Military-backed public schools on the rise in the US

[ensho]

http://markcrispinmiller.com/2009/06/military-backed-public-schools-on-the-rise-in-the-us.html


The U.S. Marine Corps is wooing public school districts across the country, expanding a network of military academies that has grown steadily despite criticism that it’s a recruiting ploy.

The Marines are talking with at least six districts — including in suburban Atlanta, New Orleans and Las Vegas — about opening schools where every student wears a uniform, participates in Junior ROTC and takes military classes, said Bill McHenry, who runs the Junior ROTC program for the Marines.

Those schools would be on top of more than a dozen public military academies that have already opened nationwide, a trend that’s picking up speed as the U.S. Department of Defense looks for ways to increase the number of units in Junior ROTC, which stands for Reserve Officers Training Corps.
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horrible

sickening

US children are being screwed six ways to sunday

[jody]

1. JROTC is important if Obama wants volunteers to fight and die in his wars. n/t

[G_j]

2. in need of.... young cannon fodder nt

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. Does any other county in the world do this? Sure seems like they

have got way too much money to spend.

[patrice]

4. Slavery for ALL Americans to Un-Ending War & Socialism for Wars 'r' U.S., Inc. nt

[G_j]

5. massive unemployment

with public recruiting schools..

that's the ticket..

[rrneck]

6. Goddamn military is doing everything but defending the borders. nt

[DBoon]

7. we never have money for public schools

but always enough to invade other countries

[ensho]

9. what you said should be embroidered into a wall hanging

its so true

[leftstreet]

8. What did you do in the Class War, Daddy? n/t

[NC_Nurse]

10. They were about to open one here in the ATL and from what I understand,

parents rose up and stopped it at least for this year...

Apparently it was agreed to under the radar and the district's parents weren't privy to the info until it was announced to be opening this year.
The backlash was on the local news for several nights, they finally tabled it for a while.

[votingupstart]

11. i am more concerned about he placement of the schools

from reading the OP it seems that the locations would be Urban areas (consistent with getting more potential students for the dollar spent) however aren't these areas typically dominated by Minorities? i am thinking that these schools would have to be voluntary enrollment and that the parents would have to agree to attendance. If families are OK with their sons/daughters joining the military AND the son or daughter WANTS to join, i actually don't have a problem with it, i would have a problem with "well because we educated your son in high school he has to sign up for __ years" Directed education (ie elementary/high school) should never have to be "paid for" by enrollment in the military.

I agree with the OP that these schools have the potential to be misused, however after looking at the educational options and situation around Atlanta i am hesitant to refuse help for our children because it may, in the future, have some problems. i would need to see some statistical studies and unbiased facts to make a conclusion.

I will disagree on one point with the OP as for some individuals getting into the military is not "getting Screwed" but in fact actually helping them further themselves (ie job skills training/college/motivation etc. Just because there is an unpopular War CURRENTLY has nothing to do with the soldiers, US Soldiers do not declare war, POLITICIANS bear that weight.

[MattBaggins]

13. Don't you worry about that "voluntary" problem

The local Judges will see to it that parents are forced to send their kids there.

[ddiver]

14. What about the mandatory "volunteer" work for high schoolers. Does this count?

[Captain Hilts]

12. We have an economic draft. nt

[LeftyMom]

15. My sister couldn't get her required PE credit outside of JROTC at her public high school.

There was some kind of a scheduling conflict, and apparently they weren't offering a regular PE class every period (which is odd, at a school with several thousand students and probably eight or nine PE teachers, you'd have to go pretty far out of your way to set up a schedule like that) so she had to join JROTC if she wanted to graduate on time. So my sister, who had no interest in or desire to join the military, pretty much got forced into joining the JROTC. Most of the class was there for similar reasons, I think the school set that up on purpose in order to keep the enrollment up and keep getting program funding.

Interestingly enough, almost at the end of that year they found out her JROTC instructor was banging a student in his SUV after class and he got fired. Somebody else took over for the last few weeks but I believe after that they let the program die for lack of interest- it only lasted a few years.