Opt Out
Rock Valley FOR sponsored a forum presenting information on how to prevent military recruiters from obtaining high school student contact information on August 23, 2007. This Forum is broadcast periodically on JATV cable channel 12 in Janesville Wisconsin. Look for the JATV daily program listing in the Janesville Gazette or go to the JATV website: www.jatv.org Or contact Sue Nelson for a DVD copy of the program.
DID YOU KNOW that the No Child Left Behind law requires high schools to turn over private information about students to military recruiters? No Child Left Behind has a provision requiring just that. Unless a family or 18 year old student designates otherwise, public schools must release the name, address and phone number of students to military recruiters upon request.
THERE IS AN OPTION for families who want to maintain their privacy, which has become the focus of a national movement to promote alternatives to military service.
That option, which Rock Valley Fellowship of Reconciliation is promoting along with other organizations around Wisconsin and the U.S., is “Opt Out.” Recruiters have been known to be persistent in their attempts to contact students by phone, and in some cases even bypass parents. According to an Ohio recruiter quoted in the New York Times, “parents are the biggest hurdle we face.”
OPTING OUT MEANS that a parent or 18 year old student can fill out a form requesting that the school NOT release contact information to military recruiters. This protects the personal contact information of the student, though it does not limit the activities of recruiters who are allowed on school premises to talk with students directly.
HOW DOES A FAMILY PROTECT ITS PRIVACY AND “OPT OUT”? You can choose between the following Opt Out forms. Click the appropriate form for a printable version.
2. 18 year old student Opt Out
OPT OUT FORMS are NOT included as part of the regular registration packets sent to families at the start of the year. They are available at the Janesville school district office, 527 S. Franklin St. Although there is no deadline for submitting the request to "Opt Out," those interested are encouraged to submit the request as soon as possible. The request must be renewed every year.