Parents can keep recruiters at bay

Parents do not have to wait for lawmakers to take Section 9528, regarding military recruiting, out of the No Child Left Behind Act. By the time the law is changed, it could be too late for many teens. There is another way to stop the recruiters.

Parents can fill out an opt-out form. The form can be found on the Internet. Print the form from the computer, fill it out, sign it, and have the child sign it. Then, hand-deliver the form directly to the principal or vice-principal of the child's school. Simply filling out the opt-out form tells school administrators they will violate a child's privacy if they give that child's personal information to military recruiters. Schools must honor the opt-out form.

Be sure to keep a copy of the form. Also, frequently ask your child whether military recruiters have approached him or her. I am a college instructor, and my students who recently graduated high school tell me that recruiters are allowed into the high schools to talk to students, in some cases, at least every other week.

Mary E. Keenan

Schaumburg