CMCSS, Christian County, Ky. Schools Awarded Grant to Focus on Parent Engagement
September 16, 2013
Please note: This article was originally published on 9/16/2013. Information and/or dates from past events may be not be relevant for the current school year.
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Educational Partnership awarded a $4.5 million consortium grant to the Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools through the 2013 Fiscal Year (FY13) Grant Program. The announcement came as part of a joint media briefing with CMCSS and Christian County Public Schools.
There are more than a million school age children from military families, with the majority attending public schools throughout our nation. DoDEA is committed to supporting educational outcomes for ALL children of military families. As the largest geographically dispersed school system in the nation, serving approximately 86,000 students worldwide, DoDEA shares its experience and resources with military-connected public school districts.
“A significant element of support for military children is an educational setting that provides not only a quality education but that recognizes and responds to each child’s needs, and provides a supportive and stable environment,” said Kathleen Facon, Chief of the DoDEA’s Educational Partnership Program. “The Department of Defense is committed to ensuring that all children of military families have access to quality educational opportunities.”
For the FY13 grant program, competitive priority points were awarded if the school district had not previously received a DoDEA grant award, and if one or more of the eligible schools has a military student enrollment of 50 percent or more. “We know parent involvement makes a significant impact on student academic success. By providing more opportunities for parents to connect to schools, we are supporting the achievement of students. Receiving this grant will enhance our ability to make those connections and help parents learn avenues to help their students be more successful,” said Dr. B.J. Worthington, Director of Schools, Clarksville-Montgomery County Public School System.
With nearly 30% of military connected families in the Clarksville-Montgomery school district, every school in the district has military families who will directly benefit from the services, programs and educational initiatives as a result of this grant opportunity. Our focus will better prepare families on how to help students be successful in school, provide opportunities for optimal parent engagement and empower parents to take charge of their students’ education by helping them reach their fullest potential. We are pleased to be recipients in this grant in partnership with the University of Kentucky and Christian County Schools.
“We feel very fortunate to be the recipient of the Department of Defense Educational Activity (DoDEA) Military-Connected Academic and Support Programs grant,” said Mary Ann Gemmill, Christian County Public Schools Superintendent. “Our military installation, Fort Campbell, is a very important part of our community.”
“The funds provided through DoDEA will be instrumental in providing academic and behavioral interventions to benefit our military-connected students and families who are often impacted by high mobility and deployments. These funds will not only benefit our military-connected students and families, but will have a positive impact for all of our students and families in Christian County Public Schools,” she added.