JROTC Students and Supporters will hold Rally to Kickoff YES on Prop.V Campaign
San Francisco CA, September 10, 2008 – Save JROTC students and supporters will hold a rally to kickoff the YES on Proposition V Campaign. This will be one of the largest field efforts in San Francisco history. The Save JROTC campaign is prepared to not only campaign for Proposition V but to send a clear message to politicians that students and their schools are not stepping stones to higher political office nor are they pawns for political agendas. The Save JROTC effort has the support of Mayor Newsom, Senator Feinstein, Firefighters, Police, Unions, Democratic Clubs and SF Republicans, and countless other elected officials, community leaders, and organizations. This November, it’s about CHOICE for our students and their families.
In July 2008, Choice for Students volunteers collected 13,503 signatures. The Department of Elections certified that the Save JROTC effort collected 149.5% of the necessary 7,168 petitions to qualify for the November Ballot. Students, parents, and the community from all walks of life came together to show support for giving students the choice for school programs.
Choice for Students believes the choice should be left up to students and their parents, not politicians as to whether students can participate in the JROTC program. The JROTC has the support of 85% of the students polled (JROTC and non-JROTC), as well as all of the Parent Teacher Student Associations and all of the principals at these schools. JROTC does not discriminate and does not abide by the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy.
JROTC is a 90-year leadership program in the San Francisco Unified School District that teaches students discipline, leadership skills, and the importance of civic responsibility. It is a during and after school program that has served an average of over 1600 high school students annually until the SF School Board voted on June 17, 2008 to eliminate PE credit, making it impossible to schedule JROTC for most students. Students and their instructors voluntarily contribute hundreds of community service hours to their schools and communities.
