Montclair, NJ Students Organize to Opt Out on Military Info from Schools

[NJCher]

Most of us who read this forum regularly know about the NCLB clause that allows military recruiters access to student records if the school receives federal funds.

This story is about how students in one town, Montclair, took it upon themselves to educate others about how they can opt out. The campaign has made a difference. In Montclair, 1,628 students out of 1,937 opted out. In Paterson, by contrast, only one parent out of 2,000 has done so.


No easy access for military in Montclair
Most parents deny recruiters teens' data
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
BY KASI ADDISON
Star-Ledger Staff

Eight out of 10 Montclair parents want their kids to be all they can be. But not if it means the military has access to their high-schoolers' records.

A provision in the No Child Left Behind act, which was signed into law two years ago, requires all schools receiving federal funding to provide basic student biographical information -- phone numbers, addresses, ages -- to military recruiters when asked.

However, parents are allowed to "opt out" and deny anyone, colleges, universities or military personnel, access to their children's information.

A group of Montclair High School students decided their parents should know about the policy in case they wanted to say no when the military came calling. So they started a campaign for their privacy.

Since the legislation went into effect in January 2002, most schools have fallen in line. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Education, out of the 22,629 public schools affected by the legislation, only 271 are being monitored for compliance issues.

More at....

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/essex/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1106117914288930.xml

Registration required.


Cher

p.s. I think it's so cool that the STUDENTS did this!

[tilsammans]

1. Thanks for posting this, Cher!

Perhaps it would be good to post it on the main boards as well, since other DUers might not be aware of the opt-out aspect.

[rocktivity]

2. That's great--it SHOULD be the parents' decision

If a recruiter wants to visit a high school as a guest speaker or as part of a career day, that's okay. But having access to student contact info when no one else does is wrong.

:headbang:
rocknation