Fight Back Against Giving Kids’ Names to Military

[babylonsister]

Fight Back Against Giving Kids’ Names to Military
by David Giffey

The No Child Left Behind Act is up for reauthorization this month. There has been much necessary criticism and commentary about its unfunded mandates, forced standardized testing, and takeover threats to struggling public school systems.

But another critical piece of the law is often overlooked.

Section 9528, in about 200 words, requires public high schools to give student information to military recruiters upon request unless the families or students opt out.

The Capital Times story last Friday about opting out at East High School exemplified the type of parental and community action required to level the playing field between military recruitment and options to the military. But much remains to be done, especially in rural communities.

Section 9528 has consistently escaped attention while the other very real and controversial contents of the law preoccupy educators and legislators, distracting them from what is happening daily as uniformed military recruiters patrol the hallways of the 22,000 public high schools in the U.S.

The presence of military recruiters in schools is a tradition that demands more scrutiny of the increased pressure the war in Iraq places on recruiters to meet their quotas, for which they are paid.

more...

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/09/30/4214/

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

1. This is the proverbial no-brainer. NCLB needs to be scuttled for many reasons, of which recruiters

in our schools is in the top two.

:kick: MKJ

[Bitwit1234]

2. What I can't understand about this is.

The government wants schools etc to give them the names of boys and girls so they can pressure them into the service. BUT peace organizations are not allowed to put the name of our dead military heroes on T-Shirts to protest the war. If a parent or relative gives permission what right do they have to say it can't be done.

[babylonsister]

3. I don't think the parents or relatives of all the fallen soldiers

had been asked if their loved one's name could be printed. These are anti-war shirts, and there are many who don't share that view.