About School Liaison Officer
What is a School Liaison Officer?
The School Liaison Officer serves as the liaison between the installation commander, military agencies, and schools by providing assistance in matters pertaining to student education. The School Liaison Officer also implements the Navy’s Strategic Planning for Education Advocacy K-12 recommendations in order to ensure Navy families have access to quality educational opportunities. School Liaison Officers level the playing field for military children by ensuring maximum educational opportunities for academic success.
Why Are School Liaison Officers Needed?
School transition and deployment support is a Navy readiness and retention issue. The Navy will benefit from having Sailors who are able to focus on their duties, whether ashore or deployed.
• Navy families move their children an average of every 2.9 years.
• Children of military personnel attend up to 9 different schools by graduation.
• Military families are reluctant to disrupt high school youth in their senior year.
• Deployments can impact educational outcomes of children.
• Many families decide to “separate geographically” to keep kids in their current school.
Navy School Liaison Officers Provide Seven Core Services to Assist Families
1. School Transition Services (PCS Cycle): School Liaison Officers assist families with school transfers and help “level the playing field” for military children and youth.
2. Deployment Support: School Liaison Officers connect educators with the Navy deployment support system to inform them about the cycles of deployment and the tools available to assist educators in working with Navy children.
3. Command, School, Community Communications: School Liaison Officers serve as subject-matter experts for installation commanders on K-12 issues, helping to connect command, school and community resources.
4. Home School Linkage and Support: School Liaison Officers assist Navy families by gathering and sharing information on home schooling issues, policies and legislation from local school districts, and help leverage Navy Child and Youth Programs resources to support these families.
5. Partnerships in Education (PIE): PIE creates a volunteer network of resources to support installation and community members who have a vested interest in the success of all youth.
6. Post-Secondary Preparations: School Liaison Officers leverage installation and school resources to provide graduating military students with access to post-secondary information and opportunities.
7. Special Needs System Navigation: School Liaison Officers provide information about installation and community programs and services, make referrals to the Exceptional Family Member Program, and offer assistance in navigating the administrative systems within local education agencies.
Families - Contact your School Liaison Officer for help with:
• Inbound/outbound school transfer
• Local schools and boundaries
• Finding the right school
• Understanding special education
• Meeting graduation requirements
• Finding military and local support services
• Home schooling support
• Preparing for college and scholarship information
