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What
is OPT OUT? OPT
OUT is keeping the Militaries Hands Off Students School Records. OPT OUT is
getting to Students and Families the Truth Behind Military Recruiters Sales
Pitches. Opt Out:
Hidden in the No Child Left Behind Act is a provision known as section 9528 that
requires public high schools to hand over private student information to
military recruiters. If a school does not comply, it risks losing federal
education funds. This breach of privacy gives recruiters access to addresses and
phone numbers, allowing them to actively call and visit teens at home. A parent
or student can present a letter to the school board or superintendent exercising
the right to request that the school does not turn over the name, address,
telephone listing and other school records to the Armed Services, Military
Recruiters, or Military Schools. Information like exit test scores, assisted
lunch programs and other information allow recruiters to target low income
students and students that are being affected by the pressures of the high
stakes testing for graduation. The No Child Left Behind Act has turned up an ugly card in this high stakes
game of our children's lives. The ugly card is exampled in our state as the
WASL test. This is a test, like testing in most other states, that requires
a student to pass an exam to graduate. After 6 years of WASL administration, we
are still telling over 70% of our 4th graders, over 75% of our 7th graders and
just under 70% of our 10th graders that they are sub-standard in at
least one of the 4 WASL subjects. This means they would not graduate. When the
children of already stressed communities are faced with this kind of threat, the
drop out rate drastically raises. These communities of immigrant, color and
lower economic status become a target for recruiters. The recruiters get the
scores and lists of drop outs and start their Sales Pitch. The No Child Left
Behind Act thus becomes a tool for the military to implement an ‘Economic
Draft' That is why students and parents must protect themselves and OPT OUT If you are interested on participating with this campaign click on OPT OUT Information at the top of the page for OPT OUT Letters, Leaflets, Talking Points and other information. Also on OPT OUT Information is a step by step plan and suggestions on how to start your own action or add to your local campaign. Most important is to give us feedback on what is working for you and questions you may have at clint@icactivistnetwork.net It is our hope to have one or more activists, on every high school sidewalk, in every community, that has one person who cares for our youth and peace, when school starts this fall. We want to see students and teachers form ‘Peace Clubs.' We want all the many organizations and individuals working around the country on counter-recruitment to come together this summer and work with each other. ICAN is calling for the left to become a unified movement.
Organizations must quit working independently of each other, put aside
organizational politics, pride, and egos and instead work together and hold each
others organizational hands. Oppressed groups can no longer fight for the
betterment of just their group we need to be allies and collectively fight
alongside each other as all oppression is interconnected. When our movements are
separate-- we stay divided; rather, we must unite to create widespread change.
Now is the time to come together work across our differences to become a
powerful and united movement. |