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bushsucks · 08-29-05, 11:23 AM

Schools block peace group

Board says students, but not activists, can hand out anti-war material on campus

By JENNY LEE ALLEN

jenny.allen@heraldtribune.com

BRADENTON -- Paul Waters-Smith, 17, said military recruiters call students sissies and say things like "It's time to be a man" to try to get them to enlist.

On top of the harassment, recruiters target the weak and "promise things that will never happen," the Pine View High School senior said.

Waters-Smith was one of nearly 20 people who urged the Manatee County School Board on Monday night to let groups on campus to counter the messages of the recruiters.

"We are targets for our very lives," Waters-Smith said. "This is unacceptable. We will not be lied to anymore."

The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires school districts to allow recruiters on campus and provide them with the names, addresses and telephone numbers of students, or risk losing funding.

Starting this year, Manatee County is sending home a separate refusal-to-release information form, also called an opt-out form, for high school students.

But this month the district blocked the anti-war group Coalition of Concerned Patriots from handing out literature to students, saying doing so would violate a school policy that bars political groups from campuses.

"We need to be there," said Donald Thompson, who helped found the coalition.

Despite the pleas of Waters-Smith, Thompson and the others, School Board attorney John Bowen said Monday that the policy remains, and the group will not be allowed on campus.

"The School Board has decided that it is not going to open up public school properties as a forum for political debates," he said. But, he said, students could hand out material if it's done in "a reasonable time, place and manner."

Several School Board members said they couldn't imagine recruiters lying to students. But if they are, "then I have some real problems," said board member Barbara Harvey.

She asked that recruiters meet with the School Board's attorney to make sure their messages are accurate and truthful.

The board's decision Monday doesn't end the debate, said former Booker High School student Benjamin Dictor.

Before graduating from Booker this year, Dictor said, a military recruiter used to call his house so often that he considered it harassment. And the recruiter never gave him the full story.

"He said, 'You know, if you come into the military for four years, we will pay for your education.' It's a blanket statement and a half-truth."

"It's troublesome. You are given all

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bushsucks · 08-31-05, 11:36 AM

The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires school districts to allow recruiters on campus and provide them with the names, addresses and telephone numbers of students, or risk losing funding.

08-29-05, 11:23 AM	#1 (permalink)
bushsucks Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 495	time to be a man, or lose funding. Schools block peace group Board says students, but not activists, can hand out anti-war material on campus By JENNY LEE ALLEN jenny.allen@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- Paul Waters-Smith, 17, said military recruiters call students sissies and say things like "It's time to be a man" to try to get them to enlist. On top of the harassment, recruiters target the weak and "promise things that will never happen," the Pine View High School senior said. Waters-Smith was one of nearly 20 people who urged the Manatee County School Board on Monday night to let groups on campus to counter the messages of the recruiters. "We are targets for our very lives," Waters-Smith said. "This is unacceptable. We will not be lied to anymore." The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires school districts to allow recruiters on campus and provide them with the names, addresses and telephone numbers of students, or risk losing funding. Starting this year, Manatee County is sending home a separate refusal-to-release information form, also called an opt-out form, for high school students. But this month the district blocked the anti-war group Coalition of Concerned Patriots from handing out literature to students, saying doing so would violate a school policy that bars political groups from campuses. "We need to be there," said Donald Thompson, who helped found the coalition. Despite the pleas of Waters-Smith, Thompson and the others, School Board attorney John Bowen said Monday that the policy remains, and the group will not be allowed on campus. "The School Board has decided that it is not going to open up public school properties as a forum for political debates," he said. But, he said, students could hand out material if it's done in "a reasonable time, place and manner." Several School Board members said they couldn't imagine recruiters lying to students. But if they are, "then I have some real problems," said board member Barbara Harvey. She asked that recruiters meet with the School Board's attorney to make sure their messages are accurate and truthful. The board's decision Monday doesn't end the debate, said former Booker High School student Benjamin Dictor. Before graduating from Booker this year, Dictor said, a military recruiter used to call his house so often that he considered it harassment. And the recruiter never gave him the full story. "He said, 'You know, if you come into the military for four years, we will pay for your education.' It's a blanket statement and a half-truth." "It's troublesome. You are given all Continued 1 \| 2 \| Next >>

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08-31-05, 11:36 AM	#2 (permalink)
bushsucks Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 495	The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires school districts to allow recruiters on campus and provide them with the names, addresses and telephone numbers of students, or risk losing funding.