Military Recruiment of High school Students

Military Recruitment of High School Students

The general provision in Title IX of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, forces the local education agencies (LEAs) who are receiving funds under this act to provide military recruiters with access to students and student contact information or face a cutoff of all their federal aid!

This provision is buried deep within the law's 670 pages, and unfortunately, many school administrators, teachers, parents, and students are NOT aware of it. It is critical that students, schools and school districts have accurate information regarding this No Child Left Behind Act:

First, the Local Educational Agency (LEA), not individual schools, may grant dissemination of student information. When recruiters approach individual schools, the administration should refer them to the school district office where they are supposed to visit in the first place

Second, the LEA must notify parents of the change in federal policy through an addendum to the student handbook or individual letters sent to students' homes. Parents and students can notify their school administration and district in writing of their desire to have their records kept secret.

Counter-Recruitment and Alternatives to the Military Program

The Counter-Recruitment and Alternatives to the Military Program (CRAMP) aims to limit the influence of military recruiters on middle and high school kids, to help these kids make well reflected career choices, and to provide information on jobs in peacemaking and non-violent ways to financing college. A particular emphasis is placed on bringing awareness of possible dangers of joining the military and false promises made by recruiters. We work together with youth and parents as well as teachers from Los Angeles Unified School District who are organizing to demilitarize the schools. A close partner is the LA based Coalition Against Militarism Of Our Schools (www.militaryfreeschools.org).

Resources

Please download and distribute freely the following counter-recruitment resources as PDF files. The publishers are either AFSC, Committee Opposed to Militarism and Draft (COMD), Objector.org, or Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities (YANO), as indicated in brackets. Thank you!

You will need Adobe Reader to view the material. You can download it for free from the Adobe website.