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thedrifter
06-04-07, 06:38 AM
Should recruiters have access to students?

June 4, 2007
By ELIZABETH COOPER


A little-known section of the No Child Left Behind Act requires that high schools give the military contact information for seniors so they can be reached for recruitment.

Students or their parents can request that the information not be released by filling out a form, and schools are required to give families the chance to do so.

While some families are fine with the military contacting their children, others are not.

At Whitesboro High School, 38 percent of students' families returned the form this school year, saying they did not want the military to contact them.

Paul Famolaro

Whitesboro senior

Whitesboro senior Paul Famolaro said he doesn't mind the idea of the military contacting him for recruitment.

"I really didn't mind," he said. "I just figured I wanted to leave all my opportunities open; I didn't want to restrict my mind."

Though Famolaro is planning to go to work as an electrical apprentice after he graduates, he's not ruling out the military.

"I just don't think it's the right time," he said. "I just wanted to pursue some other ideas first."

He has an older brother who served in the Army, and several of his friends have considered going into the Marines, he said.

Asked if he thought it was appropriate for the military to get information from schools, he said no.

"It doesn't really bother me," he said. "If they asked your permission and the student said yes, I don't see why they shouldn't."

Joanne Taubert

Mother of Whitesboro senior

Joanne Taubert didn't sign the form because she didn't think her daughter would be interested in the military, even if recruiters did reach out to her.

"It would probably be more of an issue if I had a son," she said.

In that case, she would probably have paid more attention to the forms when they came in.

"I don't think they should actively go after 18-year-olds, who aren't quite old enough to make those decisions," she said. "I think the military is a wonderful thing, but I think children should choose to be approached."

She said her feelings weren't political, rather they came from the heart of a parent.

"I guess it's more fear," she said. "I understand that of course people have to serve overseas. As a parent, I would not want to see my child walk into that."

Her daughter has found herself a full-time job for after graduation, and though she receives fliers and brochures from the military, she is not considering a career in the armed services, Taubert said.

Rick Flisnik

Parent of Whitesboro junior

Whitesboro parent Rick Flisnik said he has discussed the forms with his son, Conner, a junior, before deciding whether to sign them.

"We looked it over and asked him if he might be interested in the future in a career in the military," he said. "If one of my kids is interested, I want them to get more information, and if not, I don't want the recruiter to waste their time."

Conner, 16, plans to go to college and is interested in a career in architecture, but thought he might want to learn more about the military anyway, Flisnik said.

"After talking to him, (he) indicated it would be OK (to hear from recruiters)," Flisnik said. "I don't think at this point he's looking at the military — he wants to be an architect, but he doesn't mind getting more information."

Beth Ann Blynt

Director of guidance counseling and pupil personnel services, Whitesboro High School

Whitesboro High School sends the forms out to the family of every student at the school every year, Director of Guidance Beth Ann Blynt said.

This year, 38 percent of families said they didn't want the military contacting their kids. In 2002, the first year the law was in effect, that number was 9 percent, but the following year, it went up to 25 percent, then 40 percent for the 2004-2005 school year, she said. Last year, 32 percent of parents sent in the forms, according to her statistics.

Blynt said the forms hadn't sparked any controversy.

"I have not heard any discussion about this," she said. "I think this is a decision parents make with their children, whether or not they want to be contacted by the military. I personally have gotten no questions."

Barrie Gewanter

Director of the central New York chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union

The New York Civil Liberties Union does not object to the military getting students' contact information from schools, as long as families say it's OK, said Barrie Gewanter, director of the organization's Central New York Chapter.

"For us this is not an issue of whether military recruiting should happen or not," she said. "The issue is that parents and students should have the ability to keep their contact information private if they so wish."

The Civil Liberties Union has been working to ensure that parents and students are aware of the issue, and that schools provide clear opportunities for students or their parents to sign a form requiring that the information not be released if they wish.

Additionally, the law says students themselves may sign the form, however, some schools are requiring parental signatures, she said. Her organization is trying to make sure those schools follow the law.

Ellie