Questions & Answers about "opting out"

Q: Why will personal information about my child be sent to military recruiters?
A: A little-known provision of the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" requires schools to make all personal contact information available to military recruiters unless parents request to "opt out" by submitting an opt-out form to their school. (click here to download an opt-out form) This provision threatens the federal funding of any school refusing to turn over this information.

Q: What grade level students are affected by this law?
A: This law applies to all secondary school students--both boys and girls.

Q: How are parents notified about this?
A: Some North Country schools sent separate mailings to inform parents. Some included the information in school newsletters, student handbooks or school calendars.

Q: When do these "opt out" forms have to be returned to schools?
A: This varies between schools. In St. Lawrence County, the return date varies from Sept. 9th to Oct 1st. One school indicated that they had no firm return date. However, you should send your form to your school as soon as possible since military recruiters are now actively seeking this information from all schools.

Q: If I opt out my child out of being contacted by military recruiters, will he/she be taken off the list for colleges & employers as well?
A: Opting out of being contacted by military recruiters should not prevent the disclosure of directory information to colleges or employers. However, it is possible that some North Country schools may treat military recruiter opt-out requests as an opt-out of all directory information disclosures. If you have questions about whether your request will be treated as a military recruiter opt-out or as a blanket opt-out, you should contact your school directly.

Q: What if the filing date for my school has gone by and I missed it?
A: Prepare yourself and your child to handle contacts from recruiters. Listed below are several excellent sources of information on the web that you can use in your preparation:

Or you can contact NCVFP directly (see "Contact Us"). We have printed information that might be helpful.

Q: What about students who are living on their own and not with parents?
A: In situations where students are considered "emancipated" (not under parental supervision), the school may send information directly to the student.

Q: Is North Country Veterans for Peace trying to prevent people from enlisting in military service? Are you anti-military?
A: No. As an offically recognized chapter of the national organization Veterans For Peace, Inc., NCVFP is actively working to have full and complete information available for anyone considering military service. Military recruiters are highly trained marketing professionals. Their job is to convince young people to join the military. As "sales people", they have a vested interest in spinning only the positive side of military service. There have been a number of recent instances where military recruiters have been dishonest with recruits. In May 2005, the United States government suspended all military recruitment for a day because of ethics violations by some recruiters. All recruiters were given mandatory training to make sure they understood their legal responsibilities and limitations.

NCVFP wants parents and students to have complete and full disclosure about military service, not just a slick sales pitch. NCVFP believes that recruiting young students, without explicit written permission from their parents, is inappropriate because they are usually not ready to understand the potential consequences of military service. Please read "About Us" for a more in-depth description of our position regarding military recruitment in the North Country.