| Comment Number: | OL-10511669 |
| Received: | 3/16/2005 4:40:51 PM |
| Subject: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| Title: | National Security Personnel System |
| CFR Citation: | 5 CFR Chapter XCIX and Part 9901 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
The proposed National Security System (NSPS) regulations issued by the Department of Defense and OPM deeply disturb me, especially the vindictive proposals in labor relations. These regulations seek to impose regressive rules on the entire DoD civilian workforce, even on civilians who have little or nothing to do with our national security. In reading these proposals, the only rationale that I can find for these changes is that the true purpose is to eliminate employees’ rights and destroy the employee unions in the DoD. Throughout my childhood years, I attended the Department of Defense Education Activity schools, otherwise known as DoDEA. The teachers in these schools are all DoD civilian employees, but their job is the same as any other teacher- to educate children. Their sole mission is to educate the children of our military members at numerous military posts stateside and overseas. As a graduate of the DoDEA schools, I take great pride in the tremendous achievements of this system. The DoDEA schools, based on their scores in National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), are among the very best school systems in America. The DoDEA students have the smallest “achievement gap” between minority and non-minority students in the United States. Vanderbilt University issued a study several years back that found DoDEA to be a model for the rest of the country, and recommended that the states use DoDEA as an example for their systems. I have seen firsthand, both as a student, and later in my employment, that DoDEA has reached these levels of achievement because the teachers and management work together to achieve the mission. To force DoDEA into the NSPS, particularly the labor relations portion, would destroy the trust and harmony between the teachers and management, damaging the product that we offer to the children of our military members. The elimination of the teacher’s role in developing the DoDEA system would destroy all that has made it the model school system that it has become. The children at these schools, the true consumer, deserve better. Our nation is asking our soldiers for tremendous sacrifice. In return, we should at least be able to guarantee that their children continue to be provided one of the finest educations that our country has to offer. Therefore, I ask you not to impose this draconian NSPS system on those in the DoD civilian workforce who do not impact on our national security. DoDEA teachers have been performing at an extraordinarily high level for these students. If something isn’t broken, why fix it? If the quality of life for those in harm’s way is truly a high priority, why would you change what works? I ask you as a graduate of these schools, as the daughter and mother of members of our military, and as a patriot, not to impose the NSPS on DoDEA. Leave the DoDEA system alone, and let these teachers continue to provide our military’s children with one of the finest educational experiences in our nation.