Bob bothers a Colorado high school principal

Dr. Priscilla Straughn, Principal

Arvada West High School

Arvada CO

Dear Dr. Straughn,

Thank you very much for your support of David McSwane's remarkable and valuable investigative journalism. Many, perhaps most other public high school principals would have opposed and obstructed his efforts.

I am an Army veteran from the Vietnam era, the last of our draftees. The vile recruiting practices Mr. McSwane uncovered were common then, and never went out of style. I doubt if they ever will go out of style, particularly when the military is failing to meet its enlistment goals.

A provision of the federal No Child Left Behind Act requires every public high school to provide the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all juniors and seniors (who have not specifically asked the school not to give out this information) to military recruiters. A school or school district can refuse, but will forfeit considerable federal money.

Does Arvada West High School provide this student information to military recruiters?

Thank you again, sincerely, for your help in this very important matter of public policy. And please pass on my professional regards -- I'm an old newspaper journalist -- to the remarkable David McSwane.

Yours,

Bob Merkin

Northampton Massachusetts

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