Posted on 05/20/2006 1:55:14 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
MADISON, WI (AP) -- A high school principal admitted erring in letting a Marine Corps recruiter conduct a physical education class, but some parents said they remain concerned about the move they called a backdoor effort to recruit students.
School officials shouldn't have let the recruiter and other corps members conduct the classes, which one student said featured an obstacle course and members "screaming" at students "totally Marine-style," said principal Alan Harris of Madison's East High School.
"We made an error. We're going to act to ensure that it doesn't happen again," Harris said, who said "a handful of parents" contacted him about the class.
The classes were arranged through the school's physical education department by Marine recruiting Sgt. Frederick Hutchinson. About 600 East students from grades 9 through 12 participated in the classes May 11.
Representatives from the military, as well as prospective employers and college representatives, can visit high schools three times a year, according to Madison School Board policy.
At East, military recruiters can only visit when college representatives are also present and parents are notified in advance, said guidance counselor David Hoppe. He coordinates visits by the military and said he didn't know about the gym classes until afterward.
Harris said he'd remind all staff members and military recruiters of the district policy.
Participation in East's gym classes was voluntary and about 30 percent of students declined to participate, Harris said.
Those who did participate had to sign a Marines liability waiver, and the form included a place for interested students to provide their addresses and phone numbers.
The waiver forms, which state that participants "have full knowledge of the rigors" of the activities, should have been sent home to parents before the class, said Sgt. Roman Yurek, spokesman for the Marine recruiting station in Milwaukee. He said the forms the students filled out will be returned to the school Monday.
The Marines have conducted gym classes in about 10 schools in the Madison area, with each class usually run by four or five Marines including recruiters, Yurek said.
The recruiters might encourage students, perhaps telling them they'd make good Marines and should consider enlisting, he said.
Junior Allysa Roedl, 16, chose not to participate in the class. She said the Marines had students line up and do exercises such as push-ups and jumping jacks.
"They were walking around kind of screaming at them," she said. "It was totally Marine-style."
Mary Kay Baum, a former Madison School Board member whose son was in one of the classes, said the strategy was worrisome.
"I am generally concerned about regular education classes being conducted by persons with an agenda for recruiting youth," she said.
Yeah, Lady. There's NO "agenda" in the leftist Madison Public School district. Guess you forgot your years on the Skrool Bored and the agenda YOU were pushing, Eh? *Rolleyes*
i think the number of parents objecting is being overstated
A drill sergeant in Madison? Sounds like that's exactly what that city could use.
Actually, I've long thought that bringing personal trainers into schools and setting up programs for students to meet fitness goals would be a worthwhile program, especially in high school.
You'd think this guy was a leper, or a drug dealer instead of an honorable man.
Bump!
Hmmm....would this fall under any of the "discrimination" laws?
I wonder if this school has a GLBT club, "safe zone"-designated classrooms, or does the "National Day of Silence" thing?
that's why they have "leper appreciation day" and "bring your children out to sell drug days" at public schools. what are you a bigot? :)
If he was gay, and conducting a class in ribbon dancing, you'd never have heard about it.
Oh, puh-llllllleeeze!!
Jumping jacks and push-ups??? I had to do that every year growing up...and my PE teachers may not have been Marine recruiters...but they ACTED like it...and really pushed us.
In 7th grade we HAD to run a 600 yard run to PASS our class.
Whoa...guess what, I survived. LOL
This story, the teachers, parents, and even the students makes me sick.
I'm sure the pathetic parents would be more comfortable if their rotten offspring were instructed by queers and pedophiles. Some Americans don't deserve the protection of those who wear the uniform.....
"ribbon dancing"....LOL
These whiney ass liberal parents want this country protected but they want somebody else's kid to do it.
Semper Fi'
Jarhead
And the heck with the hidden agenda, people that join the Marines do so because they want to be Marines.
the classes, which one student said featured an obstacle course and members "screaming" at students "totally Marine-style,"
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Oh, I wonder how truly "Marine-style" this class was.. I can think of a few things I doubt they shouted.. but still ring in my ears to this day. ;-)
Ever wonder how liberal parents might react to "Women's Lit" being taught by a man?
We need to get them to discriminate against gender as often and as publicly as possible, in front of students so that the students see the hypocrisy of the Left.
God bless our men and women that serve. May God put stumbling blocks in the path of those that try and destroy our nation and our children.
O_O
Oh noes! We can't have this!
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