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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