Month of the Military Child and Educating the Educators

HARKER HEIGHTS, Texas, April 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC), www.militarychild.org, and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), www.aacte.org, celebrate this month as a time to recognize the courage, traits, and strength of character of the military-connected child. 

Every school district in the United States has military-connected children...they are the sons and daughters of those who serve in the Active Duty, National Guard, or Reserve component of every branch of military service.  They number nearly two million and that number doubles when you include the children of our veterans. 

Educating the educators who touch the lives of military-connected children and affect their daily academic success is critical.  For this reason, MCEC and AACTE formed a partnership in late 2011 to raise awareness and help prepare educators to lead in their classrooms.  The title of this joint endeavor is, "Operation Educate the Educators." http://aacte.org/programs/operation-educate-the-educators/

Thus far, 113 colleges and universities have committed to developing school environments that are more responsive to the academic, social, and emotional needs of military-connected children.  This commitment to military-connected students is accomplished by adhering to a set of guiding principles (http://www.militarychild.org/guiding-principles-for-preparing-educators-to-meet-the-needs-of-military-co), which state the institutions will embed informative content into their existing curriculum of educator preparation programs; ensure their faculty is knowledgeable about the realities these students face; and work with pre-K-12 schools to establish school environments supportive of military-connected students and responsive to their unique needs.

"We've made great progress," stated Dr Mary Keller, President and CEO of MCEC, "considering that before the program started there was virtually no awareness of the need or the issues, and no institutional framework.  This is a huge accomplishment and we are excited about continuing to move forward by adding new colleges and universities to the program. It aligns perfectly with the intent of Month of the Military Child and we are so proud to team with AACTE in this effort."

"It is impressive to see Operation Educate the Educators growing to have now garnered a commitment from 113 colleges and universities," said Dr. Sharon Robinson, President and CEO of AACTE. "The Month of the Military Child is a time to celebrate these efforts to ensure our country's military connected children have teachers who are prepared to address their specific needs. We are looking forward to continuing our work with the Military Child Education Coalition and encouraging even more programs to sign onto this important initiative."

To learn more about "Operation Educate the Educators," visit www.militarychild.org or www.aacte.org.

ABOUT THE MILITARY CHILD EDUCATION COALITION

Founded in 1998, the Military Child Education Coalition® (MCEC®) is a 501(c)(3) global, nonprofit leadership and advocacy organization focused on ensuring quality educational opportunities for America's two million military-connected children affected by mobility, family separation, and transition. For more information, visit www.MilitaryChild.org.

AACTE: Serving Learners
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a national alliance of educator preparation programs dedicated to the highest quality professional development of teachers and school leaders in order to enhance PK-12 student learning. The 800 institutions holding AACTE membership represent public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. AACTE's reach and influence fuel its mission of serving learners by providing all school personnel with superior training and continuing education.

SOURCE Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC)