JUNE 25, 2014
Arizona to launch website to assist students of military families
Tucson, AZ, Tuesday, June 16, 2014 – Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal announced the launch of a new website to assist students of military families. AZMilitaryEd.az.gov is one of the first in the nation to assist military families and school personnel with addressing specific challenges students of military families face due to frequent relocation.
In 2008, through the passage of legislation, Arizona entered into the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. Superintendent Huppenthal was appointed by Governor Brewer as the compact commissioner, and was tasked to administer and manage the state’s participation in the Compact. In 2012, through an Executive Order and pursuant to legislation, Governor Brewer created a State Council to provide for coordination among its agencies, local education agencies, and military installations.
Governor Brewer stated, “In Arizona, we value the sacrifices our military families make in order to serve our great country. We are working hard to ensure that our military families have all of the supports needed to effectively transition into and out of Arizona schools. In 2012, I created the State Council on the Education for Military Children to help in this work. I have asked my Council to continue to assist in the expansion of resources for military parents so that they can choose the best option for their children and not lose ground through transitions related to military service.”
The Compact and Council are designed to address specific issues that military students face, such as: educational records and enrollment, placement and attendance, enrollment eligibility, record transfers, and graduation requirements.
As students transfer schools within the state and interstate, it is important that the transition is seamless. When transferring, these students face different academic requirements, such as kindergarten and first grade entrance requirements, graduation requirements, immunizations, and more. To address these issues, the Council developed AZMilitaryEd.az.gov, giving military families and school personnel access to a wide variety of resources to help in a student’s transition.
Superintendent Huppenthal stated, “It is the goal of the Arizona Department of Education to facilitate a smooth transition from one school to another for each of Arizona’s students, especially those of military families. This new website provides Arizona schools and military families with support to ensure all students have access to critical information when moving to a new school. I am proud and honored to lead this initiative to better support our nation’s military families and Arizona’s schools.”
