SECTION
LIFE
B
November 18, 2016
Center for Information Warfare announces Civilians of the Quarter; See page B2 Spotlight
GOSPORT
November is Military Family Month From Carissa Bergosh NAS Pensacola School Liaison Officer
T
hroughout the month of November, military families serving the world over are honored.
This would be a great month for families to learn about “The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children,” which is, in essence, an agreement among member states on how they will address school transition issues for military children in a consistent manner. The compact provisions specifically provide for flexibility and local discretion in course and program placement and on-time graduation within the criteria established by a state. The mobile military lifestyle creates tough challenges for children who attend, on average, six to nine different school systems from kindergarten to 12th grade. In addition, these children often endure the anxiety of parental separation during deployments. The compact was designed to replace the widely varying treatment of transitioning military students with a comprehensive uniform procedure and policy to be followed in every school district of every state which joins. Eligibility for enrollment: During deployments, it is often necessary for students to stay with a non-custodial parent or someone serving “in loco parentis.” If the non-custodial parent or person serving “in loco parentis” lives outside of the student’s current attendance area and is willing to transport the student back to the current school, the child may continue to attend his or
her current school which quired, it must be started However, the compact alwill help provide much within 30 days of enroll- lows the school to subseneeded consistency for the ment. quently perform an Special education evaluation to ensure the child. The compact also stip- services: The compact re- child is placed appropriulates that the power of at- quires that students cov- ately according to the new torney for guardianship ered by the Individuals school’s requirements. given during deployment is sufficient for enrollment and all other actions requiring parental participation or consent. Educational records: When a family leaves a school district in a member state, they may request a copy of a complete set of unofficial academic records to carry to the new school. The receiving school of a member state agrees to accept the unofficial student records to enroll and place the student, pending receipt of official records. Once a student is enrolled, the new school will request official records. A school district Chief Petty Officer Justin Burke, assigned to the submarine tender USS Frank Cable in a member state must (AS 40) embraces his family for the first time, after completing a five-month deploysend these records within ment, Nov. 8. Photo by SN Alana Langdon 10 days of receiving a request. with Disabilities Educa- This provision ensures stu- time out of school would and tion Act (IDEA) receive dents will not be put in a be educationally unsound. Kindergarten first grade entrance age: the same services (al- “holding” class while they One state wrote in their A student who moves to a though not necessarily are awaiting assessment, compact legislation that member state may con- identical programs) identi- thus missing out on valu- students could not take adtinue in the same grade in fied in the student’s Indi- able instruction, but does ditional absences during the receiving state regard- vidual Education Plan not take away the new state testing. Extracurricular parless of the entrance age re- (IEP) from the sending school’s right to set their quirements in that state if state. The receiving state own criteria for placement ticipation: Member states he or she has already may subsequently perform in programs or courses. In agree to be creative in prostarted kindergarten or first an evaluation to ensure the addition, the compact does viding transferring stugrade in a state accredited appropriate placement of not require the receiving dents the opportunity for school in the sending state. the student. school district to create a inclusion in extracurricular Immunizations: A Academic placement: course or program that is activities regardless of the child transferring to a A receiving school district not currently offered, but deadlines for application member state who needs in a member state agrees to does require that the dis- as long as the child is othadditional immunizations initially honor placement trict demonstrate reason- erwise qualified. The receiving school must is allowed to immediately of a student based on the able accommodation. enroll then is given 30 student’s enrollment in the Absences related to demonstrate they are makdays to obtain the needed sending state as long as deployment activities: ing reasonable accommofor military immunizations. If a series that school has a similar or The compact allows stu- dation of immunizations is re- equivalent program. dents to request additional, students. However, some
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excused absences to visit with their parent/legal guardian during deployment, defined as one month before the service member’s departure from the home station through six months after return. As with other provisions, school districts are given leeway in determining whether to grant these additional absences. If a child already has excessive absences, a district may correctly feel additional
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state student athletic associations are private organizations, not run by the state, and consequently do not fall under the umbrella of the compact. Graduation requirements: The compact encourages school districts to take extra steps to determine if they can waive course or program prerequisites where similar coursework has been completed in the sending school district. This will allow students to take more advanced courses rather than repeating similar basic courses and allow for on-time graduation. Mandatory waiver of state exit exams or acceptance of alternative results is not required under the compact and each state may determine what they are willing to accept or require. These rules apply to dependents of active-duty service members, service members or veterans who are severely injured and medically discharged or returned for a period of one year after medical discharge or retirement, and service members who die on active duty or as a result of injuries sustained in active duty for a period of one year after death. To check out the compact, go to The Interstate Compact of Educational Opportunity for Military Children at http://www. mic3.net/ The website contains additional information to that briefly outlined in this story. Carissa Bergosh is the School Liaison Officer for NAS Pensacola. If you have questions about this article or concerns about an educational issue impacting your child, she can be reached via e-mail at Carissa.bergosh@navy. mil or by phone at 7124105.
Jokes & Groaners Rural recruit’s letter home from boot camp Dear Ma and Pa: I am well. Hope you are too. Tell brother Walt and brother Elmer that the military beats working by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled. I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 5 a.m., but I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay ... practically nothing. Men got to shave but it’s not so bad because there’s warm water. We go on “route marches,” which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. A route march is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks. This next part will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don’t know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don’t move, and it ain’t shooting back at you like the Higgett boys at home. Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. Signed, your loving daughter,
Alice