Campaign to take down the Army Recruiting signs in Madison High Schools
Some background:
Army recruiting signs appeared on the scoreboards at all 4 Madison High Schools in fall of 2007. These and other ads were sold to help fund school programs.
The ads effectively endorse Army recruitment, which is the means to draw impressionable young people to fight wars which will never benefit them, and take away resources for education, health and basic needs.
The public - including students, parents, counselors, former Board members, veterans and other community members - pressured the School Board for several months to cancel the contract, but were met with indifference and then resistance. The Board finally considered the issue, along with reviewing uneven enforcement of military recruiting policies.
Update
At the March 24, 2008 meeting the Board decided to hold off on making any decision about existing ads in the schools until 2010 (when the current contracts run out). This means that the Army ads are still up.
The Board reviewed and revised its recruiting policies. Here are some highlights (or lowlights, depending on the item):
• Some things have been clarified, such as what counts as a recruiter visit under the 3-per-year limit (while any visit for the purpose of presenting post-secondary options counts, classroom visits relating strictly to class curriculum don't).
• Recruiters are prevented from visiting a class or being in the school cafeteria during lunch periods.
• Principals are given specific abilities to designate dates and locations of recruiter visits, and students are not required to participate.
• Principals also must designate a location for recruiting materials and must be in the school's career counseling and guidance area. This does not include materials that have been "otherwise expressly approved and authorized by the BOARD" which essentially makes the ads now in compliance with recruiting policy.
• Counselors are given the stated ability (although not required) to provide information on military careers as well as information related to alternatives to military service.
The campaign - what you can do
- Petitions to the Madison School Board to take down the ads are still welcome (see sidebar).
- Contact the School Board: comments@madison.k12.wi.us, (608) 663-1659, or 545 West Dayton Street, Madison, WI 53703.
- Urge staff at your school to limit military recruiting to what they are required to allow by law (see No Child Left Behind Act, Sec. 9538 and the National Defense Authorization Act Sec. 544).
- Organize protests at school events to call attention to the inappropriate placement of recruiting ads.