PARTNERSHIPS IN EDUCATION
White Sands Missile Range was honored and enthusiastic to serve as the host Installation for New Mexico’s statewide signing of the Military Child Education Coalition Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on November 9, 2004. Although many schools signed the MOA before us, New Mexico has the distinction of being the first to bring all installations in a state together for one ceremony. Participating installations and corresponding school districts are:
Military Installations School Districts
White Sands Missile Range Las Cruces Public Schools
Hatch Public Schools
Gadsden Independent Schools
Holloman Air Force Base Alamogordo Public Schools
Tularosa Public Schools
Cloudcroft Public Schools
Kirtland Air Force Base Albuquerque Public Schools
Cannon Air Force Base Portales Public Schools
Clovis Public Schools
The MOA comes directly from the US Army's Secondary Education Transition Study (SETS) finding. A team of school superintendent’s, school boards and commanders crafted the original document. More than 130 schools have already signed the MOA to date. The agreement is designed to facilitate the mutual development of reciprocal practices, conduits for information between systems about requirements, and accelerate the exchange of emerging opportunities. There are nine Guiding Principles and proposed practices set out in the MOA:
1) Improvement of the timely transfer of records
2) Easing transition during the first two weeks of enrollment
3) Promoting practices which foster access to extracurricular programs
4) Establishing procedures to lessen the adverse impact of moves
5) Communicating variations in school calendars and schedules
6) Creating and implementing professional development systems
7) Continuing strong child-centered partnerships between the installation and the supporting schools
8) Providing information concerning graduation requirements
9) Providing specialized services for transitioning students when applying to colleges and finding funding for post secondary study
New Mexico continues their statewide partnership with all MOA signatories through continued training, networking and partnerships.
Visitors to date: