thedrifter
05-20-06, 02:04 AM
Principal: Marines' gym class an error
SANDY CULLEN scullen@madison.com
May 20, 2006
Recent gym classes conducted by a Marine Corps recruiter and other corps members at Madison's East High School violated School District policy, Principal Alan Harris said.
"We made an error," Harris said, adding, "We're going to act to ensure that it doesn't happen again."
But some East parents and teachers said they remain concerned that what they consider a back-door effort to enlist students into military service is continuing at other area middle and high schools.
Harris said he had "a handful of parents" contact him after about 600 East students in grades 9 through 12 participated in exercises and an obstacle course during gym classes on May 11. Marine recruiting Sgt. Frederick Hutchinson arranged the classes through the school's physical education department.
Madison School Board policy allows representatives from each branch of the military, along with prospective employers and college representatives, to visit high schools three times a year.
At East, such visits by military recruiters are limited to occasions when college representatives also are present, and parents are notified in advance, said David Hoppe, a high school guidance counselor who coordinates visits by the military. He said he didn't know about the gym classes until after they took place.
Harris said he will make sure all staff members at the high school, as well as military recruiters, are aware of the district policy and the school's procedures.
Hoppe said that while he believes "the military is right for some kids," he is concerned about recruiters "sneaking in the back door" and gaining access to students without their parents approval.
"I am really upset about this phys-ed stuff," Hoppe said, adding that his son had a similar experience in his gym class at Monona Grove High School.
Participation in the gym classes at East was voluntary, and about 30 percent of the students opted out, Harris said.
Those who participated were told they had to sign a liability waiver from the Marines. The form included a place where students who wanted to receive more information about the Marines could provide their addresses and telephone numbers.
But Harris said students can't legally sign off on such liability, and the school is liable for its students.
Sgt. Roman Yurek, spokesman for the Marine recruiting station in Milwaukee, said the waiver forms - which state that participants "have full knowledge of the rigors" of the activities and agree not to hold the Marines responsible for any "injury or death" - should have been sent home to parents in advance of the class. He said all of the forms filled out by East students would be returned to the school Monday.
"It is something that the recruiter did make a mistake on," Yurek said.
Yurek said Marines have conducted gym classes in about 10 schools in the Madison area. "The obstacle course is one of the things we do to help with the fitness program," he said.
The gym classes are usually conducted by four or five Marines, including one or two recruiters, Yurek said. Students "get a lot of encouragement from the recruiters," who might tell students things like they would make a good Marine or should consider enlisting, he said.
Allysa Roedl, 16, a junior at East who chose not to participate in the gym class, said, "It seemed kind of weird, kind of like a scam."
"I didn't really want to be a part of that," she said. But "a lot of the kids were pretty into it. They thought it was fun and really wanted to do it."
During the class, the Marines had students line up and do exercises, including push-ups and jumping jacks, she said. "They were walking around kind of screaming at them," she said. "It was totally Marine- style."
Mary Kay Baum, a former Madison School Board member whose son was in one of the gym classes, said she was "concerned that this is a strategy to contact youth away from their family in other school districts through the physical education classes," said. "I am generally concerned about regular education classes being conducted by persons with an agenda for recruiting youth."
Baum, whose parents served in World War II and whose husband was a major in the Army Reserve, said she is not opposed to military recruiting.
But Baum, who said her son opted against being contacted by a recruiter because her family believes the current war in Iraq is "unjustified on moral grounds," said the three school visits allowed provide ample opportunity for interested students to meet with recruiters.
Ellie
SANDY CULLEN scullen@madison.com
May 20, 2006
Recent gym classes conducted by a Marine Corps recruiter and other corps members at Madison's East High School violated School District policy, Principal Alan Harris said.
"We made an error," Harris said, adding, "We're going to act to ensure that it doesn't happen again."
But some East parents and teachers said they remain concerned that what they consider a back-door effort to enlist students into military service is continuing at other area middle and high schools.
Harris said he had "a handful of parents" contact him after about 600 East students in grades 9 through 12 participated in exercises and an obstacle course during gym classes on May 11. Marine recruiting Sgt. Frederick Hutchinson arranged the classes through the school's physical education department.
Madison School Board policy allows representatives from each branch of the military, along with prospective employers and college representatives, to visit high schools three times a year.
At East, such visits by military recruiters are limited to occasions when college representatives also are present, and parents are notified in advance, said David Hoppe, a high school guidance counselor who coordinates visits by the military. He said he didn't know about the gym classes until after they took place.
Harris said he will make sure all staff members at the high school, as well as military recruiters, are aware of the district policy and the school's procedures.
Hoppe said that while he believes "the military is right for some kids," he is concerned about recruiters "sneaking in the back door" and gaining access to students without their parents approval.
"I am really upset about this phys-ed stuff," Hoppe said, adding that his son had a similar experience in his gym class at Monona Grove High School.
Participation in the gym classes at East was voluntary, and about 30 percent of the students opted out, Harris said.
Those who participated were told they had to sign a liability waiver from the Marines. The form included a place where students who wanted to receive more information about the Marines could provide their addresses and telephone numbers.
But Harris said students can't legally sign off on such liability, and the school is liable for its students.
Sgt. Roman Yurek, spokesman for the Marine recruiting station in Milwaukee, said the waiver forms - which state that participants "have full knowledge of the rigors" of the activities and agree not to hold the Marines responsible for any "injury or death" - should have been sent home to parents in advance of the class. He said all of the forms filled out by East students would be returned to the school Monday.
"It is something that the recruiter did make a mistake on," Yurek said.
Yurek said Marines have conducted gym classes in about 10 schools in the Madison area. "The obstacle course is one of the things we do to help with the fitness program," he said.
The gym classes are usually conducted by four or five Marines, including one or two recruiters, Yurek said. Students "get a lot of encouragement from the recruiters," who might tell students things like they would make a good Marine or should consider enlisting, he said.
Allysa Roedl, 16, a junior at East who chose not to participate in the gym class, said, "It seemed kind of weird, kind of like a scam."
"I didn't really want to be a part of that," she said. But "a lot of the kids were pretty into it. They thought it was fun and really wanted to do it."
During the class, the Marines had students line up and do exercises, including push-ups and jumping jacks, she said. "They were walking around kind of screaming at them," she said. "It was totally Marine- style."
Mary Kay Baum, a former Madison School Board member whose son was in one of the gym classes, said she was "concerned that this is a strategy to contact youth away from their family in other school districts through the physical education classes," said. "I am generally concerned about regular education classes being conducted by persons with an agenda for recruiting youth."
Baum, whose parents served in World War II and whose husband was a major in the Army Reserve, said she is not opposed to military recruiting.
But Baum, who said her son opted against being contacted by a recruiter because her family believes the current war in Iraq is "unjustified on moral grounds," said the three school visits allowed provide ample opportunity for interested students to meet with recruiters.
Ellie