Promising Practices
Developing and strengthening partnerships at the local, state, and federal levels are essential in providing a continuum of education for all military children. Key in developing the partnerships is the philosophy that "all military children--regardless of where their parents are stationed--should be guaranteed a quality education--just as their civilian counterparts."
In order to strengthen those partnerships a good two-way communication program must be in place at the local level. Some of the "best practices" that have proven effective include:
Having a Military Representative on the local Board of Education
- serves as liaison between the school district and military installation
Military leaders to keep informed
- Military Advisory Board Member
- Installation Commander
- when new commander arrives, important for Superintendent and Military Advisory Board member to meet (within first month) to open lines of communication and discuss priorities
- update meetings should take place periodically
- School Liaison Officer
- Public Affairs Officer
- Family Advocacy Officer
- Officers' and Enlisted Spouses Club
Designated school official to be liaison with military installation
- enhances communication lines with the military installation
- works with Military Advisory Board member to keep current on issues such as
- Impact Aid
- housing plans (short term and long range)
- personnel mission plans (short term and long range)
- privatization of military housing
- A-76 studies
- cost competitive initiatives
- is primary contact when military do not know where to go to answer question or solve problem
Work with local associations
- National Military Family Association
- Air Force Association
- Air Force Sergeants Association
- Association of United States Army
- Navy League
- community organizations/military relations committees
Board of Education approve policy in support of mobile families and need to provide a smooth transition from one school district to another
- Board of Education approve resolution in support of military recruiters in schools
- Smooth transition for "families on the move"
- personalize communication
- Right Start program (schools provide information to all newcomers)
- Smooth Move program (schools provide information to all military leaving area)
- register new students via the web
- begin an "800" number or e-mail for military to contact district with specific questions
- school set up information tables/registration at Base Exchange in the summer
- keep buildings open year round for registration
- provides school tours and briefings for families when "house hunting"
Help educators understand "what's on the other side of the fence"
- provide new staff orientation of community--include tour of military installation
- stress excitement military children bring to classroom, the need for staff to understand quick and long deployments, the tremendous wealth of resources available to staff (speakers, volunteers, etc.)
- each year provide all principals with tours of military installation and briefings
- take in-service day for staff and develop around the theme "get to know your community" the entire day staff visit and tour various areas--including military installation, historic areas, etc.
Military installation help with shortage of teachers and staff by
- providing information in base paper and briefings at meetings
Military installation support programs such as:
- Commander announces to military members that their duty assignment on parent/teacher conference day is at their son's/daughter's school
- volunteers in the school
- adopt a school program
- shadow programs for middle and high school students
- flights for JROTC students
- base liaison officer assigned to each JROTC unit
- volunteers for science and math programs
- speakers bureau in all schools
- career fair for middle and high school students
- volunteers to assist JROTC with marching
- military band mentors with middle/high school students--then holds a joint performance
- mentoring program
- recruiters administer the ASVAB test for students
- military police as DARE instructors
- military police are members on school district safety committee
- military hospital assist with health screenings, physicals, dental exams
