March 13, 2005: Headlines: COS - El Salvador: Politics: Congress: Santa Cruz Sentinel: Mike Honda introduced the Student Privacy Protection Act of 2005, last month in the House of Representatives
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March 13, 2005: Headlines: COS - El Salvador: Politics: Congress: Santa Cruz Sentinel: Mike Honda introduced the Student Privacy Protection Act of 2005, last month in the House of Representatives
Mike Honda introduced the Student Privacy Protection Act of 2005, last month in the House of Representatives
Mike Honda introduced the Student Privacy Protection Act of 2005, last month in the House of Representatives
Limits on military recruiting proposed
Bill would protect teens personal info
By JEFF TOBIN
Sentinel Staff Writer
A federal bill that shields high school students from military recruiters is gaining both local and national support.
U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, D-San Jose, introduced the bill, called the Student Privacy Protection Act of 2005, last month in the House of Representatives.
"While I support the right of the armed services to recruit high school students, I don’t believe successful military recruitment efforts require access to students’ personal information without their consent," Honda said. "The right to divulge or not divulge personal information about minors should remain with the students and their parents."
The bill amends the controversial No Child Left Behind Act, which requires schools receiving federal money to release student contact information to recruiters.
Honda said the current system contains no defined process for opting out, for either parents or schools. He said an "opt-in" system would be consistent with other privacy statutes now in use.
Those comments are not lost on Santa Cruz education officials.
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Santa Cruz City Schools attempted to defend its students from military recruiters in 2003, but backed away after the federal government threatened it would strip $3.6 million in funding.
The district’s school board approved a plan in March 2003 that would require schools to obtain parental permission before releasing student names and phone numbers to recruiters. It also required schools to give students facts that could help them make decisions about enlistment.
Some parents and students at the time thought it more appropriate to have an "opt in" area on school forms, rather than only the "opt out" system that currently exists.
No other county district took such action. All districts allow military recruiters on high school campuses.
After six months of fighting with the Department of Defense, the district decided to provide the information to recruiters without changes to procedure.
"I don’t think it has much legs, but I also think it’s important for parents to have these rights," said John Collins, president of the Santa Cruz City Schools board. "Parents have the right to op-out of sex education. I think this is the same principle."
U.S. Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, told Honda last week that he would co-sponsor the bill. He said he’s worried that it won’t be called for a vote on its own, saying it might be attached to other legislation.
"By introducing this bill, Rep. Honda is taking a critical step in gathering support for this provision in the lead-up to the debate over reauthorization of No Child Left Behind in 2006," Farr said. "Unfortunately, the majority leadership in the House has not indicated that the Student Privacy Protection Act is a priority for them."
Honda may look for a larger bill that he can attach this provision to later in the cycle and gain momentum that way, Farr said.
Honda said he wants to make sure students and parents know what they’re getting into when high schoolers enlist in the military.
"I want to ensure that students are willing recipients of the military recruiting efforts," Honda said. "Let students and their families choose who they want soliciting them in the mail and on the phone during dinner."
Contact Jeff Tobin at jtobin@santacruzsentinel.com.
When this story was posted in March 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:
| The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in over 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related reference material in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can use the Main Index to find hundreds of stories about RPCVs who have your same interests, who served in your Country of Service, or who serve in your state. |
| RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC RPCVs Sam Farr, Chris Shays, Thomas Petri, James Walsh, and Mike Honda have asked their colleagues in Congress to add their names to a letter they have written to the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee, asking for full funding of $345 M for the Peace Corps in 2006. As a follow-on to Peace Corps week, please read the letter and call your Representative in Congress and ask him or her to add their name to the letter. |
| Add your info now to the RPCV Directory Call Harris Publishing at 800-414-4608 right away to add your name or make changes to your listing in the newest edition of the NPCA's Directory of Peace Corps Volunteers and Former Staff. Then read our story on how you can get access to the book after it is published. The deadline for inclusion is May 16 so call now. |
| March 1: National Day of Action Tuesday, March 1, is the NPCA's National Day of Action. Please call your Senators and ask them to support the President's proposed $27 Million budget increase for the Peace Corps for FY2006 and ask them to oppose the elimination of Perkins loans that benefit Peace Corps volunteers from low-income backgrounds. Follow this link for step-by-step information on how to make your calls. Then take our poll and leave feedback on how the calls went. |
| Make a call for the Peace Corps PCOL is a strong supporter of the NPCA's National Day of Action and encourages every RPCV to spend ten minutes on Tuesday, March 1 making a call to your Representatives and ask them to support President Bush's budget proposal of $345 Million to expand the Peace Corps. Take our Poll: Click here to take our poll. We'll send out a reminder and have more details early next week. |
| Peace Corps Calendar: Tempest in a Teapot? Bulgarian writer Ognyan Georgiev has written a story which has made the front page of the newspaper "Telegraf" criticizing the photo selection for his country in the 2005 "Peace Corps Calendar" published by RPCVs of Madison, Wisconsin. RPCV Betsy Sergeant Snow, who submitted the photograph for the calendar, has published her reply. Read the stories and leave your comments. |
| WWII participants became RPCVs Read about two RPCVs who participated in World War II in very different ways long before there was a Peace Corps. Retired Rear Adm. Francis J. Thomas (RPCV Fiji), a decorated hero of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, died Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 at 100. Mary Smeltzer (RPCV Botswana), 89, followed her Japanese students into WWII internment camps. We honor both RPCVs for their service. |
| Bush's FY06 Budget for the Peace Corps The White House is proposing $345 Million for the Peace Corps for FY06 - a $27.7 Million (8.7%) increase that would allow at least two new posts and maintain the existing number of volunteers at approximately 7,700. Bush's 2002 proposal to double the Peace Corps to 14,000 volunteers appears to have been forgotten. The proposed budget still needs to be approved by Congress. |
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Story Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - El Salvador; Politics; Congress
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