
Students graduating from the growing ranks of virtual high schools are running into a hurdle if their goal is to join the military: The Pentagon doesn’t want many recruits with non-traditional diplomas.
Many would-be soldiers like Ryker Packard, 17, of Fassett, Pa., say they weren’t aware the armed services have a policy of not taking more than 10 percent of recruits with a non-traditional high school diploma. Critics, including some in Congress, say the military is behind the times and point to the growth on online instruction at all levels of education, including college degrees.
“It just grinds my gears,” said Packard, who wants to become an Army diesel mechanic after graduating from Pennsylvania’s Agora Cyber Charter School in June.…Read More