“Much like the military itself, base schools are highly organized and centralized. A clear chain of command establishes communication at every level of a school and includes cooperation between teachers and administrators, who enjoy a relationship that tends to be less fraught with issues than in the civilian world.”
In an austere budget environment, it seems that family programs of various sorts are consistently on the chopping block. As part of a broader push to cut costs and shrink the federal workforce, the current administration put out a call to all government agencies to offer new ideas for cutting government spending.
What did the Defense Department suggest? The Pentagon proposed ending support for the dozens of schools that educate military children at bases inside the United States, as reported first by Military Times.
The military currently operates 47 schools on military installations in seven states in the continental US, serving a total of about 20,000 students. The plan would also affect approximately 36,000 employees, (about two employees per student) employed by or in support of stateside Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools. The proposal, which has support from some parts of the Pentagon, would turn over operation of those schools to local school districts. The current proposal, which suggests a pilot divestiture program at Quantico, has yet to roll out.
“This could cause an uproar in the affected communities, and understandably so,” said Eileen Huck, deputy government relations director for the National Military Family Association. “Military families take their kids’ education very seriously. The Department of Defense Education Activity schools are an essential part of the communities where they are operating.”
Evaluating base schools to find out more about what is working and why, could provide valuable information for those in the civilian world looking to improve student learning on an organic level
How well are those local school districts just outside the military installations performing? In my experience, adjacent school districts were low-performing, and the quality of education was nowhere near the standard of excellence found in schools in the DoDEA. DoDEA schools are often seen as a higher quality alternative to school systems outside the gates of bases.
A different school culture
If you take a look at how base schools are run, it’s hard not to be struck by the differences vis-a-vis how we operate schools in the “civilian” world. Many public schools, especially those surrounding military bases are plagued with gangs, drugs, violence, poor attendance and lack of funding, none of which is tolerated in DoDEA schools.
Over the years of our military career and interaction with DoDEA schools stateside and overseas, several things will become very apparent to us as parents. Children in military families are generally more adaptable to a new environment. Further, when one of the parents goes on assignment without the family, the family becomes even closer to each other (my spouse had many such assignments during his career) and the unit family support group steps in.
As for the schools, children are aware and understand how their actions can and do have consequences for their parents’ careers. No base commander (or unit commander) wants to be informed that one of his or her subordinates has a delinquent child, a child who is misbehaving in school, etc. After the teacher or principal calls Mom or Dad for a personal conference first, and if corrections don’t occur, the next call is to the Unit Commander or the unit First Sergeant regarding actions which need to be taken to correct the situation. Those corrections normally happen immediately. While some of the above scenarios may not be apropos of today’s military schools, I’m going to guess the culture is still pretty much the same, as when we were parents of a child in the DoDEA school system.
In a time where our military is overtasked, removing this valuable benefit to military families and the emotional stability of those families is a betrayal of our service members
Much like the military itself, base schools are highly organized and centralized. A clear chain of command establishes communication at every level of a school and includes cooperation between teachers and administrators, who enjoy a relationship that tends to be less fraught with issues than in the civilian world. The teachers’ union is a welcome participant in the educational landscape in many base schools, rather than being viewed as an adversary.
In one example, union representatives were made part of the planning for a school nutrition program, with the administration noting that teacher development and full participation in school initiatives was an important part of providing educational services. As federal employees, DoDEA teachers and their unions work with management to resolve disputes effectively and maximize efficiency to focus on delivering services to students and parents.
Anyone remember what happened last year in Chicago? Teachers in the nation’s third-largest school district voted overwhelmingly in favor of calling a strike – the third work stoppage during Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s time in office, affecting the 400,000-student school system. Research indicates that DoDEA teacher strikes are unheard of.
Funding for DoDEA schools originates with the Department of Defense, and base schools are not subject to stringent and problematic policies, preferring to focus instead on creating a very different kind of educational and policy culture on campus. They place a heavy focus on parental involvement, relying on parents and the community at large to support children in school. Many aim to create schools as community hubs for teachers and parents, recognizing that parents may feel isolated with partners overseas.
There are plenty of other programs the Pentagon could review to cut costs and reduce the size of the federal government. In my view as a veteran military spouse and a parent, the Pentagon’s focus in this proposal is wrong and misguided
For example, some schools host family resource centers and other services to attract parents and boost their involvement levels, while at others, educators and management maintain an “open door policy” for parents, inviting contact with any questions or concerns at any time during the school year.
Finally, a focus on “good teaching” is central to base schools’ success. Administrators work to keep workplace satisfaction levels high at base schools, with the goal of attracting and retaining good teachers. Instead of relying on standardized tests with their accompanying flaws to gauge teacher performance in the classroom, administrators at base schools are more likely to visit and observe classes, meet with teachers individually, and interact with students and parents to assess satisfaction and achievement levels. This system rewards innovative and creative instruction that improves learning conditions for students, rather than obliging teachers to “teach to the test,” focusing on testing guides rather than the needs of their students.
Is the DoDEA a model for civilian education?
Looking at the model of education offered by DoDEA, one might wonder if it’s possible to transfer the best of what it offers – like an emphasis on parental involvement and community building around the schoolhouse — to the civilian world. Some might argue that military culture is a key factor, making it difficult to provide the same kind of educational opportunities to civilian students, but there’s more at work here than that.
The genuine commitment to students, education, and family life in some DoDEA schools seems as important as the culture in which base schools are rooted, and there is no doubt that this emphasis is something civilian “reformers” should be working to embrace.
Evaluating base schools to find out more about what is working and why, could provide valuable information for those in the civilian world looking to improve student learning on an organic level –rather than on meeting flawed school-board driven metrics.
A high-quality, free public education should be available to all students in the US no matter where they are, and if base schools offer any positive lessons in that regard, their achievements ought to be studied more closely.
National Blue Ribbon Awards
It was just announced that three Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Schools were recognized by US Secretary of Education Betsy Devos as 2017 National Blue Ribbon Schools. Killin Elementary School at Camp Foster Marine Corps Base in Okinawa, Japan; Patch Middle School at U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany; and West Point Elementary School at U.S. Army Garrison West Point in West Point, New York. The award is based on overall academic excellence or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. All three DoDEA schools qualified in the high performing category.
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap. This coveted award affirms the hard work of educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. The National Blue Ribbon Schools flag gracing a school’s building is a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning.
Hot Button Issue
Education of military children is always a hot-button issue, as many military-connected students face numerous challenges that impact their educational opportunity and achievement. Military children make enough sacrifices, such as growing up with constant moves and frequently deployed parents.
In a time where our military is overtasked, removing this valuable benefit to military families and the emotional stability of those families is a betrayal of our service members. It will cause unneeded stress, problems within families, and mission readiness issues.
This is a much larger issue than merely shrinking the federal workforce, and we can be sure that military advocates will not remain silent on this issue as the official proposal comes to light. There are plenty of other programs the Pentagon could review to cut costs and reduce the size of the federal government. In my view as a veteran military spouse and a parent, the Pentagon’s focus in this proposal is wrong and misguided.
The Trump administration should send that proposal back to the Defense Department and demand a better idea.
