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Conversations about the challenges military-connected kids face as they navigate multiple education systems from birth through high school.
Episodes
Monday Aug 14, 2023
Monday Aug 14, 2023
Amanda Najera talks about her experience as a military-connected child and how the Student 2 Student (S2S) program assisted her in feeling welcome as the new kid at school.
This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Cannon Spouses’ Association. To learn more, visit https: https://www.cannonspousesclub.org/donation-request-form.
Whether your family is starting at a new school after a PCS or at the same school as last year, MCEC wishes you a great school year. Check out these toolkits to set your family up for success this school year:
Explore our Back to School Toolkit: https://www.militarychild.org/backtoschool
Get to know the Military Child Well-being Toolkit: https://www.militarychild.org/wellbeingtoolkit
Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.
Show Notes:
Bio:
Amanda Najera joined the RiverDogs in early 2022 in her current role as the Community Relations Manager. Prior to joining the team, Amanda was the Event and Volunteer Coordinator at Keep Brevard Beautiful in Melbourne, Fl. While she relocated from Florida, she calls Oklahoma home. The Sooner State is where she received her bachelor's degree in public and nonprofit administration from the University of Oklahoma.
Resources:
https://www.militarychild.org/programs/student-2-student
Tuesday Aug 08, 2023
Tuesday Aug 08, 2023
Dr. Becky Porter discusses the changing needs of military-connected children over the years, and how MCEC’s mission to support them through education, advocacy, and collaboration has evolved over their 25-year history.
This podcast is made possible by generous funding from Maxwell Gunter Spouses’ Club. To learn more, visit https: http://www.maxwellgunterspousesclub.com/.
Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.
Show Notes:
Learn more about MCEC’s 25-year history on our website:
https://www.militarychild.org/history
Bio:
Dr. Becky Porter joined MCEC as the President and CEO in 2019 following her retirement from Active Duty service with the U.S. Army.
Becky is a 1983 Distinguished Military Graduate from the University of Washington and holds a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in clinical psychology from Fielding Graduate University. She earned her Master of Arts in counseling psychology from Chapman University and a Master of Science in national security and strategic studies from the National War College. She also earned an executive certificate in nonprofit management from the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy in 2020.
She is a board-certified clinical health psychologist, a fellow of the American Psychological Association, and a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit. Her awards and recognition include: The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Military Psychology, the Legion of Merit (3 awards), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal (6 awards). Additionally, she also holds the Army Surgeon General’s “A” Proficiency Designator as recognition of her significant contributions to the U.S. Army Medical Department.
Becky’s military career spanned more than 30 years, and she served in all three components of the U.S. Army with the Washington National Guard, the U.S. Army Reserves, and on Active Duty. She retired at the rank of colonel. She is a Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and former special assistant to the U.S. Army’s 34th Chief of Staff, Gen. Eric Shinseki.
Her assignments included: Germany; Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii; the Pentagon; the United States Military Academy; Walter Reed Army Medical Center; and the Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical, Bethesda, MD.
She commanded the Dunham U.S. Army Health Clinic, Carlisle, Pa.; the DiLorenzo TRICARE Health Clinic at the Pentagon; and Public Health Command Europe.
Becky and her husband John, also a retired U.S. Army officer, live near Fort Cavazos, Texas
Resources:
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
Shelly Ramos, MIC3 Texas State Commissioner talks about the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission and how it can assist our military-connected students and their families when they are moving to Texas, and how the Compact is there to help in all 50 states.
This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Texas Education Agency. To learn more, visit: https://tea.texas.gov/
Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.
Show Notes:
Bio:
Shelly Ramos serves as the director of the Curriculum Division at the Texas Education Agency. Ms. Ramos provides statewide leadership for the implementation of new legislation and State Board of Education mandates for K-12 education, including the state curriculum standards known as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS. The Curriculum Division at TEA is responsible for providing guidance regarding a number of program areas, including bilingual education, English as a second language, Title III, and migrant education; career and technical education; the subjects of the foundation and enrichment curriculum; and curriculum-related programs such as early childhood education, gifted/talented education, and Early College High Schools. Ms. Ramos has also served as the commissioner designee from Texas for the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) since 2016.
Prior to joining the Texas Education Agency, Ms. Ramos worked in educational publishing developing products for social studies teachers and students. She also served as a classroom social studies teacher for eleven years.
Resources:
https://mic3.net/assets/texas-compact-language.pdf
https://mic3.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/State-Council-Meetings_Additonal-Statute_2022.06..pdf
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Tina Norris discusses self-care and what it really means, as well as the benefits and how to prioritize time for yourself in your daily life.
This podcast is made possible by generous funding from Marne Community and Spouses’ Club. To learn more, visit https: https://www.marnecommunityandspousesclub.com/.
Show Notes:
MCEC Global Training Summit
Don’t miss Tina’s webinar, Self-care Essentials for Military Families, available On Demand in the MCEC Global Training Summit event platform. The Virtual Summit is Wednesday, July 26 from 11 am – 4:30 pm EDT. Register today — it’s not too late and it’s free.
https://www.militarychild.org/gts
Did you miss the Virtual Summit? No worries. Starting in August, you can find Tina’s webinar on our YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUzhGmwwoHKO3pnHjmiWKJZXycWSqhVPB
Bio:
Tina Norris brings a wealth of experience in working with children, adolescents, and families to her role as the Family Engagement Specialist at PEATC. With a strong focus on engaging families of children with disabilities, Tina manages the family engagement initiative and is dedicated to empowering families through education and advocacy. Her expertise extends to various areas, as she is a highly respected speaker and workshop facilitator who addresses topics such as family engagement, bullying prevention, self-care and wellness, puberty to adulthood, and sexual health and wellness for students with disabilities.
Having personally navigated the complex education system as a parent, Tina firmly believes that family engagement is critical for the success of all children. Through her practical approach, she establishes collaborative relationships with schools, communities, and advocacy organizations, serving as a bridge to enhance family engagement within our communities and schools.
Tina is a Certified Bullying Prevention Specialist, Certified Healing Centered Engagement Practitioner, and an ACT Raising Safe Kids Violence Prevention Facilitator. She is a member of the National Association for Family, School, Community Engagement, the International Bullying Prevention Association, and serves on the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Parent Center Workgroup.
Resources:
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
Brook Schmidt from the The Parents Place of Maryland discusses special education placement, the importance of the team approach, and how setting SMART goals provides a blueprint for support services.
This podcast is made possible by generous funding from Dover Spouses’ Club. To learn more, visit https: https://www.doverspousesclub.com/.
Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.
Show Notes:
MCEC Global Training Summit
Don’t miss Brook’s webinar, Back to Basics: How Goals Drive Placement in Special Education, On Demand in the Global Training Summit event platform. Register for the Virtual Summit, today — it’s free.
https://www.militarychild.org/gts
Bio:
Brook Schmidt is the Co-Deputy Director of Program & Quality at The Parents Place of Maryland. Brook has over 6 years of experience working with families in special education and serving the military community. She graduated from Fort Hays State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and has served on several boards and in volunteer positions supporting families with children with disabilities, education, and the military community. She currently resides in Frederick County, Maryland with her husband and their blended family of 7 children. As a former Army brat and the parent of two children with disabilities she has a passion for empowering and supporting others.
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Rebecca Parlakian discusses early math learning with toddlers and preschoolers, while engaging in experiential play. She shares examples that are easily incorporated into your everyday activities.
This podcast is made possible by generous funding from Offutt Officers’ Spouses’ Club. To learn more, visit https: https://offuttosc.com.
Show Notes:
Don’t miss Rebecca’s Distinguished Lecture session at the MCEC Global Training Summit, Nurturing Problem Solvers: Supporting Early Math Skills at Home and in Early Education Settings, Tuesday, July 25, 2023.
https://www.militarychild.org/gts
Bio:
Rebecca Parlakian As Senior Director of Programs at ZERO TO THREE, Rebecca Parlakian leads a project portfolio on child development, parenting, and high-quality teaching, and has co-authored five curricula, including the Early Connections parent café curriculum. Rebecca has also developed a series of videos illustrating early math development from birth to five, published an article on equity-based early math instruction in the June issue of the Zero to Three Journal, and co-authored the Problem Solvers curriculum, a free early math curriculum for toddlers and preschoolers, that we’ll be discussing today. Rebecca’s background is in early childhood special education, and she has served as adjunct faculty for the George Washington University for over a decade.
Resources:
https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/problem-solvers-a-free-early-math-curriculum/
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Dr. Gregory Leskin and Sue Lopez highlight the MCEC Global Training Summit Mental Health and Well-being Pre-Summit sessions on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and how this school-based, integrated model supports the development of the “whole child” academically, socially, and emotionally.
This podcast is made possible by generous funding from Keesler Spouses’ Club. To learn more, visit https: http://www.keeslerspousesclub.org/.
Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.
Show Notes:
MCEC Global Training Summit Pre-Summit Professional Development
Don’t miss our two pre-summit sessions focusing on Mental Health and Well-being, Monday, July 24, 2023: Promoting Positive Behavioral Health and Social-Emotional Growth in Military-Connected Students and Supporting the Well-Being of Military-Connected Youth: Identify, Prevent, and Intervene to Address Behavioral Health Risk.
https://www.militarychild.org/gts/presummit
Bios:
Dr. Gregory Leskin is licensed clinical psychologist and serves as Director, NCTSN Military and Veteran Families and Children Program and the Academy on Child Traumatic Stress at the UCLA/Duke University’s National Center for Child Traumatic Stress. Dr. Leskin directs the NCTSN/DoD Academy on Child Trauma, an online training and social media platform developed to train DoD Family Advocacy Program staff clinical skills related to child trauma and behavioral health prevention for military families and children. Previously, Dr. Leskin has worked as a Clinical Researcher and Director of Clinical Training at the National Center for PTSD, Stanford University and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. He completed a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) post-doctoral fellowship at the National Center for PTSD at the Boston VA Medical Center. Dr. Leskin has written, consulted, and lectured on a number of clinical topics, including risk factors facing military-connected children, combat-related PTSD, impact of deployment on families and children, and promoting psychological resilience and well-being. He is the primary developer for the MiTi Kids program bringing together Military Informed and Trauma informed Principles for organizations to serve the needs of military and Veteran Families.
Sue Lopez is an Active-Duty military spouse (25+), parent of two adult children, and a licensed school counselor who takes pride in being a resource for military-connected students and families in transition. Families rely on Sue for her compassion, knowledge, and empathy as she has personally experienced 14 PCS relocations, 6 deployments, and one unaccompanied tour to the Republic of Korea.
She holds a Master of Science in School Counseling. Her professional license and 24+ years of educational experience has yielded a unique set of skills and knowledge regarding state and national policies that impact military-connected students during times of transition to include academic transcript evaluation, enrollment, and graduation as well as social-emotional supports. Sue used her school counseling field experience as a Military Student Transition Consultant to inform and establish the MCEC Military Student Consultant role. As and MSTC, Sue provided one-on-one and small group transition counseling services to military-connected students and their families at seven middle and high schools. Additionally, she provided district-wide professional development and enhanced community relationships with instillation command teams, community stakeholders, as well as local school administrators and district faculty members.
Currently as an MCEC Instructional Designer, Sue continues advocate for military- connected students and families, seeking professional collaboration and consultation, serve as a subject matter expert on curriculum development, design analysis, and evaluation for MCEC professional development. Sue has also served as a project manager for projects with local school districts, Lockheed Martin, Texas Education Agency, BAE Systems, and the USAA foundation.
MTSS (School Counselors for MTSS)
https://www.schoolcounselors4mtss.com/mtss-alignment?wix-vod-video-id=1596568ada874f9981eae690a08aedcd&wix-vod-comp-id=comp-l02wz8rp
https://www.schoolcounselors4mtss.com/
Peg Donohue, PPT with images and resources Tier 1, 2, 3 Overview (Slide 13, School Counselor Competencies 27-31)
Tier 1: Universal Screening Resources
https://www.schoolcounselors4mtss.com/universal-screening
https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/ready_set_go_review_mh_screening_in_schools_508.pdf
https://www.schoolcounselors4mtss.com/_files/ugd/7ddd06_fcff107bc93048c8b3828b65a5d2e37a.pdf
https://www.schoolmentalhealth.org/Resources/Mental-Health-Screening/
https://www.schoolcounselors4mtss.com/_files/ugd/7ddd06_a3a7ced8dc004d45b4bc0a21911ed1c7.pdf
Goodman-Scott, E., Donohue, P., & Betters-Bubon, J. (2023). A Phenomenological Investigation of Universal Mental Health Screening: Making Meaning for School Counseling. Professional School Counseling, 27(1), 1-12.
Goodman-Scott, E., Edirmanasinghe, N., Moe, J., & Boulden, R. (2022) Assessing the influence of MTSS training on school counselors' perceptions of school counseling activities: Results of a national study. Professional School Counseling.
Tillery, C. A., Crane, E., & Goodman-Scott, E. (2022). Tiered supports for the Class of 2021 in unprecedented times: A high school counseling department's journey. Professional School Counseling., 26 (1b), 1-10.
Goodman-Scott, E., & Ziomek-Daigle, J. (2022). School counselors’ leadership experiences in Multi-tiered Systems of Support: A phenomenological investigation. Educational Practice & Theory, 44(1), 75-94. https://doi.org/10.7459/ept/44.1.06
Edirmanasinghe, N., Goodman-Scott, E., Smith-Durkin, S., & Tarver, S. Z. (2022). Supporting All Students: Multitiered Systems of Support from an Antiracist and Critical Race Theory Lens. Professional School Counseling, 26(1), 1-12.
Tuesday Jun 20, 2023
Tuesday Jun 20, 2023
Sarah Flowers and Steve Cambron discuss how Kentucky took a data-driven approach and joined Prevention efforts with Purple Star designation to go above and beyond creating a supportive environment for military-connected kids.
This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Scott Spouses’ Club. To learn more, visit https://www.scottspouseclub.com/
Show Notes:
Don’t miss Sarah’s Distinguished Lecture session at the Global Training Summit, Building Capacity to Serve Military-Connected Youth, Tuesday, July 25,2023.
https://www.militarychild.org/gts
Visit the Kentucky Purple Star School website:
Follow on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/KYPurpleStarAward
Purple Star USA National Conference
Thursday, October 26, 2023
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
For more information, email:
Sarah at sjemison@sevencounties.org
Steve at steve.cambron@ky.gov
Submit a proposal for the Purple Star USA National Conference:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PurpleStarUSA2023
Bios:
Sarah Flowers, CPS, Military Family Resiliency Specialist for Seven County Services, Inc., works with local, state, and national agencies and community organizations to develop and coordinate evidence-based strategies to increase resilience within military families. She provides training and consultation to Kentucky’s prevention network on capacity building, community engagement, and best practices working with military families.
Steve Cambron, CPS, Kentucky SMVF Prevention Services Director for the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health, has worked in the field of Prevention for twenty-two years and specializes in training community prevention coalitions to develop strategic plans based on SAMSHA planning model the Strategic Prevention Framework. (SPF) He is currently the Project Director for Kentucky’s Purple Star Award Program and has served as Project Coordinator for three SAMSHA grants.
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Meet Asha, high school Spotlight winner in the 2023 MCEC Call for the Arts, as she talks about her journey as a military child, the inspiration behind her art, and how being a Space Force kid is really not much different from being an Air Force kid.
This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Hurlburt Spouses’ Club. To learn more, visit https://hurlburtspousesclub.com/
To see Asha’s art, along with all of the 2023 Call for the Arts winners, visit: https://www.militarychild.org/programs/the-call-for-the-arts
Bio:
Asha is 17 and will be a senior at Pine Creek High School (Colorado Springs) in the fall. Her dad was in the Air Force for 20 years before transferring to the Space Force two years ago. During this time, Asha has lived in California, Hawaii, Korea, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, and Virginia. She has lived in 11 different houses and attended 10 different schools. Her favorite part of being in a military family is getting to explore all of the areas and cultures around each of the new duty stations, especially the amusement parks and beaches.
She collects shells, plays guitar, loves video games, and enjoys working with children. Art is her favorite subject at school and has always been a part of who she is. She loves to draw, both with a pencil on paper, and with a drawing tablet to create digital art on the computer.
Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) or “The Compact” provides for the uniform treatment of military children transferring between school districts and states. MIC3’s Lindsey Dablow discusses how and when the Compact applies, and what to do when you encounter educational transition issues.
This podcast is made possible by generous funding from TEA. To learn more, visit https://tea.texas.gov/
Watch the related webinar, MIC3 Helps MilKids Stay on Track for Graduation:
https://youtu.be/ihFPLuCh9AI
Guest Bio:
Lindsey Dablow comes to the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) with a background in policy and non-profit management. In her role as Training and Operations Associate, she promotes “successful educational transitions” for military-connected students around the world providing training and new initiatives for the Commission.
Born and raised in Kentucky, Lindsey graduated from Midway College with a Bachelor in Science in Equine Studies and a Master of Public Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. She has performed a variety of roles with Baptist Health Foundation Lexington, Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, and within Kentucky’s thoroughbred industry. She and her husband Brian reside in Lawrenceburg with their two fur-children.
The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3)
Lindsey is presenting her Distinguished Lecture Session, The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children: 201 Training, at the GTS on Tuesday, July 25, and The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children: 101 Training during the virtual summit on Wednesday, July 26.
MCEC’s Global Training Summit – July 24-26, 2023 in Washington, DC
https://www.militarychild.org/
MCEC’s Global Training Summit (GTS) is the premier professional development opportunity for everyone who serves and supports the educational needs of military- and veteran-connected children. The 2023 MCEC GTS curriculum features Well-being, Transitions, Separations & Deployment, Youth in Caregiving Roles, and more. Whether your community includes Active Duty, Veterans, National Guard and/or Reserves, the MCEC Global Training Summit will increase your awareness of the needs of our military- and veteran-connected kids.