| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 2/28/2003 5:09:57 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Illinois--Bill Would Raise Compulsory School Age |
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- February 28, 2003 Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, Each year Home School Legal Defense Association works to defeat legislation that would expand the government's control over school age children. Illinois House Bill 2584 raises the age of compulsory school attendance from 16 years of age to 18. This would apply to all children in the state, including homeschoolers. The bill has now been assigned to the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee for consideration. The committee will be conducting a hearing on March 5, 2003, during which H.B. 2584 will be discussed. We oppose all attempts to expand the compulsory attendance age since it increases the years the state will have jurisdiction over our children. ACTION REQUESTED 1) Call as many of the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee representatives listed as you can before March 5 and express your opposition to H.B. 2584. In particular, be certain call the representative on the committee who represents your legislative district. "We urge you to vote against H.B. 2584 as it would waste taxpayer's money. Statistics demonstrate that compelling 17 year olds to attend school does not improve graduation rates." You do not need to identify yourself as a homeschooler. Chairperson : Calvin L. Giles (217) 782 5962 Vice Chairperson : Monique D. Davis (217) 782 0010 Suzanne Bassi (217) 782 8026 Annazette Collins (217) 782 8077 Marlow H. Colvin (217) 782 8272 Roger L. Eddy (217) 782 1040 Gary Forby (217) 782 1051 Kevin Carey Joyce (217) 782 8200 Renee Kosel (217) 782 0424 Carolyn H. Krause (217) 782 3739 David E. Miller (217) 782 8087 Jerry L. Mitchell (217) 782 0535 Donald L. Moffitt (217) 782 8032 Rosemary Mulligan (217) 782 8007 Harry Osterman (217) 782 8088 Michael K. Smith (217) 782 8152 Jim Watson (217) 782 1840 Karen A. Yarbrough (217) 782 8120 2) You may want to call the sponsor of H.B. 2584 to see if he would withdraw his bill. Deliver the following message in your own words: "Please withdraw H.B. 2584. We oppose this bill because it will limit parent's choice and disrupt the classroom by compelling disinterested children to attend school." Sponsor: Rep. Arthur Turner, (217) 782 8116 BACKGROUND H.B. 2584 would require homeschool families to submit to two more years of governmental oversight and threat of legal action in the event of an alleged violation. Here are some more reasons HSLDA opposes measures to raise the compulsory attendance age: Raising the compulsory attendance age results in a negative financial impact on taxpayers by requiring the state to hire more teachers and build larger education facilities to accommodate the increased number of students. Raising the compulsory attendance age will not reduce the dropout rate. In fact, the two states with the highest high school completion rates (Maryland, 94.5% and North Dakota, 94.7%) compel attendance only to age 16, but the state with the lowest completion rate (Oregon, 75.4%) compels attendance to age 18. (Figures are three-year averages, 1996 through 1998.) Some people argue that raising the compulsory attendance age is good because having children in school for one or two more years will prevent juvenile crime. However, a comparison of the fifty states shows that the graduation age has little to no impact on a state's juvenile crime rate. Most states (29) only require attendance to age 16. Older children unwilling to learn can cause classroom disruptions and even violence, making learning harder for their classmates who truly want to learn. When California raised the age of compulsory attendance, unwilling students were so disruptive that new schools had to be built just to handle them and their behavior problems, all at the expense of the taxpayer. It would restrict parents' freedom to decide if their 16 or 17 year old is ready for the workforce. Some 16 year olds who are not academically inclined benefit more from valuable work experience than from being forced to sit in a classroom. Thank you for your efforts for freedom! Sincerely, Christopher Klicka HSLDA Senior Counsel {{JoinAd}} ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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