The No Child Left Behind (and Unrecruited) Act
When the Federal "No Child Left Behind" education legislation was by Congress, slipped in was language that requires high schools to provide to military recruiters personal information about all 11th and 12th grade students so they can be contacted by these recruiters.
By the time someone is a junior or senior in high school, they are aware that serving in the military can be an option in their life, and also should know that if they want more information about military service, they can make a call to a military recruiter themselves, visit a recruiting office or visit a military web page.
Rather than protect the privacy, and ability for a high school student to contact a military recruiter out of their own choice, the No Child Left Behind act forces high schools to release private information to recruiters out of a threat of loss of federal funding.
At the present time, the only way a student, or their parent, can prevent the disclosure of private information to military recruiters is to sign an "opt-out" form and return it to the high school administration office. By clicking here, through three easy steps, you can obtain a "opt-out" form that is legally binding and can be used at any high school in the United States. Also, work is being done by numerous groups, including Veterans For Peace, to challenge the "opt-out" rule to change it to an "opt-in" requirement, where unless a student, or their parent have given permission, high school contact information will not be given to recruiters unless prior permission has been given.
As emerging adults, high school students should have the right to choose when and who will be given their personal information. By returning the opt out form, they will have that right.
Additional Internet Resources
No Child Left Behind Actand Release of Student Information to Military Recruiters: Section 9528 of the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act - www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg112.html
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) - www.nclb.gov
Clarification of NCLBs military recruitment provisions from the Superintendent of NY Public Schools - www.emsc.nysed.gov/deputy/nclb/miscellaneous/militaryrecruiters-fm.html
Alternative responses to opening the doors of our schools to unrestricted access by military recruiters: Military Recruiting Law Puts Burden on Parents (and other links) www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2002/11/24_rivera_recruiting-law.htm
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) letter to California Superintendents Sample opt out form, summarizes relevant section of law (Sec. 9528) http://acluweb.best.vwh.net/students/021114-letter.html
Palm Beach Peace Recruiters - www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0628-06.htm
Teachers for Peace - http:://teachersforpeace.org
Educational implications and assessments related to NCLB and Education Yes: Curriculum, Assessment and Adequate Yearly Progress Information for Michigan Schools - www.michigan.gov/mde
Rethinking Schools - www.rethinkingschools.org