House committee considering legislation to make schools more available to military recruiters

Members of the Tennessee Army National Guard in Tullahoma last December (Photo by the Tennessee National Guard)

Tennessee Army National Guard Lieutenant Colonel William English told members of the House Education Administration Subcommittee that his recruitment work doesn’t always see a welcome mat at public high schools.

English says some schools give recruiters monthly access to talk with students in the classroom about the benefits of a career in the military while others are more restrictive.

Tennessee Army National Guard Lieutenant Colonel William English speaking before the House Education Administration Subcommittee (Screengrab)

“Access to a lot of these school systems is very inconsistent, that’s probably one of the number one complaints I get from my recruiters in the field is just not being able to get to those applicants,” said English. “

The same is true of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test some high school students in grades 10-12 take. English says the research aptitude test can provide a good prediction for where students will score on the ACT and SAT test, and he says it helps identify other skills that traditional tests miss because students are quizzed on electronics and auto shop information, along with mechanical comprehension.

Students taking the ASVAB are not required to join the military but the schools offering the test do have the option of providing various levels of student information to the armed services for recruitment.  English says this too is becoming a challenge.

“It is received well in some school systems and not very well in others,” said English. “I was at an event the other evening and a teacher came up to me and said that they’re, I guess some parents had complained, and they decided to opt out of taking the ASVAB.”

State Representative Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, asked English to make that presentation Tuesday afternoon in support of his resolution that requests school districts to participate in the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Batter Career Exploration Program and make the ASVAB test widely available to all high school students.

The resolution passed unanimously with multiple lawmakers expressing an interest in taking the concept a step further to require, instead of request, school districts to be more open to military recruitment and potentially, require them to provide the ASVAB test.

“We’re responsible for ensuring the next generation is prepared and ready for life and if we get up here tap dancing on “required,” “should,” “must,” we’re playing on our kids’ lives and I think the idea that making sure that kids and parents are equipped with all the knowledge going forward, we have to use the word “require,”  said Representative Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville, who’s also a retired Army Master Sergeant. “We’re not making the child join the military, what we’re doing is equipping them with all the necessary information to make a sound decision.”

Cepicky suggested that his resolution could be reworked into legislation, possibly by amending an existing bill, with requirements for schools. The earlier that could happen is during next week’s full House Education Committee meeting.

“Personally, I would prefer require. I think our youth out there is missing a tremendous opportunity,” said Cepicky. “The opportunities that the military presents to our children, our students right now our young men and women, who may not know what they want to do in life when they graduate high school to get some direction, some discipline, some personal pride. I think those are lessons that are measurable.”