 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2003 (XXXXI 1) |
The Federal education bill known as the “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001” contains a provision that gives U.S. military recruiters access to information about high school students. Under the new law, all public and private high schools that receive federal funding are required, upon request, to give military recruiters their students’ names, addresses, and phone numbers, unless a parent requests the school to withhold such information. Schools are required to notify parents of this rule and their ability to opt out before disclosing the information to military recruiters, minimally via a single notice that is “reasonably calculated” to inform parents. Individual schools have wide latitude in how vigorously they inform parents of their right to withhold information about their child from the recruiters.
This is where Friends come in; we can encourage local high school administrators to make it as easy as possible for parents to “opt out.” Please request a meeting with your local administrators, and ask them to notify parents of the new requirement via an exclusive mailing or other explicit means, and to provide a simple and convenient way for parents to opt out. For more information, contact me at lapreziosa@earthlink.net.
Gary Lapreziosa
Gwynedd Meeting (PA)
Co-clerk of PYM Working Group on Conscience, Militarism and War Tax Concerns
Last modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:18 AM