| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
< BACK TO ARCHIVE |
| Date: From: Subject: | 9/4/2002 2:21:45 PM Dewitt T. Black III, Esq., Senior Counsel of HSLDA Montana--Senator Requests Legislation Imposing Testing on Home Schoolers |
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------- From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- September 4, 2002 Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, On June 20, 2002, Senator Don Ryan (D-Great Falls) submitted a formal request to the Montana Legislature for the drafting of a bill to require home school students to be tested annually with the same state assessment used in public schools. Other nonpublic school students would be tested as well under Senator Ryan's proposal. Parents failing or refusing to have the test administered to their children would be subject to prosecution for truancy and possible investigation by social services. At this point, we do not have any specific language being proposed by Senate Ryan, such as who would administer the tests, minimum scores required, and consequences for failing to meet the state's standard. This information will be provided to you as soon as possible. We are working closely with the Montana Coalition of Home Educators to keep our member families advised of developments and to coordinate opposition to this legislation. REQUESTED ACTION Please spread the word to other home schooling families about Senator Ryan's plans. As soon as we know precisely what his legislative proposal is, we will provide you with additional information and a strategy for defeating this threat to your home school freedoms in Montana. REASONS TO OPPOSE THIS REQUESTED LEGISLATION -- Numerous nationwide studies of home education have all drawn the same conclusion-- more state regulation of home schools does not result in higher scholastic achievement. There is simply no academic benefit to imposing state testing on home school students in Montana. -- State tests reflect the course content of subjects taught in public schools. While home schoolers in Montana must be taught the same subjects as public school students, the course content does not have to be the same. Any requirement that the course content be the same would effectively destroy home schooling. State testing of home school students would be the first step in this direction. -- Only eight states in the nation prescribe standardized testing as the only method of evaluating home schooled students. Montana would join a shrinking minority of states requiring any type of testing. Further, the science and social studies portions of these tests are becoming increasingly objectionable to Christians with a Biblical worldview. BACKGROUND Steve White, Legislative Liaison for the Montana Coalition of Home Educators, discovered Senator Ryan's bill drafting request and contacted him in effort to determine his reasons for the testing proposal. Apparently Senator Ryan was prompted to impose state testing on home schools and nonpublic schools by president Bush's "No Child Left Behind" federal initiative requiring the testing of public school students. Senator Ryan told Mr. White that he believes there is a need for some type of accountability to the state for all children of compulsory attendance age, regardless of the educational option chosen for them. According to Senator Ryan, no state agency or anti-home school group has requested the legislation he intends to introduce. In 1991 a bill was introduced in the Montana Legislature that would have required testing of home school students. When the home educators of Montana rose up in opposition to this bill, it was not only defeated, but in its place a new section was added to the home school law giving even more freedom to parents. We will be ready with another countercharge this year if necessary. Very truly yours, Dewitt T. Black, III HSLDA Senior Counsel {{JoinAd}} ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. Box 3000 Purcellville, Virginia 20134 Phone: (540) 338-5600 Fax: (540) 338-2733 E-mail: info@hslda.org Web: http://www.hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- How To Subscribe: - Subscribe to the HSLDA E-lert Service at our website: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp?Process=Subscribe - Or send an e-mail with name and complete mailing address to: subscribe@hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscription Information: - You subscribed to the HSLDA E-lert Service as: {{Email}} - To unsubscribe from the HSLDA E-lert Service send an e-mail from the e-mail address you want to unsubscribe to: unsubscribe@hslda.org - To change your e-mail address or make other changes to your subscription, visit the HSLDA E-lert Service account web page at: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp ---------------------------------------------------------------------- POSTMASTERS: This message is being sent to the most recent address we have for our subscribers. If this is an invalid e-mail address or you have other problems, please reply to webmaster@hslda.org. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: This is considered a private and confidential message from HSLDA to its bonafide HSLDA E-lert Service subscribers. HSLDA cannot attest to the authenticity of copies posted, forwarded, or sent by any party other than HSLDA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: Please do not reply or otherwise use this e-mail address; hslda@hslda.org is for broadcast purposes only and is not intended to receive incoming messages. We cannot reply to any e-mail sent to this address. If you have comments or questions, please send e-mail to info@hslda.org or call HSLDA at 540-338-5600. HSLDA members can also e-mail staff directly through the Members website at http://members.hslda.org/contact.asp. Thank you for your cooperation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
