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Opt Out Background

Opt-Out of the Recruiters' Lists

In August, 2005, the AFSC sent letters to every public high school principal, superintendent and guidance office in New Hampshire regarding military recruiters' access to students. As explained below, schools are required to give military recruiters access to students, but they are also required to give students and parents a choice as to the type of contact permitted.

Those who are interested in encouraging schools to follow through on their obligations can use the material here.

In the section of the No Child Left Behind Act entitled "Armed Forces Recruiter Access to Students and Student Recruiting Information," the Act calls on every school to release the name, phone number and address of every student upon request from a military recruiter. Non-compliance with this part of the law can risk a school's access to desperately needed federal funding.

While the military is putting a great deal of pressure on schools to comply with the first section, it is the responsibility of parents, students and concerned members of the community to encourage their local school to comply with the second part of Section 9528. In this section the law requires that parents and students may "request that the student's name, address, and telephone listing. not be released without prior written parental consent, and the local educational agency or private school shall notify parents of the option to make a request and shall comply with any request."

Because of the intense pressure the US military is placing on its recruiters, methods for enticing new recruits have become untruthful as well as unlawful in many cases. This project does not intend to vilify recruiters, but instead to help advocates be able to work with schools in order to create a system where schools can comply with the law while acting in the interest of students' privacy and safety.

What you can do:

1. If you are a student, get informed about your rights, and talk to your friends.
2. If you are a parent, get informed about your rights, talk to your children, and talk to other parents.
3. Contact your local school principals and superintendents to encourage them to inform students and parents of their rights.
4. Bring this information to the PTO, letters to the editor, and other public forums.

Helpful resources:

Letter and opt-out form for parents in English

Letter and opt-out form for parents in Spanish

Talking points for advocates and activists

Tips for schools

For further assistance, contact Erin Placey at (603) 224-2407 or eplacey@afsc.org.

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