Logo
ISSUE #33.45 • NEWS • NEWS STORY
[EDUCATION]

Fighting Back


Anti-military recruiters make the rounds outside Portland high schools before the Oct. 1 filing deadline.

Recently in "News"

November 4th, 2009
Murmurs • Lists. A Great Way To Organize The News You Follow.5 comments

November 4th, 2009
Dr. Know2 comments

November 4th, 2009
Letters to the Editor • Inbox1 comment

November 4th, 2009
Not As Simple As 1-2-3 | Oregon’s upcoming census could mean another seat in congress.1 comment

November 4th, 2009
Rogue of the Week • University Of Oregon | Who’s killing Rudolph?5 comments

November 4th, 2009
Gimme A Break | Earl Blumenauer’s bill pays people to ride their bikes to work, but not everyone’s cashing in yet.1 comment

November 4th, 2009
Giving Treebates | Planting a tree may lower your sewer bill. 3 comments

November 4th, 2009
The Daily Show | Can a new publisher reverse the slide at The Oregonian?1 comment

November 4th, 2009
Law Of Averages | As Skipper leaves the sheriff’s office, an investigation into an alleged coverup is part of his legacy.13 comments

November 4th, 2009
Hey, Neighbor! • Hey, Neighbor!0 comments


MC Pele Won drops beats to encourage Jeff students to opt out.
BY RACHEL SCHIFF | rschiff at wweek dot com

[September 19th, 2007] Loud, catchy beats bumped from the stereo of a pickup truck, brought to Jefferson High School by volunteers trying to catch teenagers’ attention at the end of the school day.

The message that Recruiter Watch PDX volunteers tried to convey to students racing out the door last Wednesday, Sept. 12: You can stop schools from releasing your contact information to the military.

It’s a message they’ll be bringing to Portland high schools for the rest of this month.

Portland Public Schools juniors and seniors who don’t want military recruiters to contact them have until Oct. 1 to file a form asking their school not to release their contact information.

That’s a response to the 2002 federal No Child Left Behind Act, which requires high schools to send the Pentagon the names, addresses, phone numbers and, in some cases, SAT scores and financial information of juniors and seniors unless students opt out.

Until 2002, military recruiters weren’t even allowed on high-school campuses in Portland because the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule about gays and lesbians violated PPS’s non-discrimination policy.

But No Child Left Behind pre-empted that policy, requiring that school districts give the military the same access to students on campus as colleges and job recruiters.

PPS general counsel Jollee Patterson says counterrecruiters can’t get that same access on school property because, “If we voluntarily allow some people in the schools, we are required to open up that forum to everybody.”














icon Story continues below

advertisement

advertisement

In practice, that policy was applied inconsistently up until the end of the last school year when Recruiter Watch could talk to students inside some schools. Patterson says that’s not allowed.

That doesn’t stop Recruiter Watch from getting the word out by standing inches outside school property.

“Our tactic is to do what the military does—entice them and engage them, but also ask them how they really feel about the military,” said Beats for Peace director Pam Phan, nearly yelling to be heard over the hip-hop beats of MC Pele Won last week outside Jeff.

In this era of overwhelming opposition to the Iraq war, that tactic has worked. Since Recruiter Watch began its campaign in 2005, the number of students opting out in Portland has increased from 24 percent in 2004 to 61 percent in 2006.

Beats for Peace is collaborating with Veterans for Peace, PDX Peace and the American Friends Service Committee to organize the Recruiter Watch campaign. The campaign, which began Sept. 10, runs until Oct. 1. Each day, organizers position five or six volunteers outside a different public high school.

About 60 students wandered past the pulsing pickup last week at Jeff. Nearly all stopped and listened to the volunteers’ pitch.

“They’re bumping some tight music,” said Scott Johnson, 18.

Rate This Story
4.88 average/8 votes

 
read all 2 comments | add your comment
 

RECENT COMMENTS ON “Fighting Back”

1

It is important to get this message out. There is widespread misconception about this, even in the ranks of school superintendents in Oregon.

Kathryn, Sep 24th, 2007 11:46am
2

As a high school senior that has decieded to join the navy as a medic when i graduate from high school, i believe that this is a good idea, these students trying to get the word out. Because when I fi...

Gabe, Sep 24th, 2007 5:46pm
 
 
 





Recently in Willamette Week
December 31st 1969Washington State | The Canada of Oregon has it all—a Stonehenge replica, a longboarder's concrete wet dream and dark, damp underground lava caves. Vive les rocks.
December 31st 1969Oregon's Outer Edges | Crater Lake. Hell's Canyon. Wallowa and Steens mountain ranges. Hell, yeah.
December 31st 1969Central Oregon/High Desert | No rain, plenty of snow, obsidian flows and great local beer. The folks from the real eastside know how to unbend outside.
December 31st 1969Great Cascades/Columbia Gorge | With plenty of room to roam—and hot springs for your weary feet—it's the place to ramble and relax for the weekend.
December 31st 1969Willamette Valley | Monks, tracks, tubing and wine make the fertile strip a virile place to play.
December 31st 1969Stumptown | Tons of public parks, an extinct volcano and nude beach volleyball to keep you jolly. Get out and collect those merit badges, without leaving the city.
December 31st 1969The Coast | The beaches are public. You own them. Go play—hike in the old-growth forests.
December 31st 1969Cycle Tour 101: Your on-bike guide to Highway 101 | To ride the greatest bike route in Oregon, you need to get out of Portland.
December 31st 1969Doggin' It | What happens when a Portland running club jogs with pooches from the pound?
December 31st 1969Over the Edge | Sam Drevo will paddle yr ass.