No Child Left Behind Act
Schools and Military Recruiter Information
The No Child Left Behind Act requires that schools provide students' name, address and phone number to military recruiters. The Act also allows parents to protect student privacy by signing an opt-out form to withhold student information. The text of the relevant section of the Act is below. The current Port Townsend School District policy penalizes families that sign the opt out form. The Port Townsend School District requires families to also withhold student information from colleges and other outside parties that would usually receive student information. Students' names may not be listed in the paper if they make the honor roll or the winning touchdown in a football game. The current form does not explain that parents will now have to contact the school secretary to request exceptions on a case by case basis.
The Port Townsend School District policy creates an unfair burden on families that prefer to protect their privacy and do not wish to be contacted in their home. This policy also creates an increased work burden for the school secretary. Other school districts across the country have provided a simple check list for parents to indicate who may receive student information.
Please sign and circulate the attached petition to show support for protecting student privacy rights. Petitions can be signed and returned to 1020 Water Street by February 24, 2003.
Thank you,
Liz Rivera Goldstein
Port Townsend Petition
Here is the letter from Secretary of Education Paige and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld explaining to schools how to comply with the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act relating to military recruiters and parents right to not have information released.
Recruiting Talking Points from Nuclear Age Peace Foundation www.wagingpeace.org
News articles about military recruiting and the No Child Left Behind Act:
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT SEC. 9528. ARMED FORCES RECRUITER ACCESS TO STUDENTS AND STUDENT RECRUITING INFORMATION.
(a) POLICY.
(1) ACCESS TO STUDENT RECRUITING INFORMATION. - Notwithstanding section 444(a)(5)(B) of the General Education Provisions Act and except as provided in paragraph (2), each local educational agency receiving assistance under this Act shall provide, on a request made by military recruiters or an institution of higher education, access to secondary school students names, addresses, and telephone listings.
(2) CONSENT. - A secondary school student or the parent of the student may request that the student's name, address, and telephone listing described in paragraph (1) not be released without prior written parental consent, and the local educational agency or private school shall notify parents of the option to make a request and shall comply with any request.
(3) SAME ACCESS TO STUDENTS. - Each local educational agency receiving assistance under this Act shall provide military recruiters the same access to secondary school students as is provided generally to post secondary educational institutions or to prospective employers of those students.
(b) NOTIFICATION. - The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall, not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, notify principals, school administrators, and other educators about the requirements of this section.
(c) EXCEPTION. - The requirements of this section do not apply to a private secondary school that maintains a religious objection to service in the Armed Forces if the objection is verifiable through the corporate or other organizational documents or materials of that school.
(d) SPECIAL RULE. - A local educational agency prohibited by Connecticut State law (either explicitly by statute or through statutory interpretation by the State Supreme Court or State Attorney General) from providing military recruiters with information or access as required by this section shall have until May 31, 2002, to comply with that requirement.
The Port Townsend School District policy creates an unfair burden on families that prefer to protect their privacy and do not wish to be contacted in their home. This policy also creates an increased work burden for the school secretary. Other school districts across the country have provided a simple check list for parents to indicate who may receive student information.
Please sign and circulate the attached petition to show support for protecting student privacy rights. Petitions can be signed and returned to 1020 Water Street by February 24, 2003.
Thank you,
Liz Rivera Goldstein
Port Townsend Petition
Here is the letter from Secretary of Education Paige and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld explaining to schools how to comply with the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act relating to military recruiters and parents right to not have information released.
Recruiting Talking Points from Nuclear Age Peace Foundation www.wagingpeace.org
News articles about military recruiting and the No Child Left Behind Act:
- New law helps military recruiters at high schools
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWS SERVICE
November 29, 2002 - Mother Jones Article on No Child Left Behind - November/December 2002 Issue
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT SEC. 9528. ARMED FORCES RECRUITER ACCESS TO STUDENTS AND STUDENT RECRUITING INFORMATION.
(a) POLICY.
(1) ACCESS TO STUDENT RECRUITING INFORMATION. - Notwithstanding section 444(a)(5)(B) of the General Education Provisions Act and except as provided in paragraph (2), each local educational agency receiving assistance under this Act shall provide, on a request made by military recruiters or an institution of higher education, access to secondary school students names, addresses, and telephone listings.
(2) CONSENT. - A secondary school student or the parent of the student may request that the student's name, address, and telephone listing described in paragraph (1) not be released without prior written parental consent, and the local educational agency or private school shall notify parents of the option to make a request and shall comply with any request.
(3) SAME ACCESS TO STUDENTS. - Each local educational agency receiving assistance under this Act shall provide military recruiters the same access to secondary school students as is provided generally to post secondary educational institutions or to prospective employers of those students.
(b) NOTIFICATION. - The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall, not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, notify principals, school administrators, and other educators about the requirements of this section.
(c) EXCEPTION. - The requirements of this section do not apply to a private secondary school that maintains a religious objection to service in the Armed Forces if the objection is verifiable through the corporate or other organizational documents or materials of that school.
(d) SPECIAL RULE. - A local educational agency prohibited by Connecticut State law (either explicitly by statute or through statutory interpretation by the State Supreme Court or State Attorney General) from providing military recruiters with information or access as required by this section shall have until May 31, 2002, to comply with that requirement.
