Dear Military Family Liaisons, 

Military members make sacrifices for the security and safety of our nation, and their families share in these sacrifices alongside them. In November, we honor both military families and veterans as we celebrate Month of the Military Family and recognize Veterans Day on Nov. 11. 

Throughout this month, various organizations across the state and nation offer resources to help celebrate Veterans Day and honor military families:  

• Recognition Certificate: The Ohio School Board Association and the Military Interstate Children’s Compact State Council of Ohio have partnered to create a certificate that schools can use to honor staff who are veterans.  

• Veterans Day Teachers Resource Guide: The United States Department of Veterans Affairs produced a guide that includes information about Veterans Day, sample lesson plans, and resources.  

• School Toolkit: The Ohio Department of Veteran Services provides a toolkit that includes resources to celebrate veterans throughout the year.  

I want to extend my thanks to you for the support you provide to military and veteran families every day as Military Family Liaisons.   

Ohio Teacher Leadership Summit 

The Ohio Teacher Leadership Summit is June 11, 2025, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Event organizers are accepting proposals to present at the summit.  

The goal of the summit is to build a statewide network of teacher leaders and administrators to promote and strengthen teacher leadership in Ohio.  

This exciting event brings together schools, districts, and organizations doing innovative work to develop teacher leaders by sharing successes, lessons learned, and strategies for overcoming challenges around teacher leadership implementation.  

Priority will be given to presentations that align with the Ohio Teacher Leadership Framework and summit goals that include practical, relevant work tools and knowledge. 

Submit presentation proposals using this form by Nov. 28, 2024.  

Check the Teacher Leadership Summit webpage for updates. Contact teacher.leadership@education.ohio.gov with questions. 

Sharing Best Practices 

The strength of Purple Star lies in the dedicated efforts of liaisons who support military-connected students every day. This newsletter will showcase best practices for supporting these students each month, aiming to recognize the work of military family liaisons and share these practices across the state.  

We invite you to complete the Military-Connected Youth Best Practices Form to share your ideas and accomplishments with other liaisons in a future newsletter. You can include details about how you implement Purple Star programming in your school or how you support the implementation of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. You can also submit a picture to accompany your submission. Any forms or documents should be shared using a hyperlink, as the newsletter format does not allow for file attachments.  

Military Child of the Year Awards 

Submissions are open for the 2025 Military Child of the Year Award presented by Operation Homefront. The award recognizes students ages 13 to 18 for their scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, and extracurricular involvement while navigating the challenges of military family life. The submission window for this award closes on Dec. 2, 2024. 

Additional Resources 

Ohio Military Veteran Educators Program 

The Ohio Military Veteran Educators Program (OhioMVEP) assists service members, military veterans, and their spouses with starting a career in an Ohio school. Contact Ohiomvep@education.ohio.gov with any questions. 

Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children  

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children is a set of state laws in all 50 states that lowers barriers to education and eases the transition of military-connected students. MIC3Training.net offers access to on-demand training on the Compact. Live Compact 101 webinar trainings are available every month online and are free.  

Important Dates 

Nov. 1: Purple Star application window opens 

Nov. 28: Ohio Teacher Leader Summit proposal deadline 

Dec. 2: Deadline for the 2025 Military Child of the Year Award 

Dec. 15: Purple Star application window closes 

Dec. 31: Participate in the University of California, Irvine Military Family Study 

For more information visit the Purple Star School and Military Family Liaison webpages. If you have any questions, contact PurpleStar@education.ohio.gov.    

Jason Scragg 

Military and English Learner Education Consultant 

Office of Whole Child Supports 

25 South Front St., 3rd Floor 

Columbus, OH 43215 

Toll-free: 877.644.6338 

D: 614.466.4109 

Jason.Scragg@education.ohio.gov