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June 13, 2005
'Reading, writing, and recruiting'
What does enlisting in the military have to do with education reform? That question is being heard more frequently from parents and high school educators dealing with increased pressure from military recruiters who are having difficulty making their quotas. In an op-ed in Saturday's Washington Post, Diane Paul asks, "How has it happened that recruiters—who used to come only on career days—are now present in our schools much of the time? I would wager that most parents have no idea that the No Child Left Behind Act offers public high schools a choice: Provide access to and information about students 'for purposes of military recruitment' or risk losing federal funding."
Nearly three years ago, school districts received a letter from then-Secretary Rod Paige and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that stated: "Sustaining that heritage [defending freedom] requires the active support of public institutions in presenting military opportunities to our young people for their consideration. Recognizing the challenges faced by military recruiters, Congress recently passed legislation [NCLB] that requires high schools to provide to recruiters, upon request, access to secondary school students and directory information on those students."
Indeed, the Ed Department's policy guidance on this provision noted that parents can opt out of their child's inclusion in such a listing. The trick is that opting out requires much more effort on the schools' part—contacting parents, making sure parents understand what the opt out means, then getting a response from parents. This onerous process has no doubt resulted in more low income and minority students (especially with parents who do not speak English) being contacted and enlisted by recruiters.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that "anti-war organizations have held several opt-out days across the country to highlight that parents can sign a form to prevent schools from providing information about their children to the military." NSBA staff attorney Lisa Soronen said, "There is a heightened sensitivity about what it means to serve your country at a time of war." The Pittsburgh Public Schools is considering a new policy that proposes sending parents a letter telling them they can keep the information from the military, colleges, prospective employers, or all three. What's your take on this issue? BoardBuzz wants to know.
Posted June 13, 2005 12:00 AM
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