On October 16, 2023 Barbara Clemmer, Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission(MIC3) Commissioner, sent a PennLink titled Military Dependent Children Transfers to all LEAs. The message states that the average military student faces transition challenges more than twice during high school and most military children will attend six to nine different school systems from kindergarten to 12^th grade (K-12). The Compact seeks to make transition easier for the children of military families, so they are afforded the same opportunities for educational success as other children and are not penalized or delayed in achieving their educational goals. The Compact defines children of military families as children enrolled in grades K-12 within the household of an active-duty member. An active-duty member must be in full-time duty status in the uniformed services and can be a member of the National Guard or Reserves.

While the Compact is not exhaustive in its coverage, it does address the key transition issues encountered by military families: eligibility, enrollment, placement, and graduation.

-Eligibility – Transitioning military children shall have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities, if qualified, regardless of application deadlines.

-Enrollment – Special power of attorney or relative with guardianship can enroll a child. The Compact provides that transitioning military children may continue to attend the school in which they were enrolled and/or educational assessments. The receiving school is not barred from performing subsequent evaluations to ensure appropriate placement and continued enrollment.

-Graduation – A school district must waive specific courses required for graduation if similar course work has been satisfactorily completed in another school district or shall provide reasonable justification for denial. If a waiver is not granted to a student who would qualify to graduate from a school of the sending state, the school of the receiving state must provide an alternative means of acquiring the required course work so that graduation may occur on time.

Districts are encouraged to educate school personnel who assist with the transition of military students in and out of school on the Compact rules and regulations. Training (in-person and virtual) is available on request, at no cost, by the Commission. Monthly virtual Compact 101 training webinars are also available.

The Commission also offers free resources, toolkits, and other materials to build awareness on the Compact. For more information on or to schedule a training for your district or schools, email [email protected] or visit mic3.net.

Resources
• U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona Letter of SupportU.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona Letter of Support
• Webinars
• Compact 101 Webinars on:
            -11/14 at 2:00pm ET, Registration link: https://csg-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlcuitpzkrEtdT3AHrOy0n7HMvu_TR-0tj#/registration
            -12/12 at 2:00pm ET, Registration link: https://csg-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMof-2rqzouG9DLwnmE4ggznNmhGiw2ByVi#/registrati

• MIC3 Training Toolkit for Schools

Additional information on the Compact can be found at: https://mic3.net/.

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) have introduced legislation to prepare principals, superintendents, and other school leaders to facilitate high-quality early childhood education programs in school districts. The Creating Early Childhood Leaders Act would provide school leaders with the tools and training to support early childhood educators.

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