SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 61

48th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2007

INTRODUCED BY

Gerald P. Ortiz y Pino

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING A STUDY ON THE BALANCE OF MILITARY RECRUITERS' MESSAGES IN NEW MEXICO'S SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

     WHEREAS, Section 9528 of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as the No Child Left Behind Act, requires that "each local educational agency receiving assistance under this act shall provide, on a request made by military recruiters or an institution of higher education, access to secondary school students names, addresses, and telephone listings"; and

     WHEREAS, Section 9528 of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act requires secondary schools to admit military recruiters to the same extent as colleges or employers; and

     WHEREAS, this provision has resulted in frequent visits to most secondary schools in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, frequent visits impose time and attention costs, financial costs and risks on each secondary school, detracting from its educational mission; and

     WHEREAS, frequent and extensive visits can result in influence incompatible with local control over secondary school curricula; and

     WHEREAS, military recruiters are often adult males and, increasingly, more new recruits are young women; and

     WHEREAS, students may regard uniformed military members as persons of authority or special trust and be particularly vulnerable to them; and

     WHEREAS, hundred of cases of military recruiter improprieties and misconduct have been reported in the last two years across the United States, some resulting in criminal convictions; and

     WHEREAS, military recruiters operate under the pressure of meeting a quota; and

     WHEREAS, the personal costs and risks involved in military enlistment are categorically different than other career or educational options available to students; and

     WHEREAS, the total amount spent by the United States department of defense on all military recruiting exceeds four billion dollars ($4,000,000,000) per year;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the public education department encourage all New Mexico secondary schools to provide balanced information about critical life choices involving the military; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the public education department undertake a study to determine to what extent balance to military recruiters' messages is provided in all New Mexico secondary schools; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of public education.

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