In answer to dr. P whats next? High school now bans the US military!!!!!

[stm4710]

Updated: 12:43 PM EDT
Rift Over Recruiting at Public High Schools
Seattle School Votes to Bar Military, Touching Off Debate over War, Free Speech

By Dean Paton, The Christian Science Monitor



AP
The No Child Left Behind Act requires schools that receive federal funding to make students accessible to military recruiters.

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SEATTLE (May 18) - While most Parent Teacher Student Association meetings might center on finding funding for better math books or the best way to chaperon a school dance, a recent meeting here at Garfield High School grappled with something much larger - the war in Iraq.

The school is perhaps one of the first in the nation to debate and vote against military recruiting on high school campuses - a topic already simmering at the college level. In fact, the Supreme Court recently agreed to decide whether the federal government can withhold funds from colleges that bar military recruiters.

High schools are struggling with a similar issue as the No Child Left Behind Act requires that schools receiving federal funding must release the names of its students to recruiters. Some feel that's an invasion of privacy prompted by a war effort that has largely divided the American public. Others say barring recruiters is an infringement of free speech - and a snub to the military, particularly in a time of war.

Garfield High School took a decisive step last week with a vote of 25 to 5 to adopt a resolution that says "public schools are not a place for military recruiters."

All this comes as recruiters struggle to meet enlistment goals.

Although PTA chapters are supposed to be "nonsectarian and nonpartisan, which means nonpolitical," according to Jenny Sopko, a spokeswoman for the national PTA in Chicago, Garfield's PTSA cochair maintains that its action is "wholly consistent with our mission."

"The mission of the PTA is to protect and defend kids," says Amy Hagopian, a mother of three whose son is a Garfield senior. "It's not just limited to education issues - which explains why the PTA takes positions on kids' health, violence, and other serious issues."

Garfield, with 1,600 students, is one of Seattle's top high schools, routinely producing bumper crops of National Merit Scholars, plus internationally acclaimed student orchestras and jazz bands. It's also racially diverse, with African-American students making up 31 percent of its student population.

Like so many schools today, Garfield grapples with painful budget cuts, loss of teachers, and dwindling resources. The school's opposition to military recruitment seems, in part, a result of parents' growing realization that tax money spent for the Iraq war is money not spent on children's educations or other domestic needs.


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"They're spending $4 billion a month in Iraq, but we have to cut our race relations class, which costs $12,500," Ms. Hagopian pointed out. "That's an important class for our kids."

During discussion at the PTSA's meeting last week, Ted Inkley argued against the resolution because he thought it dangerous to deny free speech to organizations simply because their philosophies or intentions disagreed with the PTSA.

Mr. Inkley, an attorney whose daughter is a senior, told the crowded library he could "easily" see a resolution by some other PTA that banned Planned Parenthood representatives from campus because of their views on contraception and abortion.

Steve Ludwig, whose son is a senior and whose daughter will enter as a freshman next fall, made a point shared by many in attendance: Garfield does not allow organizations that promote illegal activities to recruit students to perform those activities, nor does it allow organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation to recruit on campus.

"Planned Parenthood, as far as I know, does not advocate or perform illegal acts. The US military does," Mr. Ludwig continued. The soft-spoken carpenter said he would not object if Army representatives came to Garfield to debate their ideas on torture or aggressive war. "What I object to is their coming here to recruit students to perform those acts," he said. "It's not about free speech."

Nationally, there's a growing sense that recruiters desperate to bolster falling enlistment numbers are misrepresenting sign-up agreements to entice recruits. In response to 480 allegations of improprieties by recruiters since Oct. 1, the Army announced it will suspend its recruiting for one day on May 20, so commanders can remind its 7,500 recruiters of proper conduct.

Douglas Smith, a US Army spokesman, said the job of recruiters is not to make promises but to show applicants possibilities and career options.

"As for a recruiter making promises and not following through, the recruiter's not in any position to promise anything. We hope that all our recruiters are communicating honestly with our applicants," Mr. Smith said. But he added, "In the contract [between the new soldier and the Army] it says, 'Anything the recruiter may have promised me is moot.' "

Smith also pointed out the legality of military recruitment activity on campuses. "The No Child Left Behind Act requires schools to let us have access to these students," he says.

Indeed, the resolution by Garfield's PTSA is more symbol than policy, for Seattle, like virtually all school districts, requires high schools to give recruiters access to students - or risk losing federal funding under Section 9528 of the act. School districts also are required to notify parents and students that they may "opt out" by signing a letter preventing recruiters from getting their names.

In response to Garfield's resolution, Seattle's district issued a statement reinforcing its policy of allowing recruiters to work on high school campuses, but also said it would increase efforts next fall to make it easier for parents and students to opt out.

"Nothing in this resolution prevents students desirous of joining the military from doing so," said Sasha Riser-Kositsky, a Garfield sophomore from a written statement during last week's meeting. "Indeed, there is a recruiting center within a five-minute walking distance of Garfield."


05-18-05 11:44 EDT

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/arti...00010000000001

[DennisTheMenace]

If this is a public school, the ban won't last long if they expect to collect ANY federal funding.

[BFDNJFF]

Seems to me these parents forget recruiters were there before the war but now that theres a war they shouldnt be ?

I guess they think there kids are to good to be in the military and serve there country .......so IMO see how they like it with no federal funding

[Bones42]

It's a PTA. They have no power whatsoever to make any school policy and/or rules. It's just a group of parents wasting their time. Smile, nod your head, ignore them. Once their kids are out of school, they won't care anymore.

[ffjhicks]

Maybe we should institue the draft up there.

That would probably solve the PTA's issues.

[mcaldwell]

Originally posted by Conster74
...If they spent less time peeing and more time doing math we'd have fewer retards...

LOL

I guess you missed the sensitivity class eh Conster?

[ThNozzleman]

And I stand by my theory. Case in point: Three of the five members of the Board of Education in AZ are functionally illiterate.

That's absurd. Which of these are they?
http://www.ade.state.az.us/stateboard/members.asp

[blueeighty88]

All the children age 17+ in that school should be drafted into various areas of the Military Service, wheather they planned on it or not. Just to spite their parents.

There was a drop in volunteers anyway. Maybe if they just hand picked several cities, and drafted the entire graduating class; we wouldn't have this problem.

[Ladder8]

Dear Correspondent,

I'm sorry to have to resort to this canned response.

It's unfortunate you have been led to believe that if we send our American teenagers to go kill Iraqi teenagers that somehow this protects our freedoms. That's how they get people to enlist and ship out--by preying on our values of patriotism, love of country and freedom. I share those values. But our freedoms come from our Constitution and depend on our ability to construct a government and political system that adequately provides for freedom. Anytime our political system fails to protect our freedoms, freedom is lost and there's not a damn thing the military can do to save it.

The PTSA's mission is to “to support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children;” and “to promote the welfare of the children and youth.”

Our PTSA represents a diverse group of kids, many of them low-income and ethnic minorities. Low-income kids are the specific targets of military recruiters--you don't see the Marines with recruiting tables at America's elite prep schools. Kids shouldn't be lured (often through illegal and unethical recruiting practices)to join the front lines in wars far from home--leave that to the people who make the decisions to go to war (or *their* kids). They might think twice about it.

There is no need to reply.


Amy Hagopian

Garfield High School
PTSA co-chair

[Bones42]

[ckresmer]

oh gees. someone forgot that the declaration of independence and the constitution did not win our freedom, the revolutionary war did. that nasty W word.

[DaSharkie]

I hope that the entire school district loses funding. THis is how it should be. You wan federal dollars, you follow the federal rules.

As for the message this twit sent, If freedom is worth having, freedom is worth dying for.

Being private schools, the schools can dictate who is allowed on their property.

This same argument is raging in the federal courts by many private universities. Harvard, Yale and several others want to ban the military recruiters from job fairs due to the "don't ask don't tell" policies. At least that is what they say anyway.

The Supreme Court is to rule, I think this year, on it and if a school refuses to allow the recruiters, they will lose all federal funding - including research funds and grants. I would love to see this ruled on. We'll see if the schools stick to their principles, or sell out for money.

My bet is that in the college and Washington State cases, there will be no principles - they will do what they have to for money.

[CaptainMikey]

It is the students CHOICE to enlist. No one is being enforced. Like many said before, if they ban. The feds will remove all federal funding.

If they are banning the military, they also need to ban job fairs. The military is just a career. A career of service and pride!! Plus the marine corps are the only way to go!!!

[DaSharkie]

Originally posted by CaptainMikey
A career of service and pride!! Plus the Marine Corps is the only way to go!!!

Well duh!!

Semper Fidelis all.