Military Recruiting a War of Words

By SARAH CARR

The debate over military recruiting in Milwaukee’s high schools flared again this week, as a group of students and School Board members argued that many families were still unaware of their right to opt out of a federal requirement that schools provide student information to military recruiters.

"Why is the opt-out form buried in the back of the handbook with misleading headings?" asked Adam Breihan, a senior at Riverside High School. He gets constant phone calls from military recruiters, who have tried to befriend him before making their pitch, he said.

In August, Milwaukee Public Schools leaders agreed to take more steps to notify families about their right to prevent names, addresses and phone numbers from being given to the military. But while School Board members and students thanked the administration, some argued that not enough had been done.

Karyn Rotker, a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin Foundation, said it took her 10 minutes to find the opt-out form in the handbook and that the link to the online version of the form does not work. "We don’t think it should be a stealth campaign," she said.

Troy Klabo, a captain and executive officer of the Marine Corps recruiting station in Milwaukee, attended a School Board meeting Tuesday night to introduce himself and to listen. He said he came because of "damning testimony" at previous meetings, when a female student said a recruiter made a suggestive comment as she passed his table.

"We don’t take anything very lightly," he said. "If we hear of recruiter misconduct, it’s my personal responsibility to be the hammer."

At the meeting, School Board members discussed two resolutions. One would require high schools to distribute opt-out forms to students during the first week of school. The other would make it part of the district’s legislative agenda to work against the federal provision requiring school districts to hand over information about students to recruiters.

The first resolution passed the Legislation, Rules and Policy Committee on a 3-2 vote and will go before the full board; the second was forwarded to the full board on a tie vote.

Klabo said he did not attend Tuesday night’s meeting to oppose either resolution, but simply to provide information.

On several occasions over a few months, board members have discussed two related issues: complaints by some students of aggressive recruiting techniques, and how best to notify parents and students of their right to prevent the release of student information.

The discussion is part of a broader debate in several cities over a provision of the federal No Child Left Behind law that requires schools receiving federal education money to provide the information to military recruiters.

"I’ve still seen recruiters outside lunchrooms, and they’ve still been pretty aggressive in coercing students to come to the table," said Breihan. "It’s not like they are there just if you want to check them out."

But Ronald Adams, a sergeant with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, said he has recruited in MPS and has "never had any issues. I hope there are other things we can spend time and money on besides withholding opportunities," he said.

District officials agreed in August to send postcards and call families regarding the opt-out provision. Students said that effort was spotty and confusing to families.

"We need to make it easy," said board member Peter Blewett.

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