MSG hosts educational Town Hall meeting

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Armando A. Schwier-Morales
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan., --  McConnell's 1,125 children attend more than 14 school districts surrounding the base. To listen to parent's concerns related to their children's education, base leaders held a Town Hall meeting Nov. 1, 2011.

"The town hall meeting was an overall success," said Col. Mark Evans, 22nd MSG commander. "What we saw tonight was that there aren't a lot of problems with our relationship between McConnell and the local school system. Things seem to be going along relatively well and we are just trying to make them better."

Evans began the forum by introducing the Parents Advocates for Students and Schools program. PASS is an Air Mobility Command-wide initiative that forming a group that gives McConnell's families a voice in their children education said Evans.

"PASS is focused on the needs of military children and the mobile military lifestyle and how we can best prepare parents to teach children to be success and resilient as they move from base to base," said Angela Edwards, 22nd Force Support Squadron Airmen and Family Readiness Center school liaison.

The forum continued with an answer question with Edwards, the AFRC director, Mary Reece, and the principle of Wineteer Elementary School, Clint Corby. Approximately 65 percent of Wineteer's student population has a military tie.

"The relationship between us is very positive has a long history and we both benefit from working together in the interest of our students and children," said Corby. "I love the fact that the base shows that education is priority. McConnell has its priority in its right place"

The three major areas that where focus on during the forum were the PASS program and its benefits, Wineteer's and Derby, Kan., school district programs for the military child and school districts redrawing their borders.

With a junior in the Derby school district and more than 25 years as a military parent, Susan Isaman was grateful for the opportunity to discuss education with experts and leadership.

"I really wish that this (type of event) had come out years ago ... when my kids where younger," said Isaman. "You don't always have the opportunity to have one-on-one time with a principle in a forum like this, and also have the liaisons within the community here."