- Blog
- What do I think about military recruiters in public school?
- My Story.
- My Checklist of Changes:
- Letter to School Board December 2010
- Letter to School Board January 2012
- Local Newspaper Article
- Guest Column in the Oregonian 26FEB12
- Join me on my protest - by proxy!
- It pays to go to college!
- Veterans for Peace article.
- The State of Military Recruiting
- After High School - Great reference!
- Motives of the Military article - Good Read.
My Story
My son had been in private school and started
in public school in the 7th grade in 2010
in a small rural school district near where we live.
Early in the school year, he brought home a "free" thumb drive on a lanyard. The lanyard said something like - "go marines.com" in a repeating pattern on the lanyard.
He said everybody got one.
I told him he could keep the thumb drive, which had no advertising on it, and I got him another lanyard.
I then started reading about military recruiters being allowed in public schools as part of the
no-child-left-behind act passed in 2002.
Public schools must allow military recruiters
the same access as
other post secondary educational opportunities.
The "access" allowed varies greatly from
once a year at a job fair,
to frequent military recruitment visits.
It all depends on what the school district decides
is OK with them.
I was shocked.
The school where my son was in 7th grade, was by definition, a secondary school, as there is no junior high - only the primary school building and the secondary school building, thus, the recruiters had open access to
the 12 and 13 year old 7th and 8th graders,
as well as the rest of the children in this building.
Two weeks later, my son came home with a Marine Corps hat.
I asked him how he got the hat and he said he walked up to the table and asked what he had to do to get a free hat, and they just gave it to him.
He told me a friend of his in 8th grade did
60 push-ups in order to get
a "free" water bottle from the Marine Corps recruiter who was stationed in the hallway
with a table of "goodies" for children.
I took the hat away and went the very next morning to speak to the principal as I could not fathom why the military would have any contact with 12 and 13 year old children.
The principal did not see anything wrong with it and we ended up agreeing to disagreeing.
He told me, if it bothered me, to tell my child to not go near the recruiters.
I then emailed the superintendent about my concerns and again, the response was, that if it bothered me, to tell my child to not go near the recruiters who have the table of "free" items for children.
The recruiters are not allowed by law to approach children, thus the table of goodies is the bait to get the
children to approach them.
I then wrote a letter to the school board asking for changes.
I pointed out that at the rate that recruiters were at this very small rural school,
that a 12 year old, 7th grader, would potentially see a recruiter 60 times before they got to their junior year in high school and would see their first college recruiter.
I pointed out that even if it was Intel showing up that often scouting for future employees, that the balance of opportunities presented to children was not even,
or even close to even.
The school board decision was in line with the principal and the superintendent.
" If it bothers you, tell your kid to not to go near the military recruiters."
The school board did not wish to instate any of the changes that I requested of them.
I was very dissapointed.
I understand that any contact with a 7th or 8th grader may not be considered "recruiting" by many people - but to many others there is no doubt that giving a way free
items to school children is thinly veiled subterfuge recruiting.
It is like the Joe Camel cigarette ads targeted to obtain future smokers.
There is subliminal impact intended and anticipated.
******************************************************
Changes
************************************
Then in November of 2010, I received an email from the school councilor stating that the Navy recruiter was going to visit and he would be in a classroom and not setting up his recruiting table in the hall.
(One of the changes I asked the school board to make - that they declined)
He also said in the same email that the school
would post the dates
of recruiter visits on the online school calendar.
(One of the changes I asked the school to make )
I went to the school the day the Navy recruiter visit was listed on the calendar - got a visitor badge and went
and sat in the room with the recruiter.
We had a nice visit, me and that Navy recruiter.
Why did the administration make these small changes that I had requested months before?
Here is what I think.
The local newspaper was interested in this story and called and spoke to the principal.
Then these changes that I had earlier suggested
became unwritten procedures:
I decided that since this is an issue that is important to me, that I will take my lunch hour and be the "military monitor" each time a recruiter is at the school.
That worked OK until the Air Force recruiter and his two military companions came to the
school in November of 2011.
The Air Force recruiter was in a full dress uniform and he brought another soldier in a camoflauge attire and the third soldier wore more casual blue military clothing.
I was in the classroom and some young kids came in and asked him some questions and after they left
I pointed out to the Air Force recruiter, that he might not be aware of the new procedure where recruiters were not supposed to speak to the
12 and 13 year old 7th and 8th graders.
He said he could talk to anyone he wanted to.
I told him that may be so, but not at this school.
Let's say it all went downhill from there.
He got upset and I got upset and it was a very unpleasant situation for both of us.
After the lunch hour was over the the AIr Force recruiter and his 2 military companions and the principal
and the school councilor all had a meeting
while I sat on the wooden bench in the office and waited for the principal to return to talk to me.
The principal later returned and he and I went into his office to discuss the situation.
We once again agreed to disagree and it sounded like the unwritten procedures were potentially changing due to the Air Force recruiter's arguments which I was not privy to, in defense of him speaking to any child he wanted to speak to.
The unwritten procedures have changed since those 5 men had their meeting and there was later, an executive administrative meeting at the school that laid down some changes in the unwritten procedures.
Now the recruiters are once again allowed access to the 12 and 13 year old 7th and 8th graders.
I may still be the military monitor in the classroom - but I am not allowed to speak.
Now I will have to consider other methods to establish what I believe should be the ethical and correct policies in regards to military recruiting at this school.
I LIKE this school.
I LIKE the teachers.
I just think that changes need to be made to erase undo influences from any one group and enhances choices and opportunities for the children in this rural community.
I am a mom.
in public school in the 7th grade in 2010
in a small rural school district near where we live.
Early in the school year, he brought home a "free" thumb drive on a lanyard. The lanyard said something like - "go marines.com" in a repeating pattern on the lanyard.
He said everybody got one.
I told him he could keep the thumb drive, which had no advertising on it, and I got him another lanyard.
I then started reading about military recruiters being allowed in public schools as part of the
no-child-left-behind act passed in 2002.
Public schools must allow military recruiters
the same access as
other post secondary educational opportunities.
The "access" allowed varies greatly from
once a year at a job fair,
to frequent military recruitment visits.
It all depends on what the school district decides
is OK with them.
I was shocked.
The school where my son was in 7th grade, was by definition, a secondary school, as there is no junior high - only the primary school building and the secondary school building, thus, the recruiters had open access to
the 12 and 13 year old 7th and 8th graders,
as well as the rest of the children in this building.
Two weeks later, my son came home with a Marine Corps hat.
I asked him how he got the hat and he said he walked up to the table and asked what he had to do to get a free hat, and they just gave it to him.
He told me a friend of his in 8th grade did
60 push-ups in order to get
a "free" water bottle from the Marine Corps recruiter who was stationed in the hallway
with a table of "goodies" for children.
I took the hat away and went the very next morning to speak to the principal as I could not fathom why the military would have any contact with 12 and 13 year old children.
The principal did not see anything wrong with it and we ended up agreeing to disagreeing.
He told me, if it bothered me, to tell my child to not go near the recruiters.
I then emailed the superintendent about my concerns and again, the response was, that if it bothered me, to tell my child to not go near the recruiters who have the table of "free" items for children.
The recruiters are not allowed by law to approach children, thus the table of goodies is the bait to get the
children to approach them.
I then wrote a letter to the school board asking for changes.
I pointed out that at the rate that recruiters were at this very small rural school,
that a 12 year old, 7th grader, would potentially see a recruiter 60 times before they got to their junior year in high school and would see their first college recruiter.
I pointed out that even if it was Intel showing up that often scouting for future employees, that the balance of opportunities presented to children was not even,
or even close to even.
The school board decision was in line with the principal and the superintendent.
" If it bothers you, tell your kid to not to go near the military recruiters."
The school board did not wish to instate any of the changes that I requested of them.
I was very dissapointed.
I understand that any contact with a 7th or 8th grader may not be considered "recruiting" by many people - but to many others there is no doubt that giving a way free
items to school children is thinly veiled subterfuge recruiting.
It is like the Joe Camel cigarette ads targeted to obtain future smokers.
There is subliminal impact intended and anticipated.
******************************************************
Changes
************************************
Then in November of 2010, I received an email from the school councilor stating that the Navy recruiter was going to visit and he would be in a classroom and not setting up his recruiting table in the hall.
(One of the changes I asked the school board to make - that they declined)
He also said in the same email that the school
would post the dates
of recruiter visits on the online school calendar.
(One of the changes I asked the school to make )
I went to the school the day the Navy recruiter visit was listed on the calendar - got a visitor badge and went
and sat in the room with the recruiter.
We had a nice visit, me and that Navy recruiter.
Why did the administration make these small changes that I had requested months before?
Here is what I think.
The local newspaper was interested in this story and called and spoke to the principal.
Then these changes that I had earlier suggested
became unwritten procedures:
- military recruiters would be in a classroom and not in the hallways for their visits
- 7th and 8th graders would not be allowed access to the recruiters
- the online school calendar would list days and times of military recruiters
I decided that since this is an issue that is important to me, that I will take my lunch hour and be the "military monitor" each time a recruiter is at the school.
That worked OK until the Air Force recruiter and his two military companions came to the
school in November of 2011.
The Air Force recruiter was in a full dress uniform and he brought another soldier in a camoflauge attire and the third soldier wore more casual blue military clothing.
I was in the classroom and some young kids came in and asked him some questions and after they left
I pointed out to the Air Force recruiter, that he might not be aware of the new procedure where recruiters were not supposed to speak to the
12 and 13 year old 7th and 8th graders.
He said he could talk to anyone he wanted to.
I told him that may be so, but not at this school.
Let's say it all went downhill from there.
He got upset and I got upset and it was a very unpleasant situation for both of us.
After the lunch hour was over the the AIr Force recruiter and his 2 military companions and the principal
and the school councilor all had a meeting
while I sat on the wooden bench in the office and waited for the principal to return to talk to me.
The principal later returned and he and I went into his office to discuss the situation.
We once again agreed to disagree and it sounded like the unwritten procedures were potentially changing due to the Air Force recruiter's arguments which I was not privy to, in defense of him speaking to any child he wanted to speak to.
The unwritten procedures have changed since those 5 men had their meeting and there was later, an executive administrative meeting at the school that laid down some changes in the unwritten procedures.
Now the recruiters are once again allowed access to the 12 and 13 year old 7th and 8th graders.
I may still be the military monitor in the classroom - but I am not allowed to speak.
Now I will have to consider other methods to establish what I believe should be the ethical and correct policies in regards to military recruiting at this school.
I LIKE this school.
I LIKE the teachers.
I just think that changes need to be made to erase undo influences from any one group and enhances choices and opportunities for the children in this rural community.
I am a mom.