Volume 7, Issue 5

May 2024

Congressional Resolutions Recognize the Commission and Military Youth

In April, congressional resolutions were introduced to recognize the Commission and April as the Month of the Military Child. The historic effort was led by Connecticut Commissioner and Past Chair Laura Anastasio, and Hawaii Commissioner Kathleen Berg. Member states and ex-officio members were encouraged to connect with their congressional delegations and request signing onto the measures.

Sen. Mazie Hirono (HI) led Senate Resolution 643 co-sponsored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (CT), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN), Sen. John Hickenlooper (CO), and Sen. Dick Durbin (IL).

Rep. Joe Courtney (CT) introduced House Resolution 1151 with 21 co-sponsors: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Rep. Andy Kim (NJ), Rep. Doug Lamborn (CO), Rep. Austin Scott (GA), Ms. Veronica Escobar (TX), Del. James C. Moylan (GU), Rep. Christopher Deluzio (PA), Rep. Trent Kelly (MS), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ), Rep. Michael Turner (OH), Rep. Patrick Ryan (NY), Rep. Ed Case (HI), Rep. Carlos Gimenez (FL), Rep. Donald Davis (NC), Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA), Rep. Susie Lee NV), Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA), Rep. Steven Horsford (NV), Rep. Judy Chu (CA), Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA).

The Commission thanks Mr. Ben Strand, Sen. Hirono's Senior Policy Advisor and Ms. Samantha Devito Congressman Courtney's Legislative Director for coordinating the effort on the Hill.

"Our mission to ease education transitions makes a difference for our military families," said MIC3 Executive Director Cherise Imai, "and it's wonderful for Congress to recognize the Commission's efforts and celebrate our military youth."

Executive Team Spring Retreat

The Executive Committee met on April 16-18 in Lexington, Kentucky for their annual spring retreat! The agenda included discussions, planning, and strategizing for the upcoming year. In celebration of the Month of the Military Child, they ‘Purpled Up!’ for military children.

Many thanks to our leadership: Chair Ernise Singleton (LA); Vice Chair Daron Korte (MN); Treasurer and Finance Chair Greg Lynch (WA); Compliance Chair Steve Bullard (KY); Rules Chair Mary Gable (MD); Communications Chair Chad Delbridge (WY); Training Chair Shelly Ramos (TX); and Leadership Nomination Chair Laura Anastasio (CT) for their support for our military youth and families!

Watch it Here

The EXCOM Purple Up video can be found on MIC3's social media accounts, or click the button below to view on YouTube!

State Compliance Under the Compact

by Steven Bullard, Compliance Chair

Interstate compacts are legally binding agreements between two or more states that facilitate cooperation and collaboration among participating states to address a common issue, goal, or promote a collective agenda. Similar to a contract, the compact provides a framework for the states to work together while respecting each other's autonomy and sovereignty.

The Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission (MIC3) was established in 2008 to address the K-12 education of military and uniform-connected students as they attend public schools and Department of Defense Education Activity schools worldwide. The commission comprises delegates from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and six ex-officio organizations that develop the policies and procedures related to the Compact and ensure the agreement is implemented effectively.

New Graphic Provides Status of State Compliance

The Compliance Committee recently unveiled a new tool for monitoring progress with annual compliance requirements. Recently, a state requested clarity on how they should interpret the 'wheel'. "The wheel is simply a monitoring tool, not an evaluation criterion," said Compliance Chair Steven Bullard (KY), "it’s meant to be a quick way to look at a lot of information in a densely formatted graphic format." Red blocks show – per the color guide at the above – where a state is still outstanding. The wheel represents the current Fiscal Year 2024, so a state is not “delinquent” in any area until July 1, 2024. “Fiscal Year 2024” is highlighted in the white center block.

Each “spoke” represents a state. The concentric rings are color-coded to a specific event. If the color on your spoke matches the event, you are compliant for that event; if it is “red”, it’s still outstanding. "For those who, like me, are fully or partially color blind, with little ability to discern color differences," added Bullard, "we added color density differences in the color guide so you can still tell where that “color” stands out in the wheel. The main value in the wheel is that a quick look, once you understand the chart, tells the viewer where states are at in completing their current requirements, and which ones they still need to work on."

Laura Kacer

Iowa Commissioner

Laura Kacer, Compact Commissioner for the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) for the State of Iowa, was appointed by Governor Reynolds in 2023. Beginning her career in public education, she served in various capacities within the education system, ranging from a classroom teacher to various administrator positions and superintendent. Kacer has a deep understanding of educational policies, curriculum development, and the diverse needs of students, teachers, and administrators.

Tenneal Wetherell

Oregon Commissioner

Tenneal Wetherell serves as the Chief of Staff at the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to her role. Previously, she held the position of Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Enhancing Student Opportunities within ODE. With a career spanning over a decade as a Superintendent, coupled with roles as a special education and curriculum administrator, autism specialist, and special education teacher, Tenneal has consistently demonstrated her commitment to educational excellence and equity.

Becoming a Powerful Provider with OneOp

Check out OneOp’s May newsletter and upcoming live webinars. All past live webinars are available on-demand via the Learning Library - OneOp. Participants can earn free continuing education credits and certificates of attendance.

OneOp is a virtual professional development platform for providers serving military families. Programming is free of charge and open to DoD, federal and state service providers, Cooperative Extension professionals, as well as community educators, case managers, advocates, and counselors supporting the military community.

On-demand Compact 101 online training is available at MIC3Training.net!

Consisting of ten modules completed at the user's pace, register for free here or read the FAQ for more information.

Monthly webinars are still available, check out the events calendar for upcoming dates! We also provide training on request. Inquire today by emailing mic3info@csg.org!