Coalition for Military-Connected Student Success Letter to Dr. Jill Biden
In recent letters to Dr. Biden, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, the coalition flagged several key issues for the Biden administration.
High academic standards crucial for military, too
Currently, 72% of young people in Florida aged 17-24 are ineligible to qualify for military service. In this piece, General Steve Bogle highlights why high academic standards are important for preparing students to enter the military. General Bogle asserts that Florida’s academic standards provide students with critical thinking and quantitative skills needed to serve.
Military Families For High Standards Hosts a Panel at the 2019 congressional military family caucus summit
MFHS was pleased to participate in this year’s Congressional Military Family Caucus Summit, alongside Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Chairs of the Military Family Caucus. This year’s theme was “Home Front Readiness,” where several organizations gathered to discuss very important issues military families across our nation face daily. Our panel focused on the importance of providing military-connected students access to high-quality education.
September highlights the work of education sunday
A note from Christi Ham, Chairwoman of Military Families for High Standards
It's the beginning of a new school year and everyone is in new shoes or has a new lunch box, or totes a new book-bag. What's not new is the desire so many have for a school year that is dynamic, engaging, enticing and successful.
And for more than 100 years - beginning overseas and now in the U.S - clergy, families, and faith communities have made emphasizing those points and celebrating the beginning of their development with Education Sunday, which takes place in the month of September in faith centers around the country.
Military Families for High Standards invites all connected with us to continue to stress the importance of an engaging and successful school year. Regardless of any faith background or any spiritual pattern, we are all determined to offer our military-connected children the best possible educational experience wherever they are taught.
So as this new year takes off with another Education Sunday in the books, consider finding your own way of voicing your concern and best wishes for these children. This academic year, join with those across the country and around the globe to offer a spiritual petition that our students have an amazing year and that the wonderful teachers, administrators, parents who make it all happen, feel supported and appreciated. This is yet our chance to utter a message of gratitude and celebration --- and to launch the 2019-2020 school year with genuine promise.
The month of September offers us a formal opportunity. Consider making every day a day to encourage our students.
COALITION FOR MILITARY-CONNECTED STUDENT SUCCESS OPPOSES NEW BILL ON EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
The Coalition for Military-Connected Student Success, an advisory group of organizations working to ensure military-connected students have the best educational opportunities possible, opposes H.R. 1605/S. 695, The Education Savings Accounts for Military Families Act of 2019. This legislation would create a new national voucher program for children of active duty service members. It places the program within Impact Aid, a vital source of funding for school districts that include federal property such as military installations. This bill puts Impact Aid and other education programs integral to the education of military-connected children at risk.
Forbes: How Two Public School Districts Are Improving K-12 Education For Military Children
In this Forbes piece, Executive Director the Collaborative for Student Success, “highlights how two communities are addressing education quality issues in ways that could help other regions with sizable military populations.” One of the communities, in Knob Noster, Missouri, is making great strides to come up with “solutions could also improve military readiness by ensuring service members are willing to stay in the military and relocate where they are needed most.”
Watch the video below to see how Knob Noster Public Schools students are working with their local Air Force base to “create a 3-D printed part for inside the cockpit of each B-2.”
MILITARY TIMES: HOW ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES RIGHT BY MILITARY CHILDREN
Karen Jowers reports on a recent event in Virginia Beach, Virginia, “to highlight the work Virginia Beach does to support its military students—and all its students.” After touring a school, the event, hosted by Military Families for High Standards and the Collaborative for Student Success, featured a “panel discussion centered around what the school—and others in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools—do to help military students not just in transition, but in dealing with other aspects of military life, like deployments.”
13 News Now: Taking care of military kids, academically and socially
Mike Gooding reporting for 13 News Now says “national and local officials gathered at Shelton Park to highlight best practices being employed here, ensuring military-connected students receive the best education possible and make transitions both into and out of the district as seamless as possible.” The event, hosted by Military Families for High Standards and Collaborative for Student Success in Virginia Beach, VA, was to help recognize the city’s public schools for the important work being implemented by district and base leadership to help military-connected students succeed.
military times: How one school district does right by military children
Karen Jowers reports on a recent event in Virginia Beach, Virginia, “to highlight the work Virginia Beach does to support its military students—and all its students.” After touring a school, the event, hosted by Military Families for High Standards and the Collaborative for Student Success, featured a “panel discussion centered around what the school—and others in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools—do to help military students not just in transition, but in dealing with other aspects of military life, like deployments.”
Kiera tyler: When Military Families Move to Georgia, Transitioning School-age Children is Paramount
Military spouse Kiera Tyler shares in the All On Georgia resources that can help military families in Georgia support the academic success of their children. She writes, “For service members heading into Georgia with the family in tow, they are in good company. The state has one of the largest concentrations of active duty military, with approximately 63,448 personnel stationed in the state, according to the military’s latest demographic data from 2017.”
The Military times: Quality education for children is a military readiness issue
Christi Ham, chairwoman of Military Families for High Standards says quality education is not only an education issue but also a military readiness issue. But Ham isn’t the only one to recognize this issue, “U.S. military leaders recognize readiness connection to education and the very real impact it has on the performance of military units.”
The Military times: New group wants to be strong voice for military kids’ education
In this Military Times piece, Karen Jowers reports on the newly founded Coalition for Military-Connected Student Success. “Military-connected students and their families deserve educational options that move them forward and shape their tomorrows with great positive impact,” says Christi Ham, chairwoman of Military Families for High Standards.
The griffon Magazine: Nine tips to improve your school transition
As a military spouse and former educator, Christi Ham, chairwoman of Military Families for High Standards, knows how hard school transitions can be. In this Griffon Magazine piece, Ham gives military families nine tips to help smooth their school transitions.
Coalition for military-connected student success: Organizations Form Advisory Coalition to Boost Their Voices in Support of Military-Connected Students
Military Families for High Standards has joined a group of the nation’s top military family organizations to form an advisory coalition to provide policymakers with insights about the unique educational needs of the 1.2 million military-connected children and offer concrete recommendations on how to meet those needs. The Coalition for Military-Connected Student Success is currently comprised of the following organizations: The Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA); Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC); Military Families for High Standards (MFHS); Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA); National Association for Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS); National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI); and National Military Family Association (NMFA).
Kiera Gallagher: Welcome to Texas: Helping military families make transition to our bases
In this Times Record News, Kiera Gallagher gives military families two resources to “help them navigate the shoals of transitioning their children to new schools in the state.” The first, is an independent peer expert review of states’ school improvement efforts called “Promise to Practice.” The second is another guide by the Lexington Institute in collaboration with Collaborative for Student Success. This article was also published in the El Paso Times which can be found here.
Kiera Gallagher: Welcome to Texas: Helping military families make transition to our bases
In this Times Record News, Kiera Gallagher gives military families two resources to “help them navigate the shoals of transitioning their children to new schools in the state.” The first, is an independent peer expert review of states’ school improvement efforts called “Promise to Practice.” The second is another guide by the Lexington Institute in collaboration with Collaborative for Student Success.
Realclear education: How School Districts Can Help Military Children
Christi Ham, chairwoman of Military Families for High Standards says there are three best practices school districts can implement to help foster the academic success of military-connected students. Highlighting a recent study by the Lexington Institute, Ham says that open communication, educator training, and community-base partnerships go a long way in helping these young people succeed.
Kiera Gallagher: For military kids, the autumn brings trepidation and anxiety
Military spouse Kiera Gallaher shares in the Military Times about the challenges that military-connected students face during school transitions. She highlights how the Military Student Identifier, a new requirement under the Every Student Succeeds Act that tracks the academic progress of military-connected students, can help teachers meet the unique academic needs of these kids.
Kiera Gallagher: Challenging season for military families
Military spouse Kiera Gallaher shares in the Fayatteville Observer about the challenges facing North Carolina's military-connected families. She shares how “A Military Family’s Guide to School Transitions" a simple-to-follow online guide that walks a family through nine steps of what to do when transferring schools, can help ease or avoid potential challenges.
Daily Press: Johnson OpEd: Helping military families transition to new schools
Candy Johnson writes about the benefit of Military Families for High Standards' interactive simple-to-follow guide, written by military spouses, that walks a family through what to do when transferring schools. Johnson explains that “A Military Family’s Guide to School Transitions" is a "tool that can empower parents to make the transition from one school to another as easy as possible."
Inside Sources: Students at Defense Department Schools Outperform Peers in Public Schools
Jessica R. Towhey writes about how U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) students outperformed their public school counterparts in the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results. Achievement gaps between demographic groups were also less pronounced in DoDEA schools. In recent years, DoDEA schools have introduced high education standards to make sure their students are ready for college and careers. Christi Ham, chairwoman of Military Families for High Standards, cautioned though, that while the NAEP results are impressive, parents need to remain diligent, because not all military families have the option to attend DoDEA schools at all times.
medium: Recognizing the Progress We’ve Made over the Past Two Years
Christi Ham, chairwoman of Military Families for High Standards says that, during Month of the Military Child, there will be a lot of discussion about how much more there needs to be done. And while that’s true, “it is also important to recognize the progress we’ve made.” Part of this progress, Ham notes, is the Military Student Identifier created by ESSA, which “is designed to help states and districts understand how military-connected students are performing academically.”
education post: This Black History Month Teach Your Students About African-Americans in the Military
West Point Elementary School Assistant Principal Kelisa Wing—who also was named Department of Defense 2017 State Teacher of the Year— notes that during Black History Month, “we often forget about the Black soldiers who have served this country in the military.” As an Army veteran herself, Wing is “honored that The Association for the Study of African Life and History (ASALH) has selected African-Americans in Times of War as this year’s theme for Black History Month.” And now, as an educator, she would like to challenge other educators “to use this theme to study other champions of Black history who have served in the military such as the Tuskegee Airmen, the Buffalo Soldiers, Colonel Charles Young (first African-American colonel in the U.S. Army), Colin Powell (first African-American chairman of the joint chiefs of staff), Lt. Gen. Nadja West (first Black female lieutenant general), Maj. Gen. Fred A. Gorden (first Black commandant of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point), and many more.”
Washington examiner: the armed forces have an education problem
Even as our military seeks to expand in the face of growing global challenges, it’s become harder for our armed forces to find and retain qualified recruits, in part because of education. “In the case of new recruits, it is estimated that only about 25 percent of Americans aged 17-24 meet the current requirements to serve,” writes Christi Ham, chairwoman of Military Families for High Standards. Those who do make it in often follow their civilian counterparts in getting married and having children. This is where the retention problem comes in.
huff post: a discouraging report on educational progress
Military Families for High Standards Chairwoman Christi Ham highlighted the “disappointing” results of the Collaborative for Student Success and Bellwether Education Partners Check State Plans independent peer review of the 34 second-round state ESSA plans. While “these evaluations are important because they were a comprehensive, bipartisan look at the way states will implement their vision for educational improvement under the new law,” Ham notes that, “In many cases, state plans indicate that states plan to do little more than comply with federal law – overlooking their responsibility to provide all students with a high-quality education.”
militaryspouse.com: nine tips to add to your kid's school TRANSITION
A Military Family’s Guide to School Transitions has nine tips, including the following: organize school records; compile school contact information; familiarize yourself with the school curriculum; know your child’s interests; connect with school liaisons; get to know your local school board; meet with school’s special needs director; get familiar with the interstate compact; and take advantage of the plethora of military parent resources.
washington times: retaining armed forces with better schools
“Our armed forces have a manpower problem,” says retired U.S. Army general Ann Dunwoody and Military Families for High Standards Chairwoman Christi Ham. And it’s not just because of recruitment issues: retaining our current forces is equally important. But “these men and women are increasingly concerned about their choice of the military as a career,” particularly when it comes to the education of their children. While the “nomadic nature of military life” is attractive to young, single recruits, it becomes less so when service members have families. Frequent moves “take their toll in many ways,” and many military families “would prefer spending more time in one station, especially if the schools are good.” This finding is backed up by a Military Times survey from earlier this year, which asked current and former military personnel questions on education issues.
HuffPost: The Military Student Identifier May Be a Game-Changer for Many Helping Military-Connected Children
Chairwoman of Military Families for High Standards Christi Ham wants “to take a few minutes to look at one of the most interesting developments in recent history regarding military-connected children—the creation of the military student identifier (MSI).” This provision of the ESSA law “promises to give states the ability to help ensure the success of military-connected children in our public schools across the country.” Through the MSI, “administrators will gain new insights on their military-connected learners, including academic progress and proficiency, special and advanced program participation, mobility and dropout rates, and patterns over time across states and districts lines.”
Proceedings today: educating kids is a readiness issue
Collaborative for Student Success Executive Director Jim Cowen and National Math + Science Initiative Vice President of State and Federal Programs Marcus Lingenfelter write that one “key factor in the degradation of military readiness involves a very personal element: service members and their young families.” If you ask any service member, “he or she will tell you that the quality of education for their children is of top priority.”
huffpost: why we fight
Military Families for High Standards Chairwoman Christi Ham recently reviewed the results of two recent polls - Education Next and Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK) - regarding Americans’ attitudes toward education policy and shared her thoughts on HuffPost. "These results are very important. They show that the public supports high-quality, consistent educational opportunities. They also support assessments that show whether or not our kids are learning what they are supposed to know," says Ham.
huffpost: Sharing Essential Knowledge Is Essence of Military Student Identifier
Chairwoman of Military Families for High Standards Christi Ham discusses how challenging it can be to ensure a consistent, high-quality educational experience for military-connected students, whose families, on average, move “up to nine times during a child’s K-12 years.” But until recently, there has been little hard data—just “anecdotal conclusions at best”—regarding this significant group of U.S. students. The “sharing of knowledge,” writes Christi Ham, “is vital for educators devising new policies that guide the education of 1.2 million children of U.S. service members.”
real clear education: making life easier for the new kids in class
Christi Ham, chairwoman for Military Families for High Standards, highlights four recommendations from the Lexington Institute Report aimed at making new school transitions for military-connected students easier. Ham discusses her own experiences as a military spouse and her undeniable need to have you kids attend the best schools available.
HuffPost: summertime brings challenges to military families
Most kids look forward to the summer. No school, more time with friends, and family trips to the beach. But for many military families summer isn’t always as easy. Christi Ham, chairwoman for Military Families for High Standards, delves into the myriad of challenges these families face when making a move depending on the distance, age of their children, and registration deadlines – just to name a few.
The hill: Children in Military Families need more support
Collaborative for Student Success Executive Director Jim Cowen amplifies one of the major challenges facing our nation’s military families. “What sets military families apart in terms of the education of their children is that they are highly nomadic — military-connected students attend as many as nine schools during their K-12 years. As a result, more than one million military-connected children, most of whom attend public schools, change schools at a rate far exceeding that of their civilian counterparts,” Cowen writes.
huffpost: get ready for that next move
To help navigate military family's educational concerns pertaining to new school transitions, Military Families for High Standards has compiled a helpful new document titled, A Military Family’s Guide to School Transitions. “These tools help them navigate through the chaos that inevitably comes when they prepare to move to their next adventure.” Unfortunately, “finding a guide for choosing the school that’s right for our children or getting them prepared for that new school in a new state,” hasn’t always been easily available, Christi Ham, chairwoman of Military Families for High Standards writes.
READING LIST
National Military Family Association: "The Common Core: What Do Military Families Need to Know?"
"At one time, almost every military family had a story about moving to a new school district only to find their children were far ahead – or far behind – because standards in their old and new school were so different. The Common Core addresses this problem by implementing a uniform set of high standards, so kids and their families know what is expected when they move to a new school."
The Hill: "High Education Standards and the US Military"
“The news is filled with stories about how U.S. children are slipping way behind other countries when it comes to key educational benchmarks. But the corollary is that these children grow up -- and as a result of the poor or inconsistent education standards in their younger years, many Americans don't have the grounding to be successful in higher education without remedial classes.”
The Daily Caller: "The Army’s Number One Need For The Future: Smarter Recruits"
"The U.S. Army is facing one of its greatest threats since it became an all-volunteer force back in 1973. The failure of our education systems to produce well-educated, high-school graduates is threatening its ability to protect our country."
U.S. News & World Report: “Military Families Need Common Core”
“One of the lessons quickly learned by U.S. military service members is that you move. And move often. On average, a service member moves every two to three years. For those with a family, this can mean six to nine different schools at as many bases during a child’s elementary and high school years…”
St Louis Post Dispatch: “How to keep the Army in Missouri: Improve the schools”
“If local communities want to hedge against future troop cuts in our area, they should pay very close attention to the quality of schools in and around military installations, because the Army certainly is…”