An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Aug. 1, 2014

Gen. Grass, education secretary advise creating better higher-learning standards

By Amaani Lyle DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON – Creating better education standards is key to preparing military children for college and future careers, the U.S. government’s top education official and the National Guard Bureau’s chief said July 30.

“We want to empower young people to choose what they want to do, what they love and what they’re best at,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan told the Military Child Education Coalition National Training Seminar.

As such, Duncan said the DOE has also fortified its partnerships with community colleges, where he said real training leads to real jobs in surrounding communities.

“Community colleges that are getting this right are becoming economic engines … green energy jobs, (information technology), healthcare, advanced manufacturing,” he said. “It’s amazing what they’re doing when you continue to build their capacities.”

Duncan predicted many future jobs will be science, technology, engineering and mathematics-based, so considering how to maintain the interest of young people in these areas will be critical.

“The more we can build (peer) programs, replicate them and empower young people who are living with this every day and understand the challenges way better than you or I do (the better) … I think we can’t do enough of that,” Duncan said.

Duncan said states have raised college academic standards, a trend he called a “monumental shift in the right direction.”

“Standards are just what you need to know; how you teach those standards (is) the curriculum and … we’re asking more critical thinking skills.”

To help meet the demand of connecting qualified military children to higher-paying, hard-to-fill jobs, Gen. Frank Grass, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told the seminar that the new GI Bill allows service members to pass the benefits to their child, who may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend school.

“The Guard can create an opportunity for those families … through different youth programs we have today,” Grass said.

But he acknowledged that as the operations tempo changes in coming years with many active-duty service members returning from deployments or retiring, children once ensconced in military communities may find themselves in school systems that aren’t necessarily aware of their backgrounds.

“They won’t have the connection that the Guard and Reserve has - that family support and programs.”

As budget constraints persist, the Guard and Reserve will need to capitalize on community-based non-profit organizations that specialize in supporting military families, Grass said.

The nation owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to military families who face many unique challenges, Education Secretary Duncan said.

“Our goal is simple: to have young people graduate from high school truly college-and-career ready as they take that next step on their education journey,” he said.

 

 

Related Articles
Photo of medical training during a Port Subject Matter Expert Exchange at the Port of Laem Chabang, Thailand, August 20, 2025. (Courtesy Photo)
Washington Guard Continues Strengthening Relationship at Thailand’s Port of Laem Chabang
By Joseph Siemandel, | Sept. 30, 2025
CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - Four members of the Washington National Guard partnered recently with more than 170 employees from the Port of Laem Chabang, Thailand, to continue improving the port’s all-hazard response as part of the...

Leaders and attendees from the Hawai‘i National Guard, Guam National Guard and Armed Forces of the Philippines gather for a group photo during the 25th anniversary celebration of the State Partnership Program between the Hawai‘i National Guard and the AFP at Clark Air Base, Philippines, Sept. 25, 2025. The Hawai‘i Guard and AFP launched the Indo-Pacific’s first State Partnership in 2000, marking 25 years of cooperation in training, disaster response and regional security.
25 Years Strong: Hawai‘i Guard and Philippines Celebrate Enduring Partnership
By Master Sgt. Mysti Bicoy, | Sept. 30, 2025
CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines — Cheers, handshakes and shared stories filled the air Sept. 23–25 as the Hawai‘i National Guard and Armed Forces of the Philippines celebrated 25 years of partnership — a bond that has endured...

Oklahoma National Guard leaders and Italian representatives unveil a plaque at the former headquarters of the 45th Infantry Division during WWII in Venafro, Italy, Sept. 8, 2025. A delegation of Oklahoma National Guard members and veterans toured key locations from the 45th Infantry Division’s campaign in Italy against German forces during World War II, continuing the development of the Thunderbird Trail. The initiative is aimed at preserving the Division's role in World War II through a memorial trail tracing its footsteps through Italy, France and Germany, ensuring their sacrifices are never forgotten. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Danielle Rayon)
Thunderbird Trail: Preserving Sacrifice, Strengthening Connection for Oklahoma Guard
By Sgt. Danielle Rayon, | Sept. 29, 2025
ITALY – Standing among rows of white marble headstones at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, Soldiers of the Oklahoma National Guard bent to place sand from the beaches of Anzio into the carved names of...