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Saturday, September 17 · 1:00pm - 4:00pm
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| Location |
Judson Memorial Church Community Room
239 Thompson St, between Washington Sq. South & W 3rd St.
New York, NY
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A new school year is beginning and now is the time to coordinate our efforts.
New York City's Department of Education, the largest school system in the country has one of the most progressive policies in the country limiting what military recruiters can do in our schools. This policy (Chancellor's Regulation A 825, available at http://schools.nyc.gov/RulesPolicies/ChancellorsRegulations/default.htm) is the result of years of work by the Students or Soldiers? Coalition. (Ya-Ya Network, NYCORE, NYCLU, UFPJ & UFTers Against the War, with participation by the Urban Justice Center's Veterans Support Program and AFSC-NY). But many schools are not protecting students' privacy or providing the guidance required by this policy. Few school staff members, students and parents are even aware of its existence, and few activists are using it effectively.
Agenda items will include:
- Overview of the NYC Department of Education policy on military recruiters in schools and how we can use it effectively
- What resources do we have (written materials, contacts in schools, unions, youth programs, congregations, media etc, volunteers, writing skills, web skills, access to printing, and so on)
- What resources do we need (new written materials, training, videos, current facts, contacts with other organizations, web resources, graphic design, swag, money, etc)
- Strategizing projects/campaigns (See below for some possibilities)
- Next Steps
Possible projects/campaigns include:
- Outreach to schools: Make sure that all school administrations are implementing the Chancellor's Regulation and that school staff, students and parents are aware of it. Report violations to the DOE and follow up. Assist schools which want to limit recruiter access.
- Outreach to guidance personnel/school staff: Provide training & materials on "Truth in Recruiting" and alternatives (possibly through the unions)
- New Materials Team: Folks to research current information on military recruitment & alternatives to the military and produce new materials (print, web based, video) for a variety of audiences, including youth, guidance personnel, parents.
- Counter Recruitment Training team: Develop workshops/training for counter recruiters to expand our numbers and improve our effectiveness. Host trainings and possibly a regional gathering
- Expanding alternatives: Collecting info on training programs, trade schools, youth services, college prep, etc. Hosting a career fair, Building relationships with organizations fighting for more services/programs.
- Community outreach: Inform students, parents, community members about what is happening in our schools and why this issue is so important. Leafletting, community forum, press conference, public access TV, etc.
- Outreach to students: Street leafletting, tabling/classroom presentations in schools, support student organizing, counter recruitment workshops, providing resources/counseling/guidance through youth programs
- Pressure on the DOE to enforce the regulation: Face to face meetings, post card/ phone call campaign, speakers at PEP meetings
- Outreach to local politicians: Get them to inform their constituents, co-sponsor community forums, apply pressure to the DOE and principals in their districts
Please bring copies of the counter recruitment materials that you use. Take a moment to read through the Chancellor's Regulation A 825, available at http://schools.nyc.gov/RulesPolicies/ChancellorsRegulations/default.htm and come with your creative ideas.
