LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today signed into law a plan spearheaded by State Representative Gino H. Polidori (D-Dearborn) that will enter Michigan into a nationwide compact designed to make it easier for children of military families to change schools when their parents are transferred.
"Each time a child transfers from one school to another, they leave behind friends and are faced with having to get used to new teachers and classes – that can be a tough transition," Polidori said. "A child who has a parent serving in the military may attend as many as nine or 10 schools between kindergarten and graduation. This plan will help cut down on the red tape that parents have to deal with and help ensure that at least the academic transition will be a little easier for those kids."
The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children covers a wide range of common obstacles and inconsistencies faced by military families as they transfer from one state to another, including the transfer of records, first-entrance age and graduation requirements. The compact, in part, will:
Allow students to enroll in school with hand-carried records until official paperwork arrives.
Allow students to avoid repeating content or falling behind because of missed prerequisites.
Give families a 30-day window to meet any immunization requirements.
Prevent students from being punished for missing entrance or exit exams, or from being excluded from extracurricular activities.
Ensure that varying graduation requirements do not prevent a student from graduating.
The compact, a joint effort between state legislatures, the Department of Defense, the Council of State Governments and the education community, will go into effect once 10 states have enacted legislation agreeing to join. In addition, the first 10 states that approve the compact will formalize its policies; Michigan is the seventh state to join the compact. This type of legislation has been introduced in 19 other states.
"A good education is essential to our children being successful in the 21st century global economy," Polidori said. "It's terrific that Michigan will have a hand in shaping the policies that will make school transitions easier for our military families. I'd like to thank my fellow members of the Legislature and Governor Granholm for taking quick action on this plan."