Parents can keep military recruiters from contacting kids

[Algorem]

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/cleveland/index.ssf?/base/news-16/1115574108116620.xml&storylist=cleveland

Parents can keep military recruiters from contacting kids
5/8/2005, 1:52 p.m. ET
The Associated Press

BEAVERCREEK, Ohio (AP) — Fed up with constant calls and visits from military recruiters seeking to meet monthly enlistment quotas, some parents are unaware the military gets their contact information from their children's schools.

For nearly two years, recruiters showed up at David Antoon's Beavercreek home to try to persuade his oldest son to join, and their presence was not appreciated, he said.

After some research, Antoon found the recruiters has gotten his son's address and phone number from his school, and he could "opt out" by asking Beavercreek High School not to release the information.

"Before kids are shown movies, they bring (consent) forms home for parents to sign," Antoon said. "Yet, schools give my address, phone numbers and (students') grades to recruiters without my knowledge."...

[minnesotaDFLer]

1. this

is not good. Obviously, this problem can really only be solved through legislation banning this.

[CBGLuthier]

2. The problem was created by legislation requiring it.

I think it was buried in the No Child Left Behind act but may be wrong.

Not much chance of getting the government to change it now.

The only hope is to educate parents and have them opt their children out.

[MountainLaurel]

19. You're correct

This was one of the "bonuses" of NCLB legislation.

[kainah]

24. yes, in No Child Left Behind

Our peace group was made aware of this as soon as we formed because we had a bunch of high school students involved in the group. We had a hard time, though, getting parents to believe they had to opt out of it.

[Freddie Stubbs]

49. All but 6 Democratic Senators voted for this law

Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Bond (R-MO)
Boxer (D-CA)
Breaux (D-LA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Byrd (D-WV)
Campbell (R-CO)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carnahan (D-MO)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Cleland (D-GA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
Daschle (D-SD)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dodd (D-CT)
Domenici (R-NM)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Edwards (D-NC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (D-FL)
Gramm (R-TX)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchinson (R-AR)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Miller (D-GA)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nickles (R-OK)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-NH)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Stevens (R-AK)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thompson (R-TN)
Thurmond (R-SC)
Torricelli (D-NJ)
Warner (R-VA)
Wyden (D-OR)

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=1&vote=00371

[Freddie Stubbs]

50. 198 Democrats in the House of Representatives voted for this bill

Abercrombie
Ackerman
Aderholt
Allen
Andrews
Armey
Baca
Bachus
Baird
Baker
Baldacci
Baldwin
Ballenger
Barcia
Barr
Barrett
Barton
Bass
Becerra
Bentsen
Bereuter
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Biggert
Bilirakis
Bishop
Blagojevich
Blumenauer
Blunt
Boehlert
Boehner
Bonilla
Bonior
Bono
Boozman
Borski
Boswell
Boucher
Boyd
Brady (PA)
Brown (FL)
Brown (SC)
Bryant
Burr
Buyer
Callahan
Calvert
Camp
Cannon
Cantor
Capito
Capps
Cardin
Carson (IN)
Carson (OK)
Castle
Chabot
Chambliss
Clay
Clayton
Clement
Clyburn
Coble
Collins
Combest
Condit
Conyers
Cooksey
Costello
Cox
Coyne
Cramer
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cummings
Cunningham
Davis (CA)
Davis (FL)
Davis (IL)
Davis, Jo Ann
Davis, Tom
Deal
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
DeMint
Deutsch
Diaz-Balart
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Dooley
Doolittle
Doyle
Dreier
Dunn
Edwards
Ehlers
Ehrlich
Emerson
Engel
English
Eshoo
Etheridge
Evans
Everett
Farr
Fattah
Ferguson
Fletcher
Foley
Forbes
Ford
Fossella
Frelinghuysen
Frost
Gallegly
Ganske
Gekas
Gephardt
Gibbons
Gillmor
Gilman
Goodlatte
Gordon
Goss
Graham
Granger
Graves
Green (TX)
Green (WI)
Greenwood
Grucci
Gutierrez
Hall (OH)
Hall (TX)
Hansen
Harman
Hart
Hastert
Hastings (FL)
Hastings (WA)
Hayes
Hayworth
Herger
Hill
Hilleary
Hilliard
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hobson
Hoeffel
Holden
Holt
Honda
Hooley
Horn
Houghton
Hoyer
Hulshof
Hunter
Hyde
Inslee
Isakson
Israel
Issa
Istook
Jackson (IL)
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Jefferson
Jenkins
John
Johnson (CT)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, E. B.
Johnson, Sam
Jones (OH)
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Keller
Kelly
Kennedy (RI)
Kildee
Kilpatrick
Kind (WI)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Kleczka
Knollenberg
Kolbe
Kucinich
LaFalce
LaHood
Lampson
Langevin
Lantos
Largent
Larsen (WA)
Latham
LaTourette
Leach
Lee
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Linder
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Lofgren
Lowey
Lucas (KY)
Lucas (OK)
Lynch
Maloney (CT)
Maloney (NY)
Markey
Mascara
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (MO)
McCarthy (NY)
McCrery
McDermott
McGovern
McHugh
McInnis
McIntyre
McKeon
McKinney
McNulty
Meehan
Meeks (NY)
Menendez
Mica
Millender-McDonald
Miller, Dan
Miller, Gary
Miller, George
Miller, Jeff
Mink
Mollohan
Moore
Moran (VA)
Morella
Murtha
Myrick
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Nethercutt
Ney
Northup
Norwood
Nussle
Oberstar
Obey
Ortiz
Osborne
Ose
Otter
Owens
Oxley
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor
Payne
Pelosi
Peterson (PA)
Petri
Phelps
Pickering
Platts
Pombo
Pomeroy
Portman
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Putnam
Quinn
Radanovich
Rahall
Rangel
Regula
Rehberg
Reyes
Reynolds
Riley
Rivers
Rodriguez
Roemer
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Ross
Rothman
Roukema
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Rush
Ryan (WI)
Sanchez
Sandlin
Sawyer
Saxton
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schrock
Scott
Serrano
Shaw
Shays
Sherman
Sherwood
Shimkus
Shows
Shuster
Simmons
Simpson
Skeen
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (MI)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Solis
Souder
Spratt
Stark
Stenholm
Strickland
Stump
Stupak
Sununu
Sweeney
Tanner
Tauscher
Tauzin
Taylor (MS)
Terry
Thomas
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thornberry
Thune
Thurman
Tiberi
Tierney
Toomey
Towns
Traficant
Turner
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Upton
Velazquez
Visclosky
Vitter
Walden
Walsh
Wamp
Watkins (OK)
Watson (CA)
Watt (NC)
Watts (OK)
Waxman
Weiner
Weldon (PA)
Weller
Wexler
Whitfield
Wicker
Wilson
Wolf
Woolsey
Wu
Wynn
Young (FL)

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2001/roll497.xml

[Xithras]

63. Actually, this has been the law since the 70's

The 1974 Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act permits schools to legally give or sell directories of their students to any interested third party...whether those third parties are credit card companies, the Boy Scouts, college recruiters, or the US Marine Corps.

The No Child Left Behind Act simply added a provision that prohibited schools from withholding their FERPA reports from US federal government agencies, and was a swipe at a few school districts that had begun refusing these requests. For most schools, providing FERPA directories to military recruiters was routine and was unaffected by NCLBA.

By the way, there is one downside to removing your kids from these lists. You will not be contacted by college recruiters or college loan companies, and your childs enrollment will be unverifiable to future colleges and employers (which will automatically make it "suspect" to many people doing background checks). In many districts, it's not something that can be updated after graduation either...if you graduate HS with a "Do Not Disclose" in your file, it will stay there for the rest of your life.

[losdiablosgato]

64. I enlisted when I was 17

I still got calls from all branches of the military at least once a week. When I came home from training (I was a reservist) there was recruitment literature that was mailed to me waiting.

[HockeyMom]

3. Tell parents about the

Do Not Call Lists that their HS MUST send to them. Also, tell them that if their kid turns 18 while still in HS, the student must sign the list themselves. The recruiters will wait after the student turns 18 to call.

Trust me from our experience with this, it can get very, very bad. They don't stop, even with young women.

[Big_Mike]

28. There is a much simpler thing to do

I was a recruiter in the mid-80s. Simply tell the recruiter that your child has asthma, has heart murmurs, or epilepsy. Those are all permanently disqualifying factors. If your child is grossly obese, they will not call; it is a tough enough job to get someone who qualifies, they leave the overweight alone. All service members must be able to don and wear protective masks of one type or another. Asthmatics don't have the lung power to draw air if having an attack while wearing one. Other things that keep kids from enlisting is too severe acne, where they must take meds to clear it up; some surgeries, if not well resolved; or stating that they are gay. One way out is to tell them the kid enlisted in the Coast Guard. They will stop calling as soon as they know the kid is gone.

Telling them not to call won't help. Part of the job is to make the calls. They start calling the senior year, and for two years afterwards.

[HockeyMom]

42. How she got him to stop calling

She had already turned 18 when this started so there was nothing much I could do. He called for months. It got to the point where she was afraid to answer the phone that it would be "him" on the other end of the line. She said she felt as if he was stalking her and would one day show up outside our home. I told her don't let him intimidate you. I said if you feel he is stalking you, tell him that. Tell him that you are not interested AT ALL in the military and that if he calls your home one more time, you will call the police and report him for stalking. Think they want to go down that road where a young woman is concerned?

He never called again.

[against all enemies]

53. My kids in 10th grade and the military sends him "cool" stuff all

the time. Just send in the reply , no committment. Yeah, right. Thanks but no thanks, just send that shit to the Bush supporters, it's his and their war. Have at it.

[dkofos]

62. You need to be more aggressive

when you tell them to get the fuck off your property and not to ever come back or you may shoot to kill if the fucking COCKSUCKERS trespass on your property again.

If that doesn't work, try boobytraps.

:evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[mzmolly]

17. Welcome to DU!

:toast:

[saigon68]

31. OR SHOWING THESE VERY GRAPHIC PHOTOS GRAPHIC

A dead U.S. soldier is removed from his Humvee after an RPG attack.




A U.S. soldier lies dead on the kitchen floor of a house in Fallujah which was used as a base by
insurgent fighters. The soldier was shot and killed as he entered the room. Two other soldiers
were also wounded by the insurgents, who escaped.
(Photo: Stefan Zaklin / Sipa Press)

[mahina]

36. That is someone's brother, someone's father, someone's son.

Please don't do that to them. The graphic warning doesn't help them.
Fighting the good fight does, for responsible government, and I appreciate that you are trying to do that. But have some aloha for those men's families.
They may be on this board.
How would you feel if that was your brother?

[leftchick]

39. If that was my brother I would plaster those photos everywhere

There is no other way to wake AmeriKans the fuck up! They don't seem to be getting the message from the Corporate media puppets.

[mahina]

46. We'll have to disagree on this pont I guess.

What you would do I can't say of course, don't know if you have anyone in your family over there.

There is a reason you cover a dead body in the street. There is a reason leaving your dead lying around in the street is considered uncivilized. They can't protect themselves.

They were already grossly used and their sacrifice disrespected. I don't want this board, which I value so highly, to be a vehicle for more of that than our govt has already served these good people.

Plus on a practical level it harms our argument. I am working for peace, demilitarizaton, wise use of our military for a change, justice for vets. Please understand this hurts us.

[calimary]

59. I understand your message, but if my brother had died in Iraq, I'd want

to tell EVERYBODY. I'd want to get big and red and swolen and loud and scream and kick and show the facts and speak the truth. It is NOT like some cool fancy mountain-climbing commercial or ultra-high-tech video game. It's blood, and bones, and intestines, and veins, and dismemberment and death. And lots of hurt. And a so-called "commander-in-chief" who just somehow can't ever be bothered even to honor his fallen Americans - whom HE SENT TO THEIR DEATHS - WITH LIES to all of America, I might add - by attending ANY of their funerals. Not ONE. Doesn't even want their bodies photographed in their caskets. Won't even meet 'em on the tarmac at the end of their last flight home. Won't even let the families out there.

You bet I'd be out there in front of EVERY TV station and newspaper office I could find - so hopefully another sister (or mother, or wife, or aunt, or daughter) somewhere would NOT know the agony I did.

Yes, I would show these pictures. War has become so sanitized that we don't even get it on the evening news anymore, as we did during the Vietnam era, when the carnage got to be too much to bear for the average family dinner discussion. Another reason why these jackals have muzzled the media. They don't want the word getting out. They don't want you to know what war is. They don't want you to know what war does. They want you to think it's some fun, exciting "Army of One" commercial where soldiers play a lot of golf in their spare time, and then march in cool drills and play with cool guns and wear cool uniforms. For that reason ALONE I would spend the rest of my life trying to thwart them.

[mahina]

61. I am doing exactly what you are.

I am that daughter who is doing everything I can so no other family has to suffer like we did.
With respect this is not academic.

[FloridaPat]

4. It was legislation that started this. Think about this. This is part of th

No-Child-Left-Behind act passed before 9-11. It says the schools HAVE to give the recruiters the names addresses and phone numbers of their students. More proof Bushco was going to be waging a lot of wars with other peoples children.

[VegasWolf]

5. No Child Left Behind - Everyone goes to Iraq! n/t

[Jacobin]

8. LOL

Pretty ironic

[Virginian]

6. I think I read it was part of No Child Left Behind legislation.

Get Opt Out form from school to stop it.
If they already have the kid's name and are already bugging him, they may leave him alone if he says he plans to continue his education and will be applying to colleges. It worked for my cousin's kid.

[salin]

14. Yes - it was in NCLB - requiring schools to give student list to military

recruiters. I do not know if schools are told NOT to inform parents about the opt out option, but given the current climate - I would guess that if schools sent said notification - that some repubs would come down on them for working against the spirit of the NCLB clause.

[Ms. Toad]

23. My school is proactive...

When my daughter signed up for 9th grade classes last year, the (public school) counselor reviewed her classes with us and handed us an opt out form. We live in a fairly conservative area.

[whistle]

7. Could be the start of a new type of black-listing

....non-patriots followed by community whisper campaigns against the kids and workplace harassments of parents.

[unhappycamper]

9. .

[oneighty]

10. In Buffalo, New York

Television Station WIVB TV4 sent news reporters to Paris Island Marine Boot Camp to observe the training. Along with the reporters went some 'Educators' (Local teachers).

The teachers were very impressed with the training and one teacher that I heard and saw on TV thought it would be great training for those students that had few other options.

For what it is worth.

180

[hadrons]

12. how old was that teacher ....

if he/she is 39 or under you know where I think they can go ... to some of that wonderful basic training

[oneighty]

13. Middle age lady

They are recruiting by golly. Shilling for Bush*.

I sent them an E mail suggested if they want to recruit why not push for a draft, no exemptions no exceptions.

Do that I tell them.

No reply yet.

180

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[hadrons]

11. Why do these parents hate America?

... and how many voted for Bush???

[bluestateguy]

15. As long as it's a volunteer military they can so this

But when the draft comes back, the military won't be asking anymore.

[mia]

16. Pentagon gets edge on student recruitment

"While joining the military may be a viable option for some high school graduates, the Section 9528 clause gives an unfair advantage to military recruiters over colleges and employers. While a student or parent must give consent for information to be released to prospective colleges and employers, the process to get a student’s name dropped from a military recruitment list works conversely. Students and parents must take the time to write their school districts in order to stop the Pentagon from getting student names, addresses and numbers.

And that might not work. U.S. Army recruiter Major Johannes Paraan has reportedly stated that “The only thing that will get us to stop contacting the family is if they call their congressman. Or maybe if the kid died, we’ll take them off our list.” This callous comment shows the real concern the military has for this nation’s children.

The federal government requires schools to obtain parental consent before releasing any students’ information to a third party, yet at the same time orders that schools concede this same information to the Pentagon. Dissenting schools have been forced to go along, threatened with losing federal funding if they do not fully cooperate.

Student opposition to the mandate has been expressed as well. “I feel that our rights as well as our privacy are being invaded,” says Bradley Cannady, currently a sophomore at John Hope College Preparatory High School in Chicago. Bradley and high school students across America may now be funneled into considering military service years before they get one letter from potential colleges....


http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/2930/1/138/

[UCLA Dem]

18. Thats awful. Parents should definitely be asked their permission.

[TheLastMohican]

51. Their children don't belong to them

Every child born in USA from the very beginning has a debt of some 58000 bucks hung onto them.
Courtesy of the so well-to-do Federal Government.

All your kids belong to us/ sarcasm

[FourStarDemocrat]

20. Alot of parents don't know this, but kids can't get any federal aid for

college without agreeing that their high schools provide their personal information to military recruiters. It's total coercion.

[JerseygirlCT]

21. Are you sure about this?

we were given a form by the school which we used to opt-out. From what I've read, that's perfectly fine. They've just got it to "default" to giving out the information (thanks to NCLB), but opting out is an option -- just not necessarily a well-advertised one. I don't believe there's any penalty for opting out.

[FourStarDemocrat]

29. I filled out a federal student loan form (FAFSA) just last week, & it was

written on it, plain as day. I normally don't pay much attention to the parts that dependents have to fill out, since I'm a self-supporting adult, but I took the time to read it, and there it was.

[MountainLaurel]

33. You're thinking of Selective Service

Which is not the same thing as this NCLB legislation, which applies to students in high school. Selective Service (for the draft should it be reinstated) registration is required for all males once they turn 18.

[FourStarDemocrat]

35. Okay...I think you're right, but that is almost as bad imo...

Forcing males to register for selective service, in case of the draft in return for loan consideration is coercive imo.

[JerseygirlCT]

44. Absolutely! It sucks, it's wrong. nt

[JerseygirlCT]

43. THAT I knew about...

thanks, that's what I thought.

[Kitka]

22. This was not true

When I was in high school (graduated in 1993). Is this a new requirement?

[FourStarDemocrat]

30. It's on there now- just read it last week while filing out fed. loan form

It said something to the effect that, "without providing military eligibilty information to your high school, this loan cannot be processed."

[Ms. Toad]

25. This is not correct.

If the school (secondary or college) does not with the military access provisions of NCLB, the school loses federal aid - not the child who has opted out.

http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/ca/205/improve

[FourStarDemocrat]

32. On the Fed. Student Loan form application it says:

If you are male (age 18-25) and not registered, answer "Yes" and Selective Service will register you. If you do not answer Yes, this loan cannot be processed.

Also: Some of the requirements for a student to receive Federal Student Aid are to:

*Be a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen of the United States with a valid Social Security Number;
*Have a high school diploma, a General Education Development (GED) certificate, or pass an approved "ability to benefit" test;
*Enroll in an eligible program as a regular student seeking a degree or certificate;
*Register (or have registered) for Selective Service, if the student is a male between the ages of 18-25;

https://fafsa.ed.gov/

[Ms. Toad]

40. That is a different requirement.

All males must register for the draft upon reaching age 18.

This thread is about the NCLB requirement that the school provide your child's contact information (both males and females, beginning in 9th grade) to the military.

You can safely opt out of having the school provide your information to the military without endangering your college financial aid. If you happen to be male and over the age 18 you cannot opt out of registering for the draft without endangering your federal financial aid.

Not that I think anyone should be required to register for the draft, but I was responding to your statement that opting out would endanger federal financial aid.

[FourStarDemocrat]

47. okay sorry, I stand corrected. n/t

[Ian David]

26. What can we do to get the opt-out forms into the hands of more kids?

I always see military recruitment brochures in stores everywhere. Can we leave opt-out forms there?

Buy mailing lists from toy companies and send them to their houses?

Pass them out in front of schools?

Contact student organizations and encourage them to distribute them in school?

Leave them on windshields in High School parking lots?

Pass them out at train stations?

Anyone?

Anyone?

[thingsarelookingup]

27. MMOB already on this one

Check out http://www.themmob.com/lmca/
LMCA=Leave My Child Alone

They are organizing across the country. This group has great energy.

[Ian David]

37. Thanks! n/t

[llmart]

38. Are there forms that can be filled out to opt out?

Can I put a stack of these forms in the community room at my library where we have the forms for recruitment?

I'd love to do that.

[soup]

41. Opt Out Form

http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:cc_cCR3XVTQJ:www.house.gov/stark/issues/recruiteroptoutform.pdf+opt+out+form+military+recruit&hl=en

This is the html version of the file (requires Adobe)
http://www.house.gov/stark/issues/recruiteroptoutform.pdf


OPT OUT FORM PROHIBITING SCHOOL OFFICIALS FROM
RELEASING YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE
NUMBER TO MILITARY RECRUITERS

School ___________________________________ Date ______________

Student Name___________________________ Date of Birth _________

Dear ___________________
(Name of School)

I understand that the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 allows a student or a student’s parent the right to prohibit a school from providing the military with a student’s personal information.

____ I request that this student’s name, address, and telephone number not be released to Armed Forces and Military Recruiters, or Military Schools.

Signature of parent or guardian ______________________________

or

___ I am 18 years old and request my own name, address, telephone number and school records not be released to the Armed Forces, Military Recruiters, or Military Schools.

Signature of student______________________________
Date:______________

Federal public law 107-110, section 9528 of the ESEA, "No Child Left Behind Act" requires school districts to release student names, addresses, and phone numbers to military recruiters upon their request. The military uses this information to recruit students. The law also requires the school district to notify you of your right to Opt-Out from this by requesting that the district not release your information to military recruiters. The completion and return of this form serves as your request to withhold your private information.

---

More info:

Resource Center for Nonviolence
http://www.rcnv.org/counterrecruit/optout/

[llmart]

48. Thanks!

I'll print off a couple hundred and put them in the library.

[Danmel]

52. Thanks for that form

My daughter is starting high school in September and I have called the school to find out how they inform parents of the opt-out provision,. No one really seemed to know. I got a vague, it'll come home with forms. Who knows what that means. That's for the link- I'll make certain to let people know their rights.

[soup]

55. You're welcome.

Tried to find the student handbook that came home with my son at the beginning of the year, but have no idea what happened to it. I'm thinking it was mentioned there, with the form available upon request. There's a tear-out page that the parent and student sign and date that they've read the handbook and agree to abide by the student code of conduct. I wonder if signing that form covers awareness of notification of the right to opt-out.

It would be nice if an actual form was included with the packet that includes the clinic card and all the others that have to be filled out at the beginning of each year.

My son opted out of taking the ASVAB (Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery), too. It didn't make any sense for him to take it since there's no way that the military is an option for him. You might want to check out your daughter's school district policy on that testing. I hope someone will correct me if I'm wrong, I seem to remember reading that in some districts it's mandatory(?).

Also, check out the site LynneSin provided below. It's geared towards the kids themselves. And has the form, too.

Good luck and best wishes to your daughter for next year. Ah, the excitement of the first year of high school.

[Danmel]

60. Thanks- it's pretty scary to think about

My baby girl in high school! ACK!

Even scarier my little guy is starting Middle School!

I've never heard of that Armed Forces exam- I'll have to find out about that one- thanks for the heads up and the good wishes!

[LynneSin]

45. I've given this website to a few kids I know who will soon be that age

http://www.militaryfreezone.org/

It includes the form the kids need to have their parents sign and submit to their school's administration

[ausiedownunderground]

54. You can hide from the recruiter's for so long?

The more American children "hide" from recruiter's with their parent's help, the quicker America will be forced into "The Draft"! Then you parents are really going to have to take "The War on Terror" seriously!

[soup]

56. I take it Very seriously

and I don't consider it 'hiding' - it's a choice. When/if the time comes for hiding, we'll deal with it. For now, it's an option and I do not choose to sacrifice my children for this madness based on greed and lies.

As a parent, it's my responsibility to guide and protect my children. If **Bush had taken his job as seriously as I take mine, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

Apologies if my post sounds snippy. It's not directed at you or at those who choose to serve in the military, but at the mess this misadministration has plunged the world into.

[halobeam]

57. DITTO!

[otohara]

58. Do Tell

What are you doing to help w/ the war on terror?

[Algorem]

65. CBS-Army will halt recruiting for one day later this month to re-instruct

it's recruiters on what they may and may not legally do to persuade young people to enlist:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/10/eveningnews/main694345.shtml

Army Recruiters Play Hard Ball

DALLAS, May 10, 2005

(CBS) CBS News has learned that the Army will halt recruiting for one day later this month to re-instruct its recruiters on what they may and may not legally do to persuade young people to enlist.

With casualties mounting in Iraq, recruiters have been unable to meet their goals for three months now. The so called "stand down" follows a rash of complaints that recruiters are resorting to unscrupulous tactics to enlist new soldiers, reports CBS News Correspondent Bob McNamara.

"Going Army" and making history appealed to 20-year-old Chris Monarch, so he called a Houston recruiting office.

"I recognized the name," he said. "His name was Kelt." ...

[katty]

66. Trolling for human fodder - disgusting - hope this info

is up on public boards in H.Schools.

[orleans]

67. Our School Forgot to Inform Parents

but they handed out a list of over 1,000 students three times before called to inquire about the school policy.

turns out the district did write a memo to inform the parents, but the school personnel did not follow through. therefore, parents were unaware of their ability to opt-out.

although the school will not release the list to any recruiters through the end of the school year, the district is not intending to notify parents of their mistake or apologize.