Leave My Child Alone

[proud2BlibKansan]

Dear Teachers and School Administrators,
Thank you for taking action to protect our children and students from unwanted military recruiting. August and September are crucial months for organizing around opt-out issues. We've expanded the LeaveMyChildAlone.org site with a new look and additional resources, including a section just for teachers.
Teachers have asked us to provide them with opt-out forms for use in their classrooms. If you're interested in receiving a mailed packet with forms and other materials, contact Lucy Radcliffe at [e-mail].

* Over 9,500 kids opted out.


Teachers Stand Up for Student Privacy
The National Education Assocation (NEA), an organization made up of 2.7 million teachers, has taken an official stand opposing No Child Left Behind's mandate that schools turn over private student information to military recruiters without explicit written permission from parents. To read more about the NEA's official position, go to: www.leavemychildalone.org/NEA
Please share the NEA official position with other teachers, school administrators, and any PTA groups you know, by forwarding them this link: www.leavemychildalone.org/NEA

New Pentagon database
The Pentagon, in violation of the Privacy Act, has compiled and put into use a mega-database of private information on 30 million 16-25-year-olds.
Even if you have opted your child out of the lists public schools turn over to local military recruiters, you or your child must also contact the Pentagon directly to get off this new national military recruiting list. For more information go to: www.leavemychildalone.org/jamrs
Think that this is an illegal invasion of privacy? To send a letter to the Pentagon telling them to shut down this database go to:
www.leavemychildalone.org/act

Send us information on your next School Board Meeting
Help us put pressure on school boards to adopt optimum opt-out policies. There are over 12,500 school districts across the U.S. If you do a little research and find out the time and location of your community's upcoming school board meetings through September, we'll post them online at LeaveMyChildAlone.org.

[Eloriel]

1. Very good. Nominated. n/t

[soup]

2. and kicked. n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. We need to get the word out about this

NONE of the parents of my students knew about this when I told them last year.

So spread the word folks. :kick:

[liveoaktx]

4. School starts soon-find out also about counter-recruiting at the

high school. The military recruiters have physical access to the children, you can, too.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Not just high school

NCLB says "secondary schools". In my district, kids start secondary school in 6th grade. I'm sure this is fairly common nationwide.

[liveoaktx]

6. In our area, 6th grade through 8th or 9th is considered "Middle" school

the military recruiters show up starting in high school.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. I hate to break it to you but

middle schools are secondary schools.

[liveoaktx]

10. Thanks for telling me

Hadn't occurred to me that the government would stoop this low. Will have to arrange to do tabling as well for middle school.

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. NCLB says

recruiters are to be allowed access to 'secondary students'. I am not aware of any specific language which defines which age and grade levels. Middle schools ARE considered secondary schools in this country. So to be on the safe side, we should educate parents of middle schoolers as well as high schoolers.

[liveoaktx]

28. I checked today with our local schools and secondary schools here

are only high school. Recruiters do not and have not contacted junior high schools or earlier for information nor do they go to the campus. One reason is that the information from those who aren't contactable changes rapidly, people move, etc.

Not saying that might be true for your area, but anyone interested should check first with the schools in their local district to see if this applies.

[noamnety]

7. I requested my packet earlier today

and have already talked to the principal to find out when the best time to distribute opt-out forms is. (Note, I didn't ask "if" we can do it, just when.)

I'm meeting with someone with more experience than me on this Monday, but from talking with her on the phone, here are some ideas for counter-recruitment in your local school:

1. Call your local school, ask when they are distributing opt-out forms. If they don't have plans or don't know about it, offer to bring a blank form they can photocopy and mail out with the first notes/progress reports that are mailed home.

2. If they give you grief, show up at a school board meeting and ask what the policy is, again, have the forms to give them as a sample. You don't need to have kids enrolled at the school to do this.

3. At targeted schools, recruiters also show up at places like football games, so they can be buddies with the kids, along with, of course, being in the schools during the day. Setting up an opt-out table, if you can get the school's permission, gives you an opportunity to hand out the forms there, and turn them into the administration right on the spot. It also gives you a chance to talk to the students about recruitment tactics, about what to look for in contracts, about lies recruiters tell, all that. If a kid honestly wants to join, I'm not going to dissuade them, it's their choice. But if a kid is feeling pressured and stalked despite making it clear they don't want to join, or if they are being deliberately misled, they need to know the facts.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. In all honesty, I cannot imagine

any educator opposing informing parents of the opt-out procedures. I have talked to a lot of my co-workers about this and even the few repukes are adamantly opposed to military recruiters hassling our kids.

I am guessing the opposition may come from school board members. So bypass your local school board and work directly with school administrators. If they refuse to distribute opt-out forms, then ask the teachers to send them home. I sent them to my parents last spring and didn't even discuss it with my principal.

[soup]

11. another kick.

School starts next week in Florida.

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. Next week?

We are still having summer school here. Are the schools air conditioned in Florida? How long is the school year?

Next week - that is unbelievable. Our kids don't start back till Aug 29.

[soup]

30. Yeah, it makes for a strange 'summer'.

They got out mid-May, and go back next week. The schools my son and grandchildren attend all have a/c. Can't imagine what the power bills would run for August.

August 29th sounds normal... but this is Florida, anything but normal.

[IndyOp]

12. Kick! and Thank you! (nt)

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. You are welcome

Thanks for the kick.

[LizW]

13. Information on this was included in our registration packets this year

for the first time.

However, I was a little disturbed. It explains the law, and says you can opt out, but it mixes other kinds of recruiting in there with military (college and sports, for instance). It also mixes in publicity.

It gives the impression that if you opt out, you child might be barred from ALL kinds of recruiting, and barred from being included in printed materials such as playbills, programs, and even the yearbook.

It's not clear at all, and I have to meet with the principal to figure out exactly what it means. We have to have the opt out form in by Aug. 24.

[soup]

16. Here, the info (scant as it is) is included in the Student Code of Conduct

booklet. It's a blip in the midst of 30 or 40 some pages outlining behavior, dress codes, rights, etc.

snip> "Military recruiters and institutions of higher education are entitled under federal law to a list of names, addresses, and telephone numbers of high school students unless you object to such release. If you notify your principal in writing at any time that you do not wish your child's name, address, and telephone number released without your written consent, we will honor that request." < end snip

A simple paragraph like the above might make it clearer than what's being distributed by your school. Not perfect by any means and it says 'any time'. You mentioned August 24th. Are there specific end dates? or does that vary, too? Also wish they included an actual form so it would draw more attention and more parents would take a look at it. That's probably asking too much.

and there's the ASVAB(?) question. My son opted out of taking it. Think I read somewhere that some schools are listing it as mandatory - but don't quote me.

Good luck with your meeting. Let us know how it goes.

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. The deadline the other poster mentioned

is most likely for that particular district only. NCLB is so vague; districts are given a lot of room for handling this opt-out procedure.

I am glad to see your district has included this info in the code of conduct.

What is ASVAB?

[LeftyMom]

26. Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery

It's the standardized test the military uses to figure out what jobs a young person is best suited to do.

Edit: If the kid does at all well, they get even more recruiter attention. If they score really badly, they can still join, but thier choice of MOS (military occupational specialty, I think) gets limited to various cannon fodder roles, usually with the army or marines.

[shugah]

14. kick

:kick:

[shugah]

15. another kick

for the children!

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. Amen! n/t

[AbbessHeloise]

17. I completely agree

that parents should be able to opt-out of having their child recruited by the military.

But my next question is: How many of the parents who do not want their child recruited voted for Bush and Co???

[shugah]

18. i'm kicking this again

because i know there are still so many people who don't even know that the schools are required to provide this information. every one i have told has been shocked!

opt out! opt out!

[adreamer]

19. My daughter's school...

is including the opt out form in their August newsletter. I'll fill it out and send it in when we get it. She'll be a senior this year, but so far haven't heard from any recruiters.

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. Count your blessings

Recruiters started calling my boys when they were freshman.

Welcome to DU :hi:

[adreamer]

27. Thanks for the welcome...

I've actually been reading for years, but hardly ever post, as you can see.
I think this is the first time they've offered the opt out form in their newsletter. I was surprised to see it in there. We get advanced copies of the newsletter because my daughter's the schools webmaster.
As far as I may know the recruiters may call all the time. We usually don't bother answering the phone unless we know who's calling. Drives other people crazy when I tell them that.

[LeftyMom]

29. kick!

:kick:

[soup]

31. A Saturday morning kick

back to the top. Hope more parents see this.

:kick: