Military Families
News & Announcements
We welcome all military families to Virginia and look forward to a successful school year. If you are a military family member and have questions about schooling options or need help with your transitions please feel free to contact Dan Dunham, Virginia Department of Education Military Student and Family Specialist.
Purple Up Day will be celebrated on April 13, 2018. Communities and schools across Virginia are encouraged to wear purple in celebration of military connected youth. Resources to help celebrate Purple Up Day and the Month of the Military Child can be found on the Month of the Military Child page. A link to this page can found in the right hand column of this page.
Military-Connected Youth in Your School and Community
Article by Dr. Dominique James, Ed.D.
In this article Dr. James points to best practices being employed in Prince William County public schools and elsewhere to support the unique needs of military connected students. This quick read supplies school staff and their leadership with an excellent list of ideas to make their school cultures more inviting to military families.
Children of the Deployed
View a montage of testimonies of military students, describing their feelings on what it is like being part of a military family.
See Military Family Resources for additional information from organizations that support military families.
Virginia is home to some of the nation’s largest and most important military installations, so it is not surprising that the commonwealth's schools educate more military children than any other state. As of August 2017 there are more than 70,000 military connected students in Virginia, living in every community across the state.
Frequent moves, family separations through deployments, and reintegration following deployments can make school, home, and community-life challenging for military children. Yet, even in such circumstances, these students continually demonstrate resilience and perseverance. Their contributions to our schools and communities include unique and valuable perspectives on learning, friendship, and growing up.
Virginia is a proud member of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children and is committed to the care and education of the children of the men and women of our armed forces. By partnering with school liaison officers, military leaders, educators, and community organizations, the Virginia Department of Education provides resources and support for military service children and their families during all stages of transition and deployment.
TIPs
Use the menu to the right to navigate to sub-sections of this topic:
- Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children
- Guidance Documents & Training Materials
- Virginia Laws Related to the Education of Military Children
- School Liaison Officers Contact Information-This is a PDF document.
- Model Programs & Initiatives
- Military Family Resources
- Month of the Military Child
For more information, contact:
Dan Dunham
Virginia Department of Education
P. O. Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218-2120
804-225-2157