Educational Partnerships
Thoughts on Partnering...
Candace Wheeler: CEO, National Military Family Association
John Deegan: Executive Director, Military Impacted Schools Association
Mary Keller: Executive Director, Military Child Education Coalition
Rene Campos, USN-Ret: Deputy Director, Health Care & Government Relations Military Officers Association of America
Sylvia Kidd: Director, Association of the United States Army
Online
militaryk12partners.dodea.edu
The Department of Defense has developed a comprehensive plan that provides military families with the tools and information needed to make informed choices regarding the appropriate educational setting for each child.
News and Events
Growth at Fort Bliss Begins to Hit Schools By Zahira Torres, El Paso TimesContact Information
DoDEA Educational Partnership Branch4040 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 588-3272
The Department of Defense Education Activity's Educational Partnership Branch is dedicated to every military child's right to a quality education regardless of their location or how often their family moves.
DoDEA has more than 60 years of experience supporting military students around the world. Today force structure changes have created an urgent and ongoing need to enrich and expand partnerships with military-connected communities throughout the nation. Through the Educational Partnership, DoDEA is committed to ensuring that the thousands of students being relocated throughout the nation because of these actions receive the best possible educational opportunities.
Today, of the 1.2 million children of military service members, approximately 80,000 -- or less than ten percent -- attend Department of Defense schools. The rest attend public or private schools or are home-schooled.
Service members often accept or decline assignments based on the availability of quality educational opportunities for their children. Quality K-12 education is also an important factor in retention. Additionally, service members are better able to focus on the mission when they know their family's needs are being met - and that includes education for their children. These and other factors affect the military's operational readiness.
In FY 2007, DoDEA received authority in the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act to work collaboratively with the Department of Education in efforts to ease the transition of military dependent students from attendance in DoDEA schools to attendance in schools local education agencies who educate military students.
The Educational Partnership Program promotes quality education, seamless transitions and deployment support for military students through outreach and partnership development. The Educational Partnership Program also has the authority to issue grants for programs that enhance student achievement. The Educational Partnership Program will provide training to Local Education Activities on how to write applications for grants and will serve as a clearinghouse for information on grants that are available for military-connected Local Education Agencies (LEAs).
