thedrifter
03-09-07, 08:54 AM
San Mateo to limit recruiters
Armed forces, other groups, will be allowed monthly visits
By T.S. Mills-Faraudo, STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated: 03/09/2007 04:06:58 AM PST
Starting next fall, students at San Mateo Union High School District schools will see fewer military recruiters, employers and college representatives on their campuses.
The district's board Thursday night approved a policy limiting each military service as well as colleges and employers to attend campuses once a month.
The rules also will require recruiters to sit in a designated area when they are on campuses, check into the school office and Career Center and prohibit them from holding private meetings with students.
The district decided to take a closer look at visits from all recruiters after Peace Action of San Mateo County, an anti-war organization, came to the board in January with a proposal to cap visits from the Army, Navy, National Guard, Marines and Air Force to three times a year for each service.
Since there was no consistency in how often schools were allowing military and other recruiters to come to their campuses, some board members felt they needed a set limit for all groups. Furthermore, under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, schools must provide equal access to their campuses for military recruiters, so if they cap how often the military comes to schools they have to do the same for other organizations.
"This is not a war-time policy. This will be on the books long after the Iraq war," board member Marcia Cohn-Lyle said. "This is just about equal access."
The board agreed to revisit the policy at some point to see
how it's working out and decide if any changes need to be made.
Board member Peter Hanley voted against the new rule, saying he hasn't heard any complaints from principalsor other school officials about how the military recruiters present themselves to students.
"This seems like a solution in search of a problem," he said. "I don't see any evidence that they (students) are being abused by the military."
He also said it will cause problems for College of San Mateo, which typically likes to visits the schools far more than once a month. He said it will hurt the district's efforts to develop an ongoing relationship with CSM.
According to district numbers, officials from colleges visited some of the campuses last school year between 15 to 30 times.
A crowd of both anti-war activists and military officials, clad in their uniforms, spoke out at the meeting.
"This (military) is a different kind of job. You're training to kill," said Don Havis, vice president of Peace Action of San Mateo County. "(Allowing them on campus) three times a year is pretty ample."
Currently, at Aragon and Mills high schools, recruiters from the Army, Navy, National Guard and Marines each show up twice a month and officials from the Air Force visit once a month, according to district information. At Hillsdale and San Mateo high schools, Army, Navy, National Guard and Marine recruiters visit once a month. No information was given for the Air Force.
Recruiters from all of the services except for the Air Force visit Capuchino High School about five times per year. They go to Peninsula High School by appointment only. No information was available for Burlingame High School.
The total number of students recruited from 2002-06 as a result of the military visits was 114, according to district information.
Major Jonathan B. Mayhew of the U.S. Army said recruiters follow all the rules when they are on campuses.
"I want you to keep in mind what benefits your students," he said to the board. "Everything they do now they do with the consent of the principals."
Staff writer T.S. Mills-Faraudo can be reached at (650) 348-4338.
Ellie
Armed forces, other groups, will be allowed monthly visits
By T.S. Mills-Faraudo, STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated: 03/09/2007 04:06:58 AM PST
Starting next fall, students at San Mateo Union High School District schools will see fewer military recruiters, employers and college representatives on their campuses.
The district's board Thursday night approved a policy limiting each military service as well as colleges and employers to attend campuses once a month.
The rules also will require recruiters to sit in a designated area when they are on campuses, check into the school office and Career Center and prohibit them from holding private meetings with students.
The district decided to take a closer look at visits from all recruiters after Peace Action of San Mateo County, an anti-war organization, came to the board in January with a proposal to cap visits from the Army, Navy, National Guard, Marines and Air Force to three times a year for each service.
Since there was no consistency in how often schools were allowing military and other recruiters to come to their campuses, some board members felt they needed a set limit for all groups. Furthermore, under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, schools must provide equal access to their campuses for military recruiters, so if they cap how often the military comes to schools they have to do the same for other organizations.
"This is not a war-time policy. This will be on the books long after the Iraq war," board member Marcia Cohn-Lyle said. "This is just about equal access."
The board agreed to revisit the policy at some point to see
how it's working out and decide if any changes need to be made.
Board member Peter Hanley voted against the new rule, saying he hasn't heard any complaints from principalsor other school officials about how the military recruiters present themselves to students.
"This seems like a solution in search of a problem," he said. "I don't see any evidence that they (students) are being abused by the military."
He also said it will cause problems for College of San Mateo, which typically likes to visits the schools far more than once a month. He said it will hurt the district's efforts to develop an ongoing relationship with CSM.
According to district numbers, officials from colleges visited some of the campuses last school year between 15 to 30 times.
A crowd of both anti-war activists and military officials, clad in their uniforms, spoke out at the meeting.
"This (military) is a different kind of job. You're training to kill," said Don Havis, vice president of Peace Action of San Mateo County. "(Allowing them on campus) three times a year is pretty ample."
Currently, at Aragon and Mills high schools, recruiters from the Army, Navy, National Guard and Marines each show up twice a month and officials from the Air Force visit once a month, according to district information. At Hillsdale and San Mateo high schools, Army, Navy, National Guard and Marine recruiters visit once a month. No information was given for the Air Force.
Recruiters from all of the services except for the Air Force visit Capuchino High School about five times per year. They go to Peninsula High School by appointment only. No information was available for Burlingame High School.
The total number of students recruited from 2002-06 as a result of the military visits was 114, according to district information.
Major Jonathan B. Mayhew of the U.S. Army said recruiters follow all the rules when they are on campuses.
"I want you to keep in mind what benefits your students," he said to the board. "Everything they do now they do with the consent of the principals."
Staff writer T.S. Mills-Faraudo can be reached at (650) 348-4338.
Ellie