| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 3/13/2002 3:53:00 PM Dewitt T. Black III, Esq., Senior Counsel of HSLDA Connecticut Home Schoolers Still in Jeopardy |
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- March 13, 2002 Dear Connecticut Members and Friends, Home schooling freedoms in Connecticut are still in jeopardy. Despite the amazing turnout of home school families at the March 4, 2002, hearing of the Joint Committee on Education, Representative Cameron C. Staples, co-chair of the committee, still intends to get some version of Raised House Bill 5535 passed. An estimated 1,000 home school parents and their children attended the committee's hearing to express their opposition to Raised H.B. 5535. Of the approximately 40 people who testified before the committee, only one person, a public school superintendent, spoke in favor of the legislation. The committee will schedule any votes at a later time. Raised House Bill 5535 would change Connecticut from one of the least restrictive states for home schooling to one of the most restrictive. This dangerous measure would do away with the favorable statutory guidelines under which home educators have operated since 1990 and impose burdensome requirements on parents. REQUESTED ACTION: It is important for home educators to continue contacting their legislators urging them to either withdraw the bill from further consideration or vote against it. 1) Please call your state senator and representative with this message: "Please vote against Raised House Bill 5535, which imposes unnecessary and burdensome restrictions on home educators. Home schooling has proved to be a successful educational option in Connecticut under current law." You can find your state senator, representative, and their phone numbers by using HSLDA's Legislative Toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox. 2) Please call as many members of the Joint Committee on Education (listed below) as possible and give them this message: "Please vote against Raised House Bill 5535, which imposes unnecessary and burdensome restrictions on home educators. Home schooling has proved to be a successful educational option in Connecticut under current law." JOINT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION: Sen. Thomas P. Gaffey, Co-Chair 800-842-1420 Rep. Cameron C. Staples, Co-Chair 800-842-8267 Sen. Mary Ann Handley, Vice Chair 800-842-1420 Rep. Nancy E. Kerensky, Vice Chair 800-842-8267 Sen. Thomas J. Herlihy, Ranking Member 800-842-1421 Rep. Robert W. Heagney, Ranking Member 800-842-1423 Sen. William A. Aniskovich 800-842-1421 Rep. Nancy Beals 800-842-8267 Rep. David H. Blackwell 860-240-8700 Rep. Antonietta Boucher 800-842-1423 Rep. Lawrence F. Cafero 800-842-1423 Rep. Michael J. Cardin 800-842-8267 Rep. Melody A. Currey 800-842-1902 Rep. Konstantinos Diamantis 800-842-8267 Rep. William R. Dyson 800-842-8267 Sen. Bill Finch 800-842-1420 Rep. Patrick J. Flaherty 800-842-1423 Sen. John W. Fonfara 800-842-1420 Rep. Mary G. Fritz 800-842-1902 Sen. Robert L. Genuario 800-842-1421 Rep. Demetrios S. Giannaros 800-842-8267 Rep. Kenneth P. Green 800-842-8267 Rep. Themis Klarides 800 842-1423 Rep. Denise W. Merrill 800-842-8267 Rep. Sandy Nafis 800-842-8267 Rep. Claudia M. Powers 800-842-1423 Rep. Felipe Reinoso 800-842-8267 Rep. Kevin Ryan 800-842-8267 Rep. Pamela Z. Sawyer 800-842-1423 Rep. Pat T. Shea 800-842-1423 Rep. Lewis J. Wallace 800-842-8267 Rep. Patricia M. Widlitz 800-842-8267 Rep. Roberta B. Willis 800-842-8267 BACKGROUND: Home School Legal Defense Association does not know what prompted the introduction of this legislation or the extent of support for its passage. But it is crucial that this proposal is stopped before it gains more momentum from the Joint Committee on Education. Raised H.B. 5535 would create the following new restrictions on home instruction programs in Connecticut: - An annual notice of intent to home school must be filed with the superintendent of schools within 10 days after the start of instruction. - The notice must include the name of the person providing instruction and proof that the instructor has a high school diploma or its equivalent, a description of the subjects taught and the materials used, a schedule of instruction that consists of a minimum 900 hours per calendar year and the scheduling of an independent method of assessment of the child's academic performance, as approved by the commissioner of education. - The superintendent must evaluate the notice for completeness and maintain the notice as part of the school district's permanent records. - The superintendent must review the results of an independent method of assessment of the child's academic performance or conduct a portfolio session with the parent. A portfolio session must display evidence of compliance with the instruction program described in the notice of intent. - The superintendent must send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, to any parent filing an incomplete notice or to any parent failing to file a required notice. Any child whose parent fails to comply with the notice requirements or any other provisions of the new law will be considered truant. - Each school district would be required to annually report the number of home schoolers to the Connecticut Department of Education. To read the bill text, visit http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=354. For more information on this and other Connecticut bills, visit our website at http://www.hslda.org/legislation/state/CT/default.asp. Without your calls to help defeat Raised H.B. 5535, all Connecticut home educators will be subjected to oppressive state oversight. Very truly yours, Dewitt T. 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