HELP NEEDED TO DEAL WITH SEVERE JROTC SITUATION

California Senate Bill 601 has the potential to eliminate the JROTC programs from many high schools. Note the e-mail message below from a JROTC instructor at one school currently in real trouble.

The California Council of Chapters (CAL-MOAA) has offered to provide assistance, full support, as appropriate.

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Well unfortunately I really don’t know specifically what action I (we) would like your organization to take but we’re seriously against the ropes here. With the advent of SB 601 ALL California JROTC units face extinction within just two years time. Some districts have chosen to ignore the bill and have kept JROTC as a P.E. credit. Others however, such as Long beach are following it to a “T” and are offering NO alternatives. I have traveled to feeder middle schools with Cadets
to promote the program just prior to registration. The students are PSYCHED to take the class but saddened when the counselors tell them they may not….due to the requirement they take P.E.

Since normal attrition is 50% each year, we need to see at least 100 Freshmen come through the door as first year Cadets. Without that number we will certainly plummet below the required 100 Cadets. The Navy will place us on probation for one school year, then remove our charter. The program has thrived here at WILSON since 1967 and the POLY High School AJROTC program has been running strong since 1919!! I believe we ALL thought the district wouldn’t possibly allow this to happen but now believe it WILL! As a result we Long beach Unified JROTC Instructors have banned together in an attempt to be heard somehow by the Governor as our letters to Reps and secretaries go unanswered.

It is my understanding that SB 601 was not INTENDED to include JROTC, rather an attempt to do away with “PE Teachers” who are not credentialed to teach PE. Everyone…..even PE teachers….will admit that JROTC is much more physically demanding than the typical PE class and that taking away our ability to offer PE credit for the course is just plain ridiculous. Schools and districts unfortunately are treating it as a speeding train that cannot be stopped. Perhaps they are right but we Instructors aren’t willing to go away without a fight.

LCDR D. J. Brunkhorst, USN (ret)
WILSON High School NJROTC
Senior Naval Science Instructor
DBrunkhorst@lbusd.k12.ca.us

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