{"id":116612,"date":"2019-12-08T09:00:22","date_gmt":"2019-12-08T09:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/12\/08\/military-families-need-education-freedom\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T13:56:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T13:56:00","slug":"military-families-need-education-freedom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2019\/12\/08\/military-families-need-education-freedom\/","title":{"rendered":"Military families need education freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

American students deserve the freedom and opportunities to learn, grow, and flourish in ways and in places that work for them. Yet, while our service members fight for our freedoms abroad, too many military families are denied education freedom at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an Army brat and retired brigadier general, I understand how military children serve our country along with their parents. They face unique challenges other American families do not. When my father served, I attended 10 public schools in 12 years, including three high schools. Some schools met my needs, while others did not. One aspect of my education remained the same \u2014 my family had little power to choose where I learned best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan\u2019s National Commission on Excellence in Education report, \u201cA Nation At Risk<\/a>,” stated: \u201cIf an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves.\u201d Nearly three decades later, the Council on Foreign Relations commissioned a report, \u201cUS Education Reform and National Security<\/a>,\u201d which described American education as being plagued by \u201ca sclerotic bureaucracy, lack of incentive for innovation, and few rewards for excellent teaching.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadly, despite enormous increases in taxpayer spending and ever-expanding school staff, American education still isn\u2019t working for too many students. Here are the facts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Globally, America\u2019s 8th graders rank 24th in reading, 25th in science, and 40th in math.<\/li>
  2. On \u201cthe Nations Report Card,\u201d about two out of three 8th graders aren\u2019t proficient in core subjects.<\/li>
  3. Thirty percent of high school graduates are not able to pass the armed forces entrance exam.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Beyond impairing military recruitment, a lack of education freedom hurts military retention. Recently, the commanding general of one of the Army\u2019s largest training installations told me he was having difficulty recruiting drill sergeants due to the poor local schools. In fact, 40 percent of respondents recently told the Military Times that they \u201chave either declined or would decline a career-advancing job at a different installation to remain at their current military facility because of high performing schools.\u201d Thirty-five percent said that dissatisfaction with their children\u2019s education was a \u201csignificant factor\u201d in their decision to remain in or leave military service. <\/p>\n\n\n\t