Militarization of Chicago Public Schools: Part I

Lately, I've been researching the role of the US armed forces in public education, specifically in the Chicago Public Schools. There's a lot to cover, so on a blog, I think this works best in serial format. Part I of the series is about No Child Left Behind, a.k.a. NCLB.

The pertinent section of NCLB is Title IX, Section 9528(a)(1). The paragraph reads as follows:

(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.

(The full text of NCLB is available online at the Department of Education website.)

In plain English, this says that every school receiving NCLB funds IS REQUIRED, when requested, to provide students' personal information to the military. A school that refuses to do so risks losing NCLB funding. (According to Section 9528(a)(3), a school can also be denied funding if it refuses to allow military recruiters on campus.)

Section 9528(a)(2) goes on to state that the parent of a student can request, in writing, that the school not release the information for that student. The school is obligated to inform the parents about this opt-out provision. In the real world, however, this information is not conveyed such that everyone is made aware of it; it might be posted on a seldom-visited website or printed in a thick manual that few read cover to cover.

The process for opting out of Section 9528(a)(1) varies by school district. The deadline for the Chicago Public Schools is March 15. Which, at the time of this writing, is soon. Fortunately, some alert Chicagoans have been getting the word out.