Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children

Overview

Virginia is a proud member of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children and is committed to the care and education of the children of the men and women of our armed forces.

The Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (Virginia Council) was formed to assist in easing the transition of the children of military families into school as a result of frequent moves and deployment of their parents. Created by the 2009 General Assembly, Virginia joins other states participating in the compact.

Pursuant to § 22.1-361 of the Code of Virginia, Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children will convene on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. in Conference Room (1^st Floor) of the Old City Hall – 1001 E Broad St., Richmond Virginia 23219, unless otherwise indicated. The purpose of this meeting is to transact the business statutorily required or necessary to continue the work of easing the education transition of the children of military families into school because of frequent moves and deployment of their parents.

Oral and written public comment will be accepted. If you intend to provide oral comment or wish to submit a written public comment, please provide intent to speak and/or the written comment to Dan Dunham, VDOE Military Student and Families Specialist, no later than 4 p.m. on April 15, 2024.  If you have any questions, please contact Dan Dunham at Dan.Dunham@doe.virginia.gov.     

Virginia Council Members

According to § 22.1-361 of the Code of Virginia, the Virginia Council is composed of one member of the House of Delegates; one member of the Senate; seven non-legislative citizen members, including the superintendent of public instruction, one parent of a military child, one representative from a military installation; the superintendent of a school district with a high concentration of military children, one military spouse who serves on the Department of Education's Military Student Support Process Action Team, to be appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction; and the governor or his designee. The current Virginia Council consists of the following:

Council Members:

• Dr. Lisa Coons, Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Honorable Senator Mamie E.  Locke, Virginia State Senate Representative
• Honorable Delegate Anne Ferrell H. Tata, Representative from the Virginia House
• Rear Admiral Wesley R. McCall, Commander Navy Mid-Atlantic
• Dr. Victor Shandor, Superintendent, York County Schools, member representing a highly impacted school division
• Michelle Norman, Military spouse member of the Virginia Department of Education's Military Student Support Process Action Team (MSSPAT), Executive Director and Founder of Partners in Promise
• Tian Olson, Parent member, Education Advocate, Attorney
• Raul Vargas, Citizen member, President of VARCom Solutions; Founder, CEO, Charmain of American Latino Veterans Association
• Shawnee Edwards-Zollar, Citizen member

Council Meetings

All meetings are held in the 1^st Floor Conference Room of Old City Hall Building – 1001 E. Broad Street, Richmond VA 23219, unless otherwise indicated.

Request for past meeting materials can be sent to Dan Dunham, Virginia Department of Education P. O. Box 2120 Richmond, Virginia 23218-2120, (804) 923-0958