Pittsburgh Schools Set New Rules For RecruitersPOSTED: 5:13 pm EDT August 23,
2007 PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Public Schools board has passed tighter restrictions on in-school recruitment, responding to complaints that some recruiters were overly aggressive.Under the new rules, recruiters will still be allowed in school but will face stricter controls.There are slickly produced television commercials and tempting perks, including $50,000 in benefits, to join the military, but they still rely on the personal approach, which means talking to students at high schools.That's how Nick Paranzino of Brashear High School decided to join the U.S. Air Force."He (a recruiter) talked to me about several things, salaries, what I can do in the Air Force," said Paranzino.Getting teenagers like Paranzino just got a little tougher. Recruiters for the military, as well as those working for colleges and private companies, can no longer freely roam the halls of Pittsburgh high schools."We don't want our children to be badgered," said school board member Dan Romaniello. "We don't want people walking around our building without any regulations, but we also have to treat the military the same as we treat anybody else."Recruiters now must report to the principal and confine themselves to certain parts of the building. They are not allowed to hold contests or give students gifts.Asked about the Pittsburgh recruiting, Lt. Col. Robert Wade said, "As long as we're on the same level playing field and there are not special rules for military recruiters, I can understand what they're trying to do by limiting distractions to students."But Paranzino said there were few distractions."I don't see why they would restrict anything," he said. "I don't really see them going into classrooms and stuff like that."Federal law prevents school districts from treating the military differently than colleges or industry.This year, for the first time, parents will be able to sign a form that would prevent the school district from sending their child's personal information to the military. Related Links: More County NewsGet RSS | E-Mail Alerts Copyright 2008 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
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