Shaw, local school leaders partner to enhance education Published Feb. 22, 2013 By Staff Sgt. Amanda Currier 9th Air Force Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Ninth Air Force leaders met with Sumter County School District officials here Feb. 14, 2013, to discuss joint efforts in enhancing local education standards and programs. Maj. Gen. Lawrence Wells, 9th Air Force commander, Senior Master Sgt. Tammy Moore, 9th Air Force Commander's Action Group, and John F. Kennedy, Shaw's school liaison officer, led open dialog between base and school officials on areas of shared concern. Sumter County School District Superintendent Randolph Bynum and other key school and base representatives also attended the meeting. Currently, the Sumter County School District accommodates 1,024 Air Force and 293 Army children. These students face the distinct challenges of military life, such as frequent moves, and having parents whose jobs can require distant, extended travel. Military children must sometimes move in the middle of a school year and acclimate to the requirements, pace and novelties of their new schools, said Mr. Kennedy. These students must also cope with having parents who temporarily work away from home for weeks, months or even a year or more at a time, he added. "We're not really looking for special treatment. We want our children to be treated like everyone else, but we want you to be aware of some of the unique situations they experience," said Kathy Wells, General Wells' wife, mother of three and Air Force spouse of more than 30 years. General Wells proposed helping local educators accommodate military school children by keeping schools informed when related deployments and training exercises occur. The general also asked school district representatives to consider methods for communicating students' progress to deployed parents, such as Web-based programs, video parent-teacher conferences and even live video feeds of graduation ceremonies. "I think it's great if a deployed parent can dial in and see grades," the general said. "It helps them feel connected." Superintendent Bynum expressed equal interest in keeping parents informed and mentioned the district is currently working to bring a new Web-based communication tool online, although most schools currently have an online system in place, which allows parents to view grades. Educators also highlighted positive programs already in-place, such as special counseling for children whose parents are deployed and flexibility with transfer credits for military students. Additionally, base and school officials discussed was ways Airmen and military spouses can assist local schools. Educators expressed a unified need for Airmen to mentor, tutor and inspire local grade-school students. "Seeing an Airman who can talk about life experiences and career opportunities would greatly benefit our students," Superintendent Bynum said. "We want to help," Mrs. Wells said. "We have a lot of very talented Airmen whose skills can be very valuable outside the military. They love the military and their jobs, and they are willing to share their skills." While the meeting allowed both Shaw and school leaders to review current, collaborative efforts, it primarily enabled them to provide differing perspectives on programs in need of improvement. "We've lit the fuse," General Wells said as the meeting concluded. "Let's not walk out and let it die." Shaw and Sumter County School District leaders parted ways agreeing to stay connected and to work on discussed issues. The group also agreed to meet once about every six months to evaluate the progress and success of collaborative efforts, and to discuss ongoing, common concerns.