But, a new class that will be implemented in 2010 will give high school students the option of training as military cadets at school and could lead to a career choice in the future.
The county school board approved the Junior ROTC program for Sonoraville High School at the monthly board of education meeting that was held inside of the Ashworth Middle School lunchroom Dec. 14.
Gordon County Schools Superintendent Bill McCown explained to board members that the Army Junior ROTC program would include the cost of uniforms, but it wouldn’t cover the cost of hiring two teachers for the class, a commissioned and a noncommissioned officer, at Sonoraville High School.
McCown estimated the cost of one teacher would be around $85,000.
After a brief discussion, the board members unanimously approved the Junior ROTC program.
“Two years ago we applied for the program at Gordon Central and Sonoraville, and only one was approved,” McCown said, in an interview. “We don’t know why they chose one over the other.”
The board will explore options for the GCHS students.
The Junior ROTC program will begin in January 2010.
The board also approved the removal of several sentences and words in its policy for the length of the school year and the administrative procedures to be followed by the personnel department in the employment of certified employees.
“We eliminated verbage,” McCown stated.
In other news, the school board approved a 2010 school year calendar .
They opted against another option in which the board meetings would be held at several different locations, as they were during the 2009 school year.
The calendar the board chose specified the central office as a permanent meeting location, with the exception of called board meetings and a meeting in the spring that includes an awards ceremony for students.
“Meeting at the central office cuts costs,” said board member William Tyner.
He added that one location would also help with organization.
“Sometimes we had questions and we couldn’t answer them because they’d (the necessary materials) be at the central office,” Tyner said.
The next county board of education meeting will be held at the Central office on Jan. 11 at 7 p.m.
Oh well, in general, we get "brainwashed" everytime we turn on the TV, by uselessness. If SHS is "willing" to step up and provide the kids with an alternate subject that is widely respected and "useful", then I have to support the cause.
Who knows, it may just have the right influence on someone's child...that same child that maybe lives with a dud of a parent who does nothing but blab about something they know nothing of...you know the kind, the hypocritical ones, we all know one, but hate being one...
Merry Christmas
Does JROTC involve training in armed combat? No.
Does ROTC teach unarmed combat? No.
Does it teach small unit combat tactics? No.
Does it teach maintenance and field repair of military weaponry? No.
Does it teach the use of combat weapons? No.
Does it involve SERE training? No.
Does it involve classes in handling the stress of combat operations? No.
Does it teach the use improvised munitions? No.
So, since you evidently can't specifically tell us what part of JROTC involves brainwashing, perhaps you can tell us what specific part of JROTC prepares young people to fight a war?
As for politics, don't know and don't care what either Republicans or Democrats say on the subject. I'm an independent.
Perhaps you can explain specifically what part of a JROTC program involves brainwashing?
Do you have any personal experience in a JROTC program? The reason I ask is that drawing conclusions from the most extreme elements of any organization without personal knowledge of or experience in that organization is a poor basis for such broad-based conclusions.
JROTC does not produce robots. Kids with various social or other problems (you know, HS students) may be enrolled in it, but what is actually taught in JROTC is the importance of discipline, how to work as a team to accomplish goals, self-respect and respect for others, drill and ceremonies, history, and a varied assortment of other subjects and disciplines. But they aren't brainwashed, and they aren't turned into automatons.
Regarding the rest of your post, it has little or nothing to do either with JROTC or our military, so I'll leave it alone for now.
Is that what you think about our regular, National Guard and Reserve component members of the Armed Forces? That they're unthinking, unfeeling robots without any moral or ethical compass, rather than simply being ordinary citizens who have volunteered to do something extraordinary and serve and protect their country?
JROTC merely gives HS students (who at that age are about to have to take on the responsibilities of adults anyway) a valuable opportunity to explore some of the basic aspects of military service without any actual committment to or service in our armed forces. As with military service itself it's voluntary, not compulsory, and students are free to choose not to participate in the program if they don't want to.