This post is a follow-up to my recent post  “Why is PPS Partnering With the Department of Defense to Racially Profile Kindergarten to 5th Grade Students?” 

STARBASE is a Department of Defense program that provides 20 hours of math and science classes to K-5th graders on a military base during the school day.  One of my concerns about STARBASE is that poor kids in PPS are subjected to an inferior quality public education program, denied opportunities then tracked into the military system (or prison system but that’s another post). 

The PPS school board will be voting on renewal of the STARBASE contract very soon.  As a parent and education activist, I will be urging the PPS school board to vote NO on renewal of the Department of Defense STARBASE contract. 

I think it’s important though that the board hear from people who have direct experience with the military.  Brian Wilson, a former officer in the US Air Force, has graciously offered to share his thoughts on STARBASE.  This is Brian’s board testimony: 

TO: Portland Public Schools (PPS), P.O. Box 3107, Portland, Oregon 97227

*Superintendent: Carole Smith, superintendent@pps.k12.or.us

*Board of Education (BOE) Members:

            Ruth Adkins, radkins@pps.k12.or.us

            David Wynde, david.wynde@pps.k12.or.us

            Bobbie Regan, bobbie.regan@pps.k12.or.us

            Martin Gonzalez, mgonzalez@pps.k12.or.us

            Pam Knowles, pknowles@pps.k12.or.us

            Trudy Sargent, tsargent@pps.k12.or.us

            Dilafruz Williams, diafruz.williams@pps.k12.or.us

*BOE Student Representative: Henry Johnson, hjohnson@pps.k12.or.us

*BOE Office Senior Manager: Lynda Rose, Lrose@pps.k12.or.us

DATE: February 16, 2010

RE: DoD & Portland STARBASE (Science Technology Academics Reinforcing Basic Aviation and Space Exploration)

1. Introduction

2. (Mis)Representation

3. DoD Largest Polluter in the World

4. Military Social Environment is Chronically Problem-Laden

5. Suicide Epidemic

6. Veterans Experience Serious Problems

7. Bribery To Public School Systems Purchases Pentagon Access to Children as Young as Five

8. My Experiences

9. Conclusion

RE:DoD & Portland STARBASE (Science Technology Academics Reinforcing Basic Aviation and Space Exploration)

1. Introduction

I examined representations from printed and electronic web materials offered by DoD (Department of Defense)* and Portland STARBASE, a “fun academy” conducted at a military base designed for “opening young people’s minds to the military” – specifically at risk 5 to18 year-old Portland Public School (PPS) students (K-12). I am struck by the fanciful rhetoric which, from my experiences as a veteran, former officer in the US Air Force and commander of a ranger-type unit in Viet Nam, and general observer of military life and activities, severely masks the realities on the ground. That STARBASE is represented in lofty terms, of course, is not surprising since its funding derives directly from the Pentagon’s recruitingbudget, and is considered by military commanders as a “cornerstone” in the creation of their public image [DoD STARBASE 2008 Annual Report]. The U.S. Military Recruiting Handbook unapologetically declares that “School recruiting is critical to long-term recruiting success…It means having the Army perceivedas a positive career choice as soon as young people begin to think about the future.” And as DoD admits, STARBASE “is one element in the building of that talent pool” [italics added for emphasis].

*Department of Defense is Orwellian doublespeak for Department of War. Since World War II, scholars identify more than 350 overt military interventions in countries around the world without the Constitutionally required declaration of war, and thousands of additional covert interventions, all illegal.

2. (Mis)Representations

I am particularly struck by the stated goals of STARBASE Portland: “[I]mprove the knowledge and skills of at risk youth in math, science, and technology by exposing them to the technological and positive role models found on military bases and installations,” specifically the Oregon Army National Guard Jackson Armory and the Portland Air National Guard Base. And, “Strengthen youth resistance to negative influences, including substance and alcohol abuse.”

During my four years of active duty employment I was stationed at four different bases in five states ­ three Air Force (TX, MD, LA) and one Army (KY, TN), plus two in Viet Nam, before being honorably discharged at the rank of Captain. Putting public relations fluff and recruiting rhetoric aside for a moment, I cannot think of a poorer setting to which to expose impressionable young children than military bases. Their representations as “technological and positive role models” have clearly not been critically examined!

3. DoD Largest Polluter in the World

The DoD is the largestpolluter in the world, producing more hazardous waste than the five largest US chemical companies combined. This includes poisonous compounds such as pesticides, defoliants, solvents, petroleum, perchlorate (from rocket fuel), trichloroethylene (TCE), lead, depleted uranium, and mercury, among others. TCE, used as a degreaser for metal parts, is the most widespread water contaminant in the country, and more than 1,000 military sites are contaminated with it, but perchlorate is a growing contaminant in groundwater as well. The DoD controls more than 31,000 environmental sites officially declared severely dirty at more than 4,600 active and formerly active installations scattered around all 50 states. Yet, the DoD continues to resist orders from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean them up. Of the dirtiest of the dirty, the Pentagon owns 129 of the 1,255 identified Superfund clean-up site. ["Pentagon Fights EPA On Pollution Cleanup," Washington Post, June 30, 2008; "Military Pollution: The Quintessential Universal Soldier," commondreams.org, March 27, 2005; "Communities Seek Accountability For Military Pollution," Press Release (of five Environmental Groups), commondreams.org, March 23, 2009]. This is the record of the same DoD that pretends to offer young children a superb “technological role model.”

The Portland Air National Guard Base hosts the 142nd Fighter Wing, which includes A-15 fighter jets, as well as hosting the 939th Air Refueling Wing. This means lots of fuel storage and inevitable fuel spillages, use of TCE degreasers, solvents, etc., that normally accompany the high tech atmosphere of military and aviation installations.

In sum, military installations are very unhealthy places environmentally, as I can attest to from personal experiences, despite public relations representing the opposite. I served for two years on a command-wide Inspector General staff where we wrote and enforced regulations for bases that emphasized appearances far more than substance, a kind of image-making endemic in our culture.

4. Military Social Environment is Chronically Problem-Laden

Furthermore, I can attest to the fact that the “positive role models” to which you are exposing Portland’s “at risk” youth are quite farcical when you look below the surface. No matter what military regulations dictate or public affairs officers describe, the military social environment possesses serious racism (cf. civilian life), chronic abuse of alcohol and drugs – prescription and illegal (cf. civilian life), domestic violence, rape, mental illness, suicides at much higher rates than found in civilian life, and popular but unhealthy high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar diets offered on military bases by Fast Food chains like McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, Popeyes, etc.

Military bases have histories of violence, especially domestic abuse and homicides (described as a “spousal aggression issue” by the military) ["Base Crimes: The Military Has A Domestic Violence Problem," Mother Jones, July/August 2005], as well as collective murders ["U.S. Army Base Has Bloody History," CBS News, November 5, 2009]. Domestic abuse is believed to be double that of the civilian population ["A Considerable Service: An Advocate's Introduction to Domestic Violence and the Military," Domestic Violence Report, April/May 2001, Civic Research Institute, Kingston, NJ]. And sexual assaults and rape of female veterans by male soldiers is chronic: more than 40 percent of female veterans report being victims of sexual assault, including rape, while serving in the military, with few of the male criminal perpetrators brought to justice ["Sexual Assault In Military 'Jaw-Dropping,' Lawmaker Says," CNN.Com, July 31, 2008].

The stated Portland STARBASE goal to “strengthen youth resistance to negative influences, including substance and alcohol abuse,” is simply an irresponsible resort by the PPS to unexamined representations which ironically expose at risk youth to ever more health and life risks as targeted military recruits. Serious alcoholism and drug abuse continues to plague military life, just as it did when I was in the military 40 years ago ["Heavy Drinking Still Acute Among Young Military Members," Pacific Institute For Research and Evaluation News Release, March 2, 2006; "Wounds of War: Drug Problems Among Iraq, Afghan Vets Could Dwarf Vietnam," Join Together newsletter, Boston University School of Public Health, June 15, 2009; "U.S. Troops Admit Abusing Prescription Drugs," USA Today, December 16, 2009; "Alcohol Abuse Weighs On Army," USA Today, February 9, 2010]. General Peter Chiarelli, Army Vice Chief of Staff, recently admitted “an increase in military violence, alcohol and substance abuse, and an increase in destructive or reckless behaviors” [Oregon Military Department Official Blog, September 15, 2009]. Just in the past week, two soldiers with the Oregon National Guard have been removed from duty for serious substance abuse and erratic behavior, each now facing punishment ["The Military and Substance Abuse," by Mike Francis, The Oregonian, February 10, 2010].

5. Suicide Epidemic

In 2009, suicides among active duty personnel exceeded number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan, and was the highest number since records began to be kept in 1980. For every successful suicide, at least five other active duty members are hospitalized for attempts. Resources of the military and Veterans Administration for dealing with problems experienced by soldiers simply have not been sufficiently allocated ["Suicide Claims More US Military Lives Than Afghan war," World Socialist Web Site, January 6, 2010; "Despite Prevention Efforts, U.S. Military Suicides Rise," McClatchy Newspapers, January 15, 2010; "Investigation Shows Military Suicides Up; Leaders Push Response," CaliforniaHealthline, November 25, 2009, California Healthcare Foundation]. Our society continues to glorify the military and war. However, when it comes to honestly addressing the reality of military life and the costs and traumas of war, our society historically falls terribly short [Richard Severo & Lewis Milford, The Wages of War: When America's Soldiers Came Home - From Valley Forge to Vietnam(New York: Simon and Schuster, 1989)].

6. Veterans Experience Serious Problems

Once discharged from the military into civilian life, problems experienced while in the military often continue, or are even exacerbated. The suicide rate among veterans is twice that of other US citizens – 6,500 a year, or 125 a week, or 18 per day. One thousand veterans receiving care from the VA attempt suicide every month. Of the 1.7 million military personnel who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, 300,000 suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or major depression. Another 320,000 suffer from traumatic brain injury or physical brain damage, a majority of whom have yet to receive mental health and disability benefits. These two categories alone comprise 36 percent of the wounds, not counting thousands more suffering from various other bodily injuries. In the six months leading up to March 31, 2008, nearly 1,500 veterans died while awaiting to learn if their disability claim would be approved. And veterans who appeal a VA denial of their disability claim wait an average of nearly four-and-a-half years for an answer. Veterans also exhibit higher rates of unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, overeating, unsafe sex, and higher rates of physical and mental health problems and mortality ["The Truth About Veteran Suicides," Foreign Policy In Focus/FPIF, May 8, 2008; "Suicide Epidemic Among Veterans: A CBS News Investigation Uncovers A Suicide Rate For Veterans Twice That of Other Americans," CBS News, November 13, 2007]. As many as 400,000 veterans experience homelessness during the course of each year ["Homeless Veterans," National Coalition for the Homeless, September 2009].

7. Bribery To Public School Systems Purchases Pentagon Access to Children as Young as Five

That the Pentagon is able to effectively pay a bribe worth several hundred thousands of dollars to PPS each school year in order to access and brainwash its youth, while government funding is being cut for genuine creative learning programs and college assistance, is grotesque. This policy squeezes out other educational and career alternatives while deliberately channeling certainyoung people to the military. I cannot think of a more insidious recruitment scheme under the mask of providing special math and science education for at risk students, a curriculum PPS is already charged by law with providing. DoD STARBASE defines the characteristics of those it intends to target, apparently with the cooperation of five PPS staff: “[B]eing from a single parent household, having an older sibling who dropped out of high school, changing schools two or more times…, having C’s or lower grades, being from a low socioeconomic status family, or repeating an earlier grade.” Educators should spurn this program offer.

What process does the PPS staff undertake for selecting young people to attend a military “science camp” packaged as if it is a fun video game? This is a mockery of the PPS policy of zero tolerance for weapons in the learning environment. PPS school staff, working with DoD STARBASE officials, are likely to disproportionately select low-income students and minority students of color, softening them up for subsequent hard-core recruitment into a “career pathway” toward an early death sentence, i.e., white-washing a “career” of being cannon fodder. What constructive and creative alternatives are school officials exploring and implementing for these youth? That it is those students with the fewest options in life who are selected for this masked military recruitment program is deleterious discrimination.

Children do not possess the maturity of judgment or critical thinking skills needed to carefully analyze all opportunities presented to them. Would we offer children a rifle to shoot at targets without careful thought, even if the child was eager to do so? Would we offer a child a computer to simulate launching of robotic drone warfare directed at targets in far off lands, even if the child finds this a thrill? Would we offer various drugs and alcohol even if children desired same? Would we continue to feed them fast foods without regard to nutrition, knowing the harmful health effects and likely onset of obesity and diabetes? Learning settings require understanding contexts and long term consequences which educators presumably assess before offering them. I am not suggesting that these specific things are being offered by STARBASE, but that the program insidiously opens certain doors to at risk children that likely will not lead to the glorious future represented in the promo.

Children are impressionable, and the glamour of military high technology of “Aviation and Space Exploration” imparts exciting images in young children’s minds, the content and context of which have not been assessed for appropriateness in developing open minds. STARBASE enables further militarization of our culture, distorting our cultural psyche to the detriment of everyone. Remember, that once in the military, a soldier undergoes basic training where the primary skill learned is to operate a firearm and become proficient at killing another human being without first gaining knowledge of the history or context of the killing fields to which the soldier may be thrust.

8. My Experiences

As a security and law enforcement officer at headquarters of a major Air Force command Inspector General’s Office, I assisted in overseeing compliance at dozens of bases with safety, security, public relations and readiness requirements.

In Viet Nam I was commander of a 40-man ranger-type unit where I witnessed the immediate aftermath of low-flying fighter-bomber Turkey Shoots destroying inhabited but undefended fishing and farming villages, leaving hundreds of murdered and maimed Vietnamese in the bomb’s wake. My unit was primarily protecting US Air Force installations during which we survived 18 mortar and rocket attacks.

Subsequently, I was shocked when I realized that our military forces had invaded another country whose people simply wanted their independence from outside colonial powers. The Vietnamese were simply defending themselves from an attacking force of incredible firepower of which I was a part. I was not defending freedom for US Americans, but in fact destroying the deserving freedom of others. It was absurd! The reason I did not understand this reality: I was never taught this history, knew nothing about Vietnamese culture, and was ignorant about the insidious reasons my country was committing an egregious crime against peace. When the Pentagon Papers were published in 1971, it all became quite clear.

Commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity were normal, deliberate policy, despite being in violation of US Rules of Engagement, international law, the US Constitution, and my own conscience. Many of my superiors laughed at the “Rules of Engagement.” I witnessed these crimes more than 40 years ago, yet these experiences remain a permanent imprint, leaving me with a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

In my final assignment in the Air Force, I served as executive officer addressing personnel problems of a 250-man supply squadron: severe racism that existed on our base and in the nearby community, domestic abuse, violence in the nearby community, suicides or their attempts, drunkenness, drug addiction, etc.

Fifteen years later I served as executive director of a veterans outreach center. Homelessness was epidemic; alcoholism and drug addiction were chronic, causing a number of pre-mature deaths; veterans in car accidents died at nearly twice the rate as non-veteran car accidents; a number of “bush vets” lived isolated in nearby forests; many veterans suffered from chronic diseases, including various cancers and early deaths attributed to poisoning from the herbicides the United States used in Viet Nam. On several occasions I disarmed troubled veterans in threatening crises. Eight veterans committed suicide during my tenure there. Upon reflection I began to comprehend just how deep was the traumatic and unnatural conditioning that results from military training without context about the wars soldiers are ordered to engage in. It makes us fierce fighters, oftentimes murderers, as we witnessed peers being killed. Upon reflection, many of us knew deep down the reasons for our involvement in the war as told to us by our elders, schools, churches, families, and government, didn’t hold up to a critique that we wished we had been offered as part of our education as young men.

9. Conclusion

STARBASE is an egregious affront to the youth of our country, our culture, our city. That its assumptions and representations have been accepted without question by professional educators reveal an irresponsibility that is unconscionable. Why has no critical review been conducted by people who are in the know and can properly reflect upon the dangers of exposing young people to images and influences that are likely to have grave consequences on their future lives?

_______________________________

S. Brian Willson,

United States Air Force, 1966-1970, Viet Nam 1969; Honorably discharged as Captain

BA, MS, JD, Ph.D (Hon.), LL.D (Hon)”

The district claims that the reason behind the elimination of student transfers at the high school level is to create equity.   The problem they say is that transfers deplete resources in poor schools because funding follows students when they transfer out.

It’s been over three years since Multnomah County audited the PPS Student Transfer Policy.  The auditor found that the policy failed to meet the board objectives of an open, transparent student transfer system promoting diversity, equity and increased student achievement.  The full audit can be found here.  This is the Multnomah County summary:

In FY02-03, the Portland Public Schools Board of Education (Board) adopted a new policy designed to create a more open and transparent student transfer system and promote equity, diversity and student achievement. The new transfer policy was adopted in response to dissatisfaction with the previous informal system. The purpose of this audit was to evaluate whether the student transfer system met Board objectives. 

The new policy was implemented during a period of declining enrollments and budget shortfalls. In response the Board made difficult decisions to close, consolidate, or reconfigure some schools. Throughout this changing environment Portland Public Schools Board and management (the District) tried to maintain a school choice system with strong neighborhood schools, provide an array of educational options, and invest significantly in its lowest performing high schools.

 While efforts have been made in each year to improve practices, we found that the District’s computerized lottery used to process transfer requests was overly complicated and complex. The student transfer system had management weaknesses and problems with coordination, and it lacked Board oversight. As a result, the lottery and transfer system did not meet the Board’s objectives for openness and transparency. The Board did not sufficiently consider or weigh the effects of the transfer system against competing goals. The transfer system may weaken neighborhood schools and undermine investments in the lowest performing schools.

Since its implementation in the FY03-04 school year, the lottery has become increasingly complex. This made it difficult for the District to communicate clearly and accurately to the 11% of families (approximately 5,000) who apply each year to transfer from their neighborhood school. Up-to-date information on transfer openings at schools was not available to parents. Space availability for incoming students was not decided until after parents applied to transfer. The process became increasingly competitive because the District reduced the number of openings causing fewer students to receive their first choice for transfer.

The student transfer system did not meet the Board’s diversity and equity goals. The system was not able to mitigate the moderate ethnic and socio-economic segregation in Portland’s neighborhoods. In addition, we found that the District’s schools were less diverse in terms of lowincome and minority representation than would be the case if all students attended their neighborhood schools. We concluded that the transfer system has not increased diversity in schools, but actually reduced it. 

The District made calculation errors in the weighting intended to promote diversity in both the FY04-05 and FY05-06 lotteries. As a result, lower income students who should have received a higher priority were at a disadvantage.

The District did not review the impacts of transfers on student and school performance. Doing so may have altered or improved policies and decision-making. We found that higher achieving students were more likely to apply to transfer under the Federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) out of the lowest performing schools compared to their peers who were also eligible to transfer but chose to stay in their neighborhood schools. These students were also more likely to have been White, come from a family with a higher income, and have lower rates of absence compared to those who did not choose to transfer. This evidence of a “skimming” effect is consistent with research elsewhere.

Students who transferred out of low performing schools under NCLB were more likely to see declines in achievement in the following year compared to peers who stayed in their neighborhood schools – in both reading and math. The students who stayed at their neighborhood schools were less likely to regress. Our analysis was constrained by the limitations of available District data, but the findings warrant ongoing monitoring and more thorough analysis.

The student transfer process was administered by the Enrollment and Transfer Center and involved staff from many branches of the District’s administration. The process lacked strong management, coordination, and oversight. There was limited reporting on student transfers to the public, District managers or to the Board. Further, the District has yet to take advantage of an opportunity to strengthen and support its school choice and transfer system with a $6.48 million, five-year grant that it received in 2002.

In light of our overall audit finding that PPS’ transfer system did not effectively meet Board objectives and because of the current uncertainty about funding and the future configuration of schools, we recommend that the transfer process be limited for the short-term or put on hold until the recommended changes are implemented. We recommend the Board adopt a policy that clarifies the purpose of its school choice system.

 We also recommend that the Board recognize the significance of having an effective student transfer system by increasing its oversight. Once the District defines an administrative structure that is accountable and the steps that must be taken by management.

The current high school redesign is supposed to address the audit findings but the equity, diversity and achievement problems are far greater than the student transfer policy. 

Where is management oversight and accountability in the high school redesign process, or in the district overall?  How about transparency?  PPS administrators say that no decisions have been made but who believes that?

The elimination of student transfers is a step in the right direction but only if  the high school redesign ensures equity in the entire K-12 system.  The school board should not be voting on pieces of the system redesign when the plan has not been FULLY developed. 

If the high school redesign team were capable of creating the plan it would have been done by now.  They don’t even have a rough draft.  Just “Big Ideas”.

Excluding “inspirational videos” and one page stories, this is ODE’s entire coverage of closing the achievement gap.  Apparently closing the gap in Oregon is an annual banquet.

“The Academic Achievement Gap describes the gap in achievement that often exists between low income or minority students and their peers. Nationally, low income, minority, and special education students as well as students who are non-native English speakers tend to achieve at lower levels then students overall. In Oregon, our focus on this issue has seen results, and in two of the past three years we have seen a closing of the gap. However, the achievement gap still exists and there is still a great deal of work to be done. Minority and low income students still lag behind in state and national tests and are still over represented in dropout numbers.

Changing Oregon Schools

The racial and cultural diversity in Oregon has increased dramatically over the past ten years, adding great richness to our classrooms and communities and posing new challenges for our schools as they attempt to meet the needs of an increasingly culturally, racially and linguistically varied student population.

The number of Hispanic students has increased over 200% since the early 1990’s (up 700% from 1980) and the minority population overall has doubled since the 1995-96 school year. The percent of non-native English speakers has also risen from 2.7% in 95-96 to 11.5% in the 06-07 school year. The percent of students in poverty has increased ten percent in the last ten years. The increase of minority students in our schools has not been mirrored by the teaching population. While 27.7% of students are considered minorities, only 5.2% of teachers are.

Closing the Gap

While we’re not where we want or need to be on student achievement levels, over the past several years, we have seen achievement levels rise for students of color and low-income students. Although graduation rates for minority students are still lower than their white peers, we have seen a real decrease in dropout numbers. For example, in the 1994-95 school year, almost 18% of Hispanic students were classified as dropouts. In 2005-06 it was down to 8.4%. Through focus, strong leadership, use of data, and a commitment to success for all students we are seeing progress in closing the gap.”

Celebrating Student Success Banquet

The Celebrating Student Success Banquet is an annual event recognizing and honoring Oregon Schools that are making substantial progress in closing the achievement gap. The event unites educators, business leaders, community members, legislators and parents to recognize schools from around the state for their successful strategies for closing the achievement gap and to learn from and share their good work. The top schools are awarded an unrestricted, $3000 sponsored grant to further the outstanding work they are doing every day for Oregon students. The 2009 Celebrating Student Success Banquet will be held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland on May 1st from 6-8 pm.