On Behalf of the Military Child
This month I have decided to take action to increase awareness in support
of military families. I want to encourage a dialogue for people to learn more
about the educational challenges military children have moving state to state. Additionally,
I would want more people to understand the challenges with our current military
childcare options.
Last month, I had the incredible opportunity to meet Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos at my boys’ school. (Read Article Here) She was there to celebrate the Month of the Military Child. At that meeting I mentioned to her the need to address child care and education concerns of military families. After the meeting, I was asked about her stance on these issues. I told the reporters that leaders often need to hear about problems from different parts of the community for them to take action. After the meeting, I was asked about her stance on these issues. I told the reporters that leaders often need to hear about problems from different parts of the community to take action.
I have not yet encountered my own education challenges for my
children. However, I have personally experienced the struggles of finding child
care each time we moved. I also have experienced the challenges of needing
extended childcare and summer options. I also have had the wonderful experience
of my first son being in a CDC 5 mins from my desk.
The statements below are from fellow Active Duty and Reservist Air
Force moms.
Note:
CDC is a Child Development Center. This is the childcare facility offered at military
installations.
PCS is a Permanent Change of Station.
This is when a military member moves from one location to another. - Some kind of workaround/voucher program when CDCs have waitlists of 6+ months. Most people don't get orders that far in advance anyway. I'm about to go on orders and I'm looking at $400+ more a month to put my son in a private daycare across town and that's IF they have an opening because the CDC still doesn't have a slot
- Finding quality before/after/summer care that's affordable! So inconsistent across school districts and states, and a constant worry.
- My CDC is only open from 630am to 6pm. While I'm thankful we (dual mil) don't work 12 hour swing shifts, we can't do our primary jobs (fly) on that schedule, ESPECIALLY if one of us is deployed/TDY.
- The law doesn't allow federal assistance to go towards nannies or any personal in-home care. - Lack of after school care here in Hawaii. The schools on base are part of DOE. In order to go there, you have to live on base. We live on Tripler and zoned to a different school with Army after school care. I was denied a geographic exception to go on Hickam even though my kids go to the CDC there. The after school care for our zoned school is Army and there's no room so back on a waiting list.
Education
concerns:
- I want to know how the federal government intends to preserve continuity of education and rights of students with disabilities as they PCS between state to state
- Moving around too much is hard on their education. How do we ensure they can get the education they need across so many systems?
- Provide consistent testing for gifted students. We know multiple families whose kids have missed out on great gifted programs because they missed a testing window for that state's particular test. It's a first world problem, I know, but it does put military kids at a disadvantage.
- When we moved back to CONUS my sons senior year the school refused to give him weighted grades for his AP classes that he took and received 4 & 5's on the exams because they said they didn't know if it was as good as theirs (told them DODDS schools are accredited) and they thought it wasn't fair to their students because he had an extra AP class they weren't offered. All other kids in the school received weighted credit for their AP classes. This took him from top 10% of his class to 13% which decreased scholarship opportunities. He was also selected to the Presidential Scholar program, as a representative from overseas, but we PCSd that summer and they said he couldn't go because he was no longer overseas and Ohio already had their nominees. Bottom line, allow our high school students to keep what they earn!
- I want to know how the federal government intends to preserve continuity of education and rights of students with disabilities as they PCS between state to state
- Moving around too much is hard on their education. How do we ensure they can get the education they need across so many systems?
- Provide consistent testing for gifted students. We know multiple families whose kids have missed out on great gifted programs because they missed a testing window for that state's particular test. It's a first world problem, I know, but it does put military kids at a disadvantage.
- When we moved back to CONUS my sons senior year the school refused to give him weighted grades for his AP classes that he took and received 4 & 5's on the exams because they said they didn't know if it was as good as theirs (told them DODDS schools are accredited) and they thought it wasn't fair to their students because he had an extra AP class they weren't offered. All other kids in the school received weighted credit for their AP classes. This took him from top 10% of his class to 13% which decreased scholarship opportunities. He was also selected to the Presidential Scholar program, as a representative from overseas, but we PCSd that summer and they said he couldn't go because he was no longer overseas and Ohio already had their nominees. Bottom line, allow our high school students to keep what they earn!
Feel free to send Sec DeVos and Ivanka Trump messages requesting
they learn more about our community’s needs.
1.
Send a message to Secretary of Education Betsy
DeVos advocating on behalf of military education concerns.
US Dept of Education
400 Maryland Ave SW
Washington, DC 20202
2.
Send a similar message to Ivanka Trump
advocating for military child care improvements.
Together
we can make a positive change for the military child and military families.