Military K-12 Partners Newsroom

2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008

May

May 26, 2009 - New state law aids students in military families By Jenn Rowell, Montgomery Advertiser (AL) Children in military families move eight times on average during their academic career, according to Defense Department figures. Alabama recently joined a group of 19 other states that will work together to help those kids as they face multiple academic challenges. Constant change and differences in school systems' requirements prompted the concept of an Interstate Commission on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. Alabama joined the compact when the Legislature approved the bill and Gov. Bob Riley signed it into law May 19. The compact requires each state to establish its own council that includes the state superintendent, but the Alabama Department of Education is just now getting acquainted with the new law, and local officials aren't sure how the new law will affect them either. Full Article +

May 26, 2009 - Senator Webb Requests $5 million for Military Children with Disabilities Senator Jim Webb (D -VA) this week sent a bipartisan letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee requesting $5 million in Impact Aid funding from the FY2010 National Defense Authorization Act to assist local school districts educating large numbers of military children with severe disabilities. Impact Aid funding is needed to relieve strained local school districts that have seen increased numbers of military children with disabilities due to 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) recommendations. Many of these school districts have strong Special Education programs and have higher percentages of military children with disabilities than those with non -federally connected students. Providing special education services is expensive, costing upwards of $100,000. Full Article +

May 20, 2009 - State helps 'new kid in school' By Steve Campbell, Huntsville Times Gov. Bob Riley signed a law Tuesday designed to help students of military families transfer with less hassle to Alabama schools. The law makes Alabama the 19th state to join the Interstate Commission on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. States in the organization help the students work out differences in states' graduation requirements, school admissions, eligibility for extracurricular activities and other school -related issues. Full Article +

May 19, 2009 - Military Wife Documents Life on Home Front By Faiza Elmasry, Voice of America, Washington, D.C. Freelance journalist Alison Buckholtz grew up in a non -military family. She never imagined she would fall in love with a member of the armed forces. But she did, and since she married an active -duty U.S. Navy pilot in 2001, their life together has often been a life apart - marked by long separations, unforeseen challenges and unexpected rewards, as well. Full Article +

May 17, 2009 - Military counselors travel the state to prepare families for returning soldiers by Judy Peet and Tomas Dinges/The Star -Ledger

Each time the baby of a New Jersey Army National Guardsman is born, the department sends a baby blanket. Since last June, when nearly 3,000 New Jersey troops left for a yearlong deployment, the Guard sent out 30 blankets. These 30 newborns are among scores of Guardsmen's children who have had to spend a year without their father or mother. Now the soldiers are coming home.

Nobody is sure exactly when, but the return of New Jersey's largest deployment since World War II is expected to start shortly after Memorial Day. Unlike other wars in other times, these soldiers will get more legal, financial and psychological support than any returning troops in U.S. history. What they may not immediately receive, however, is one of the things they dreamed about most: Their child's hug. Of all the uncertainties associated with returning to civilian life after a year in a combat zone, perhaps the least predictable is how the children will react."You give me an age and I'll give you a problem the kids experienced when their father came home," said Randi Cairns, 39, of East Brunswick, who raised four children through her husband's three deployments. "The thing I've learned is: Never underestimate the impact on the children." For months, military counselors have traveled throughout the state, preparing families for what to expect from the children when their loved ones return from the desert. Full Article +

May 16, 2009 - Organization offers counseling to children of deployed soldiers By ANDREW GOODRIDGE, The Daily Sentinel

Military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan may be deployed several thousand miles away, but local children can still feel the effects of the war. The faith -based Samaritan Counseling Center is using grant money to provide outreach specifically to children with family members deployed overseas. The center recently received a grant from the Texas Resources for Iraq -Afghanistan Deployment (TRIAD), which funds counseling services for military personnel and their family members. The center has offered these counseling services for several months, but counselors are now increasing their focus on youths affected by the war. Children suffering from the stress of having a deployed family member often exhibit behavioral changes, such as a loss of interest in hobbies or friends, difficulty concentrating, irritable moods, or physical symptoms like stomachaches and headaches or weight gain, Angela Cooper, a Samaritan Center counselor, said."With some kids waiting for a parent to come back home, there's a lot of stress, depression and anxiety," Cooper said. "And sometimes when a parent who returns and shows signs of post -traumatic stress disorder, a child can mimic those symptoms." Full Article +

May 19, 2009 - New Law Eases Challenges for Military Families Reported by: RNS (Montgomery, AL)

Governor Bob Riley has signed a law aimed at helping children of military personnel transfer to new schools when their parents change assignments. The new law makes Alabama the 19th state to join the Interstate Commission on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. The states work together to help transferring students from military families by reconciling variations in graduation requirements, school admissions, eligibility for extra -curricular activities and other education -related issues. For instance, states would agree that children who move mid -year could continue in the same grade even if their new school has different age requirements. It would also mean students who are enrolled in honors or advanced classes in one state could continue those classes in another state. The bill was sponsored by Representative Craig Ford and Senator Ted Little.