HIGH
SCHOOL REGISTRARS PROFILE
Jimmy
Taw
Registrar, Valdosta High School
Georgia Chairperson, Local Board 45
The High School Registrar Program is one
of the best projects Selective Service has to get the word
out about registration, stated Jimmy Taw. And he should
know. Taw was one of the first High School Registrars in Georgia.
Hes also been a member of Georgia Local Board 45 since
its inception in 1981. Uncompensated registrars in the
High School Program have easy access to young men who meet
Selective Service registration requirements. The program is
efficient and cost effective, Taw says.
Taw
has implemented a successful education and registration program
at Valdosta High School. He incorporates information on Selective
Service into his schools curriculum and plans Special
Event Days to promote registration. For the first half
of this school year, he worked with the Army National Guard
in offering a three-day college/career planning program for
juniors and seniors to help kick-off Selective Service education
and registration. To finish the school year, he worked with
the Army, who provided a Bradley fighting vehicle and demonstration
team.
This
really helps us emphasize the importance of Selective Service
registration and, at the same time, host enjoyable events
not part of regular school activities, Taw says. It
helps make Selective Service more than just a name to the
students, he explains.
During
his teaching career, Taw has been honored as Outstanding Secondary
Educator and Teacher of the Year by the Daughters of the American
Revolution, among other awards. However, he is most proud
of the service awards from the Air Force, Navy, and Marines
for his work in the community.
Taw
has taught history at Valdosta High School for the past 25
years and is chairperson of the Social Studies Department.
He also serves as chairperson for the school systems
Employee Benefits Committee, representing 1,000 teachers,
staff, and support personnel. In addition to all this, he
teaches in the Department of Social Sciences for Georgia Military
College at Moody Air Force Base.
Brad
Johnson
Registrar, Washington High School
Ogden, Utah
A 16-year veteran educator working with alternative
school students, Brad Johnson knows about motivating troubled
youths. He plans to use his skills in a new way this year
helping eligible students register with Selective Service.
A
current guidance counselor at Washington High School in Ogden,
Utah, Johnson is the schools first SSS Registrar.
Our
principal and I were convinced of the need for it, so I agreed
to do it, Johnson said, adding he wont have a
problem fitting the small amount of work into his schedule.
Washington
High is an alternative school with students attending for
a few weeks or months at a time. Enrollment is about 500,
many of them boys.
Some
may be reluctant to register, primarily because of concerns
about their illegal immigrant status, Johnson said.
I handle it by just inviting them in a no-pressure manner
to come by and do it.
I
will be dealing with kids who dont do well in school
and who dont plan ahead, Johnson said. They
need this information and were glad to be able to provide
it.
Johnson
plans to make registration information available to students
at opening session orientations, as well as throughout the
year, by use of bulletin board posters. Also, classroom teachers
will be asked to regularly inform students about the program.
The students will then visit the guidance office to register,
he said.
Linda
Rodriguez
Texas
Linda Rodriguez, teacher, wife, and the mother
of two teenage sons is also a High School Registrar. One
of the first questions I ask the students taking my government
class is Why should I take a class in American government?
Rodriguez recounts. As you can guess, the frequent response
I get is we need it to graduate.
I
then point out to the students that registering for Selective
Service is their responsibility and a crucial part of being
a good citizen. I explain that they will be held responsible
and would have to pay the consequences of not registering.
I
also let the students know that I can help. If they did not
receive their card to fill out or, if they threw it away,
I have cards for them, Rodriguez says.
At
the end of the semester on their final exam, I ask students
if they have learned anything, and if they now believe it
is important to take a class in U.S. Government. Believe it
or not, all the responses are positive, Rodriguez elaborates.
Many go in to great detail about everything we talked
about; however, no matter how short or long their answer is,
almost all say if they didnt take the class, they wouldnt
know how to register to vote or know the importance of registering
with Selective Service.
As
a teacher it is gratifying to know that I was able to get
through to them, even when it seemed that some days I was
talking to a brick wall.
JoAnn
Bell
Colorado
Working one-on-one with students can occasionally be difficult
for a school counselor, but JoAnn Bell, the SSS Registrar
at Weld Junior/Senior High School in Keenesburg, Colo., finds
this portion of her job a breeze.
A
full-time counseling secretary at the school, Bell, who has
served as a Registrar for four years, says registering the
young men whove just turned 18 is never a problem. Its
a fast and very simple job, she said.
To
attract attention to the program at the beginning of the school
year, school officials inform the boys in a senior class orientation
session of their requirement to register with Selective Service,
pointing out that the counseling office is set up to handle
the registration process. Additionally, Bell places informational
Selective Service posters in hallways and other areas where
seniors congregate and makes three to four reminder
announcements throughout the year on the public address system.
Once
a year, on Career Day, the program also gets a
boost with visits to the school by military recruiters and
other officials who are prepared to discuss the registration
requirement with students.
Ive
never heard any of the boys complain about having to register;
in fact, they feel its their duty, she said, adding
that only once has a girl asked why females are not required
to register.
Bell
also handles voter registration for students, as well as for
members of the community. She says shell happily do
the job as long as shes a school employee. She encourages
schools which do not have the program in place to make a commitment
to do it. I can see why busy school employees might
think its a bothersome task because its another
added job, but it really doesnt take much time at all,
she said, noting that all shes required to do is take
the filled-out cards, put them in provided envelopes and mail
them to the Selective Service System.
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