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After a weary battle to permanently remove Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) from San Francisco schools, the school board voted 4-3 Tuesday night to reinstate the program. If you recall, the army training service was supposed to be phased out in less than a month at all SF public schools. Many argued that the 90-year-old military recruiting program shouldn't be allowed in public schools. "The kind of leadership it teaches is classic military leadership ... It's intended for war, not for civilian life," said Michael Wong, who graduated from Galileo High as a first Lt. in the JROTC. Getting rid of JROTC would have made San Francisco the country's only school district to ban the program based on political bias.
School Board Votes to Keep JROTC In SF Schools
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"Elections have consequences"
What's that?!? The new School Board made a decision to leave the choice of taking JROTC available for students? Why, that's a decision in the best interest of the students .... did we elect some folks with common sense this time? Amen ...
Great to see a rare victory for the small guy! (i.e. the United States Military).
It is a victory for the 'small guy' and in this case that is the kids in the program. Interestingly, a fraction of the 1,200 will even go into the military when they graduate high school. These kids learn such valuable skills that will only help them build careers and lives here in San Francisco, something that the bozos on the Bored of Supes don't seem to realize.
err, I mean, Bored of Ed.
Exactly. Though few of these students actually go on to join the military, they do learn valuable lessons such as leadership, discipline and working together.These are skills that are sadly lacking in many of our public schools. Its also a great victory for those of us who do not want "elites" imposing their out-of-the-mainstream values on our children.
This was always a silly issue anyway, a cultural marker for conservatives to use phrases like "a great victory for those of us who do not want 'elites' imposing their out-of-the-mainstream values on our children". It's SF; I wouldn't move to North Dakota and expect my kids to be able to take yoga instead of P.E.
I"m about as anti-ROTC as they come but why do supposedly progressive elected officials want to ban things? Power really brings out the worst in some on the left.
Human nature ... selfishness ... in this case, betting that killing off JROTC would help further political careers into the Board of Supervisors ... backfired (though Mar still won).
There are plenty of ways to learn leadership where you don't risk your limbs and/or life.
Teaching kids to fight is not real leadership, imho.
JROTC doesn't teach kids how to fight. This is why some idiots are against it, they assume when they have NO IDEA.
They have no idea... about what?
If you don't know that JROTC is intended as an army recruitment tool, then it is you, sir, who has no idea.
JROTC offers all the good things that missiondweller states above. And yes, it is a recruitment tool too. But this is ultimately about choice and the Board of Ed got this one right, and kept a door open for our students, rather than closing one. Don't think JROTC's the best fit for your child? Then don't allow them to participate. But whether your close-minded, simpleton views allow you to believe it or not - JROTC (as well as a career in the military, should they opt for one) remain excellent avenues for young people to build their leadership skills, learn discipline and responsibility and serve their country.
I can't even believe this is an issue in San Francisco.
Let kids make the choice if they want to join JROTC or not. I myself was a member of ROTC back in high school. The lessons in leadership I learned I still carry with me until today - including running my own company with 45 employees right here in SF.
ROTC is not meant to teach kids how to fight or kill, it is there to build confidence and future leaders. In fact, 90% of the people I knew did not even go into the military (including myself).
What I really don't get about SF is its blatant anti-military attitude. Remember people a soldier doesn't go to war, its politicians who decide when to go to war.
P.S. before I get attacked for being a neo-con, I am as liberal as they come
While I am completely in favor of retaining JROTC in San Francisco (tho irrelevant as I am a resident of that county to the south), I have to wonder out loud why JROTC is the only place kids are afforded the opportunity in SF public schools to learn leadership skills and confidence.
Exactly. Don't these schools have academic clubs, or sports, or Peace Corps, or... well ANYTHING else?
Do they? My kid's district has soccer, a music program funded by (god help us) Rob Schneider, and 4-H. I always hear how shitty SF schools are, but believe me, in this case I'm happy to be proven wrong.
Um, I'm not suggesting you run out and get a list of afterschool programs. That was rhetorical.
The SFUSD faces a $5 million budget shortfall.
The cost of the JROTC program to the school district is $1 million.
Enrollment in JROTC was about 1,600 students out of around 56,000.
How did this even become an issue? Are all the non-JROTC parents really willing to support a program at the expense of their kids' quality of education?
Didn't they just hand out 300+ pink slips to teachers in March?