The summit opened with a video address by Dr. Biden, a teacher, military mother and grandmother, and the wife of president-elect Joe Biden. In 2012, as part of the Joining Forces initiative with then First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Biden created Operation Educate the Educator to bolster support and understanding for military-connected students.

“We made some important progress, but there’s still a lot of work to do,” she told MCEC summit attendees. “That’s why your Military Kids Now Survey matters so much. MCEC has brought the voice of the military child forward. Children responded with thoughtful answers about what they wished their peers and their parents and teachers understood about their experiences; and parents, counselors, and educators weighed in on what resources they needed to best serve military-connected children. With this critical information we’re going to be able to chart a better path for students, parents, and schools.”

The survey, covering students’ academic and social-emotional needs, polled more than 5,100 individuals. Respondents included military-connected students (13 and older), parents of military kids, and educators, from 21 countries. Students and parents were from all branches of the U.S. military, including active, reserve and guard components, as well as veterans. Educators in the survey included administrators, counselors, classroom teachers, and other education professionals, as well as school district personnel. Public, private, charter, virtual, and home school environments were included in the survey.

MCEC conducted the survey over several months in the spring of 2020 and intends to use the findings to deepen “understanding of ongoing education challenges for military-connected students” and to “meet the needs of military-connected children through research informed solutions,” according to the report summary.

Read the full Military Kids Now 2020 Survey Summary Report from MCEC.

More about the survey from Lisa Smith Molinari in Stars and Stripes: Military Students Seek Understanding, a Level Playing Field 

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When military families first come to a new school, whether in-person or on Zoom or via email, we are carrying an invisible backpack on our shoulders weighted heavily with the emotional stress of the last several months of moving. It will be all that much heavier this time around due to the impact of the pandemic. A simple gesture of understanding and knowledge of the Interstate Compact on the part of receiving schools helps military families in this very unsettling time.

Read more at Military Times

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For military families, moving during a pandemic is like navigating the K-12 landscape through a kaleidoscope. When a military-connected child arrives at a new school this fall, teachers and administrators should understand that it has been a hard journey to get there — much more difficult than in normal times.

Read more at The74million.org

The post Mom’s View: Challenges of Pandemic Transitions appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

When Michelle Anders’s military family moved from Hawaii to Georgia, her six-year-old daughter had to change schools in the middle of the school year. Michelle was concerned about the impact the transition might have on her little girl but found helpful information in Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

“This book is like a manual for anyone who lives or works with military kids,” says Michelle. She and other parents and teachers agree the book made a huge difference in the moving experiences of their military-connected students.

Read the full story at BooksMakeaDifference.com

The post Making a Difference for Military Kids, Families appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers, by Amanda Trimillos, EdD, and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman received Gold/First Place for best reference book at the Military Writer’s Society of America 2019 awards. MWSA recognizes excellence among military authors and their books. This year’s awards were announced September 14 at a ceremony in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the MWSA 2019 national conference.

Read more at elvaresa.com

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When navigating and building support networks for military life, personal connections make all the difference. For all the moving pieces—transitions, mental health, school changes, deployment, and more—many avenues of support are available, and a few helping hands can bring those pieces together. Seasons of My Military Student coauthors Amanda Trimillos and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman and other experienced military spouses share best practices for building support networks.

Read more at MilitaryFamilyLife.com

The post Building Strong Networks of Support appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

“Look for the new kid.” A common saying I tell my children as I help zip up their backpacks, arrange their clothes and tie their shoes preparing for the first day of school. It’s a simple saying, but one that can change the trajectory of a new student. My children have moved six times, two countries in 12 years. They have attended five different schools as my oldest heads into eighth grade this fall. My kids, like most are well versed in being the new kid – but it never gets easier.

Read more at ScaryMommy.com

The post Back to School Advice: Look for the New Kid appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Kindergarten is a magical year, when eager little ones head to school for the first time. Ready to learn, ready to be independent, ready to grow. But not all children are ready to take the leap of freedom or pace of learning. Not all parents are ready either. How do you know if your military-connected child is ready for kindergarten?

Read more from Military Spouse magazine

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For military-connected students, the transition from middle school to high school can be compounded by a PCS move. Moving to a new community, loss of social support networks and unfamiliar academic expectations will be a heavy burden for budding teens. Planning for the transition is best way to prepare for the unknowns of a new high school.

Read more at Military Spouse magazine

The post New high school: Preparation is key appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers by Amanda Trimillos, EdD, and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman won Gold in the education category at the 2019 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards^TM, announced during a gala ceremony April 5, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Given by the Independent Book Publishers Association for excellence and innovation in publishing, the award is regarded as one of the highest national honors for independent publishers. Elva Resa is the leading independent publisher of resources for and about military families. The IBPA honor was one of several ways the book has been recognized since its publication in 2018.

Read more at elvaresa.com

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