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November 10, 2006
JROTC and school board to part ways
According to this article in the San Francisco Chronicle, the 7-member school board there is set to end their more than 90 year relationship with the military.
The proposal, set for a vote on November 14, will phase out the program over two years. Members in favor of severing the relationship "oppose the program on two grounds: the military's stance on gays and the desire to keep the armed forces out of public schools."
Board member [Mark] Sanchez said he's opposed to the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy toward gays, which he says discriminates against homosexuals in the hiring of JROTC instructors.
Proponents of the program argue
"It is absurd to think in this day and age there are no gays in the military," third-year cadet Steven Schwenka told board members during a recent public meeting. "If San Francisco wants to be an example to the world, they would allow the program to continue to practice openness and tolerance."
Most critics acknowledge that the JROTC helps reduce dropouts. Students learn leadership and problem-solving skills, first aid, money management, geography, civics and how to be a team player, among other topics -- some of which they learn in other required classes. Opponents say all that can be done without the military.
Additionally, some members are concerned about recruiters on school grounds.
Last month, two men in Army brown camouflage, whom students identified as recruiters, arrived at Galileo High School one day to see JROTC instructor Steve Hardee. School administrators quickly asked them to leave, Hardee said, but not before the men tossed eager students copies of the video game America's Army: Special Forces. The game includes combat scenarios that encourage teamwork to improve chances of survival. The military developed the game, available online for free, as a recruiting tool.
To read more about the relationship between the military and public schools, check out past BoardBuzz columns here and here. You can also check out the October 2005 edition of American School Board Journal which covered the story here.
Posted November 10, 2006 1:28 PM |
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