouses, their children continue to face challenges. Educators and legislators in Wisconsin are working to minimize the negative impact on the education of military children.

In 2010, Shelley Joan Weiss was appointed as the State Commissioner to the Interstate Commission on the Educational Opportunity for Military Children.

Wisconsin Council Members
Shelley Joan Weiss, State Commissioner
Becky Walley, Wisconsin Military School Liaison Officer
John Hendricks, Sparta School District Superintendent
Mark Radcliffe, Wisconsin State Representative
John Blaha, Military Representative
Tony Evers, Wisconsin State Superintendent
Vacant, School Counseling Consultant
Janet A. Jenkins, Chief Legal Counsel

Wisconsin Legislation on the Interstate Compact
Interstate compact on educational opportunity for military children 115.997 http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/115/VIII/
State council on the interstate compact on educational opportunity for military children 14.91 http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/14/V/91

National Link for the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) www.mic3.net

Wisconsin Links for Military Families
Wisconsin Service Member Support Division http://wisconsinmilitary.org
Wisconsin 4H Operation Military Kids http://4h.uwex.edu/omk/links.cfm
Wisconsin Better Business Bureau - Helpful Links and Resources for Military Families http://wisconsin.bbb.org/Military/Links
Wisconsin Legislation http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lc/publications/act/2009/act329-sb681.pdf

National Links for Military Families
State Council and State Commissioner Orientation and Leadership Manual
Military Teen Toolkit
Resources for OEF/OIF Military Families
Tackling Tough Topics: An Educator's Guide to Working with Military Kids
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) www.dodea.edu
Military K-12 Partners www.militaryk12partners.dodea.edu/index.cfm
Military Child Education Coalition www.militarychild.org
National Military Family Association www.militaryfamily.org/
Japan Information Letter to School Districts
Military OneSource.com www.militaryonesource.mil/
Information from the National School Boards Association http://www.nsba.org/Advocacy/Key-Issues/MilitaryCompact
National Legislative Resource Kit http://www.mic3.net/pages/commissioners/documents/2011LegislativeResourceKit-Final.pdf

Additional Resources

The National Association of School Psychologists provides numerous resources related to supporting the children of military families. Following are several current articles.

For more information contact Shelley Weiss at shelleyjoan.weiss1@gmail.com.

Last updated on 4/24/2012 10:38:49 AM