More Than A Spouse: Educator by Profession, Advocate for Military Kids Always

Commitment to service, education, and children—these passions have shaped the journey of Coast Guard spouse, mother, and educator Stephanie Slaughter. As military children all over head back to school, teachers like Stephanie navigate both worlds: the demands of military family life and the needs of the children who also serve in their own way. With over a decade of experience in both, Stephanie shares her personal journey and how families can discover the silver linings in the unique challenges of military life.

Professional Momentum Stalled with Every Military Move

One of the hardest parts of building a career as a military spouse is constantly starting over. Military families, on average, move every 2-3 years, and for professions with licensure requirements and children needing to transfer schools, military service and balancing a career with school-aged children can be an uphill battle.

“As a teacher, each move comes with learning a new district, adapting to a new state's laws, policies, and education system, and finding my place in a new community,” said Stephanie. “It often feels like starting from scratch every time we relocate.”

Stephanie, like many military spouses whose chosen careers can result in costs related to their licensure, background checks, or certifications, expenses often add up before a job is secured.

“It is tough to know that my job is secondary to my husband,” she said.

Stephanie’s experience reflects that of military spouses across all branches. The professional setbacks that come with military-mandated moves are difficult.

“When we were stationed in Seattle, I completed my administrative coursework, thinking it was the perfect time to advance in my career,” recalled Stephanie. “When we later moved to Virginia, I was able to land a job as an administrator. I thought I was finally gaining the professional momentum I had worked so hard for. However, another military move happened, and I found myself back in the classroom.”

Despite the challenges, Stephanie shares the silver lining to her military family’s service and her passion for education, “I have had the opportunity to live in different places, and I am thankful for all of our adventures over the past 13 years. It is a direct reflection of my knowledge and style as an educator.”

Military Children Deserve the Best

Teaching is not just a job to Stephanie—it’s a calling. She has served in the classroom, including time as a special education teacher and a top-level administrator.

“I've had the opportunity to work with students from 1st grade to early adulthood, and those experiences have helped me to build a strong foundation to reach students exactly where they are,” she explained. “There is nothing better than hearing the success stories of former students and knowing I played a small part in their successes.”

Some military children can see the walls of nine different schools before graduating high school. What does Stephanie say about that?

“As a solutions-oriented problem solver, I am committed to doing what’s best for kids and looking at the whole child. I have a passion for thoroughness, and I believe all students can achieve. And together with parents, when we give them the tools—they truly can.”

NMFA Supports Teaching Professionals and Military Kids

Balancing a career as a military spouse is tough, especially in a field as demanding as education. We also know military kids pick up and start over when following their service members and crave time away from the demands of military life. To support military teaching professionals and military kids, we:

• Provide scholarship funds that could be used for licensure or certifications—even background checks and fingerprint-related costs through our Joanne Holbrook Patton Scholarship program—and the best part is that we accept applications all year long!
• Welcome military kids every summer to our Operation Purple® Camps across the country. We also provide a virtual option in our Operation Purple® Summer Challenge. These programs offer a safe summer experience for kids to just be kids and unplug from military life among other kids who get it.

Like Stephanie, we are driven by passion and commitment to create a world where every military family thrives.

Share your ‘More Than A Spouse’ story with us. We want to hear it!

By: Angela Sablan Tenorio, Content Manager