Maryland may be pondering how to improve the education of its military children, but other states are moving forward to help oft-traveling military “brats” transfer between school systems.
Delaware became the 10th state to join the Interstate Compact on Education Opportunity for Military Children for the more than 1 million children of active-duty military personnel.
“If we are able to facilitate a smoother transition from state to state and school district to school district, we will have lifted a tremendous burden for our military families and greatly enhanced their quality of life,” said Eileen Lainez, spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Defense.
A common issue for military families, which often uproot every few years, is their children lose credit for completed coursework when they transfer into a new school system, especially when school districts have contrasting standards, officials said.
“Military kids are amazing; because they have such a short time in each school, they are aggressive about becoming involved right away,” said Don Morrison, Harford County Public Schools spokesman and former teacher.
Ten states were needed for the compact to become active, and Delaware’s signing on July 9 makes it easier for the other 40 states to enter into the agreement.
Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Oklahoma have also signed the compact.
Meanwhile, Maryland is debating whether to join through a task force commissioned by the General Assembly this past spring.
Del. Anne Kaiser, D-Montgomery, originally drafted the bill for Maryland to join the compact, but instead the task force was formed and ordered to report its findings to Gov. Martin O’Malley by December.
At the time, only one state had signed on, and education officials wanted more time to see how the compact aligns with state policies, Kaiser said.
“I appreciate the caution in Maryland, as there are some significant issues, particularly high school graduation requirements, that need to be looked at,” she said.
Transferring into Maryland’s school systems has been a largely smooth one for military children, local and state officials said.
“We have so few school systems compared to places like Pennsylvania. That means we have a lot less bureaucracy when it comes to school systems,” said Bill Reinhart, State Education Department spokesman.
The U.S. Army has stationed a liaison at Aberdeen Proving Ground, home to thousands of active enlisted personnel, to assist incoming service members’ children enroll in Harford schools.
