Troop Talk

In this week’s column I want to focus on the Army Child and Youth School Transition Services available here and at many other installations. Locally, school liaison officers and the garrison commander meet regularly with representatives from the school districts to address and resolve issues of concern regarding military students in this area. Every parent should be aware and take advantage of the services provided.

The Army Child and Youth School Transition Services consists of a variety of programs and initiatives that provide strategies and resources to help garrisons, school districts, and military parents and guardians face the changes associated with transitioning from one school to another in support of the Army’s mission.

Those services include School Transition Services, School Liaison Officers, School Transition Specialists, and the Army Senior Stabilization for Soldiers with high school seniors. The Transition Counselor Institute provides professional development of counselors; Special Education Leadership Institute promotes awareness transition challenges of children with special needs; Student-to-Student program establishes campus-based, student-led, and faculty-sponsored program to support transitioning students; and Parent-to-Parent Cadre Teams is an initiative that empowers parents to be informed, positive and proactive transition specialists at home.

The Secondary Education Transition Study Memorandum of Agreement encourages school districts to sign the agreement to develop reciprocal practices to support transitioning school-age students. All nine school districts in the El Paso area have already signed the MOA with Fort Bliss. We are ahead of many other areas in the country. These are win-win programs to assist students and families who transition in and out of local schools. For more information about the programs, call the SLO at 568-1132.

Maj. Gen. Robert P. Lennox
Fort Bliss Commanding General