public military schools

i was watching a show the other day, it had to have been tlc, pbs, or one of the other educational type channels, anyway, the show was about public military schools. to be honest, i didn't even really know there was such a thing.

the two schools featured on the show were bronzeville military academy which is exclusively a public military school, and i believe the other was called lafyette which featured a regular public school on the bottom levels and a military public school on the top level.

i'm not very good at laying this all out in a format, so please bear with me as i cast out facts and feelings a bit out of order.

here is a link that is for the bronzeville military academy. there is a slide show and a mission statement, and more if you want to go look.

http://chicagomilitary.cps.k12.il.us/toppage.htm

on the show it was stated that the school (i believe it was bronzeville) is a public school and that half of the teacher's salaries and the cost of the uniforms and some equipment is paid for by the pentagon.

i couldn't find any information on lafayette, but here is a link for another public military high school in virgina called franklin.

http://www.richmond.k12.va.us/schools/Franklin_Military/about.htm

here is an article about the opening of bronzeville and their mission in opening a public military school. i forgot to add that bronzeville is in chicago.

http://www.gangwar.com/items2.htm

here are a few important pieces from the article

the mission: The three-year-old Chicago Military Academy, in the street-tough Bronzeville neighborhood on the city's South Side, is part of a growing experiment by public school districts, mostly in America's urban centers, to adopt the ethos and structure of the armed forces. Like compulsory uniforms and zero-tolerance policies, the move marks the latest step aimed at bringing order to schools that can be unruly and even dangerous. Educators like Jeffrey Mirel of the University of Michigan say urban school leaders have become willing to take radical steps because "the problems in urban schools are so severe, and have gone on so long," despite two decades of reforms. For many children growing up without a cohesive family, the military model seems to offer a bedrock of stability--a world of clear-cut rules and unmistakable authority figures.

attendance at the Chicago academy is running at 95 percent, a figure that most urban school administrators can only dream about. The Chicago academy, which has roughly the same number of boys and girls, is open to any student in the city. All that is required is a grammar-school diploma and a letter of recommendation. For this school year, there were 2,000 applications for 140 slots in the freshman class; a committee chose not the brightest or the most troubled, but what it considered the most well-rounded group.

At military-style schools, the armed forces typically pay half the salaries of officers who work as instructors, and pick up the cost of the kids' uniforms and equipment. Of the 50 administrators and teachers at the Chicago academy, 10 are retired military officers. But even the civilian teachers invoke the military code.

ROTC officials say their participation is not part of a recruiting drive, but rather part of an effort to promote good citizenship.

Critics dispute the claim, noting that one study shows roughly 40 percent of these students plan to eventually join the military. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley led the push for a military academy. He said the military-style schools simply offer another option, like magnet schools that emphasize art or foreign language.

When Mayor Jerry Brown of Oakland pushed for a military academy in that overwhelmingly liberal city two years ago, he was greeted by more than raised eyebrows. "They called ma a racist and a militarist," Brown says. "You had people who hate the military, who thought we were going to turn these little kids into killers." His plan was shot down by the Oakland school board, so Brown went to the state for approval. California gave $1.3 million toward the Oakland Military Institute, which is affiliated with the state's National Guard.

But the critics in Oakland are still riled. Dan Siegel, who is a member of the school board that opposed the academy, called the military school "culturally inconsistent with the traditions" of the East Bay. "It's like putting the Ronald Reagan Museum in Berkeley. It doesn't belong here."

But, Brown, who was educated by the Jesuits, says the military approach shares some of the virtues of Roman Catholic schools, which have shown success in educating poor children in urban centers. "I see authority. I see discipline." Brown loves to tell Oakland military cadets: "I've met a lot of Catholic nuns who are tougher than any drill sergeant."

that is the gist of the article.

between the show and the article there was alot of strife over whether it was appropriate to have publically funded military schools, here is what i got out of it all.

some people felt that it is an intrusion and recruitment push on the part of the military and that they were taking advantage of students that were looking for safer/better education options.

the article quoted a 40% figure for students that would graduate from bronzeville academy and go on into the military. if i recall correctly, the show quoted a 60% figure.

two young girls of the same family were featured for bronzeville, one with the intention of moving on into the military after graduation and the other with no intention of going into the military. both girls liked the program. all of the kids i saw from bronzeville were happy with the program.

the lafayette school (city unknown) had a public school on the bottom and a publicly funded military school on top. to be honest, i was apalled at the public school.it's hard for me to believe such places exist. the whole basis for beginning the morning was rummaging in knapsacks and sending kids through metal detectors and breaking up racial conflict in the halls. after school policemen areon hand to keep racial incidents from breaking out. on the other hand, the military school on the upper portion of the building is quiet, orderly, and respectful.

most of the kids at this military school seemed to like the program as well but one girl dropped out because she didn't like having to discipline her classmates, compete with her classmates, and felt her opinions were stifled in favor of military values.

another concern of this same school was that only 1/3 of the class actually makes it to graduation. the other two thirds is dropped along the way. the reasons that were stated for this was competitve edge and hard work. sounds great, but i thought two thirds being dropped was awfully high. it is based as much on the actual desired numer dropped as it is performance by the student and of course those dropped end up back in that mess of a school on the lower half. i don't know about other states, but unless the law has changed in the last couple of years, california high school students can attend their choice of high school. it does not have to be in their district.

another concern is of course the fact that the half the pentagon is not paying for is being funded with public school monies which brings us to the question ofwhether this is an appropriate use of public school money, and if it is, then how is other private school options for students not appropriate? either way a child is given the possible opprotunity for a better education and agenda can be claimed in either direction. so even if you see this as a good thing, which i do, as a choice that is, is it a misappropriation of funds?

other arguments included the ability to get a college education by applying in the military and the realities of the dangers one might face in pursuit of that college education.

the realities of serving in the military being the only way some of those kids will ever be able to pursue a college education.

the structuring and education of an out of control element.

adult pressure on students to pursue military careers.

by the very structure of militaristic values placed on students, they are stifled in their ability to have free debate/topic/issues, whatever. getting tired lol.

so what i want to know, is what you think. do you see it as a good thing, a bad thing? appropriate funding or not for a public school? is this good for the students? would you like to see all schools like this? see it as an option? not see it at all? how do you feel about the values provided? about the pentagon's involvement? etc. you get the picture :)

i like it as an option. most of the kids involved seemed to like it. they were respectful and proud of their school, grades, etc. many of them were turned around from serious mischief. the learning/study environment has got to be better. the recruiters are out trolling anyway but i guess this would count as an edge. as far as that edge goes, there are many benefits to be obtained from a military career and it is a choice. i feel like by the time a kid hits 17 and 18 they are really pushing their independance and striving to make their own choices. as for the funding, in using public funds, i see this as equal to our desire to find a better education for my son than the ordinary public school will provide. i may yet find a fantastic high school here, there was one where i lived previously, but the one i attended was awful. point being i want better for my son. i'm all for the voucher thing with or without religious options involved. if we have to find a way to fork out for private education, we will. on the other hand, this seems much the same to me and public funds are being spent. maybe a door has opened. i did see there is one of those military schools up here, but my husband won't even stop the car in oakland, it's that bad. i don't want to force anything on my son, i just want him to have good options, better than the crap i've seen or am seeing. as for the pantagon paying for part of the funding, i don't really know yet what i think about that yet other than it probably wouldn't be possible without it. i'm sure i have more on this but i';m too tired to think of it and this post is awfully long. told ya'll i was a disorganized thinker ;)

think about it. i'll be back tomorrow to see what ya'll have to say. i figure there is plenty i haven't thought of and related issues that haven't crossed my poor tired mind yet. there has to be more positive and negatives than i've laid out so far.

see ya tomorrow :)

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