| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 3/24/2003 10:13:49 AM Home School Legal Defense Association Florida--Hearing Scheduled Today on Compulsory Attendance Bill |
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- March 24, 2003 Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, We need your calls immediately! The compulsory attendance bill is beginning to move forward with the first hearing scheduled at 3:00 today! Each year Home School Legal Defense Association works to defeat legislation that would expand the government's control over school age children. House Bill 9 raises the age of compulsory school attendance from 16 years of age to 17, which applies to all children in the state, including homeschoolers. 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 H.B. 9 will be heard in the Pre K to 12 House Subcommittee today at 3:00 PM. Please call immediately and maybe we can stop this bill before it starts. 1) Call as many of the Pre K to 12 Subcommittee members as possible today and express your opposition to H.B. 9: "We urge you to vote against H.B. 9 as it would waste taxpayer's money. Statistics demonstrate that compelling 17 year olds to attend school does not improve graduation rates. We also oppose this bill because it will limit parental rights and disrupt the classroom by compelling disinterested children to attend school." Subcommittee on Pre K through 12: Rafael Arza (R), Chairman - 850-488-1683 Ray Sansom (R) Vice Chairman - 850-488-1170 Shelley Vana (D) - 850-488-4791 Frederick C. Brummer (R) - 850-488-2023 Gustavo A. Barreiro (R) - 850-488-9930 Loranne Ausley (D) - 850-488-0965 2) Also call the sponsor of H.B. 9 and deliver the following message in your own words: "Please withdraw H.B. 9. We oppose this bill because it will limit parent's choice and disrupt the classroom by compelling disinterested children to attend school." Sponsor: Rep. Joe Negron, 850-488-8832. BACKGROUND This bill would require homeschool families to submit to another year of governmental red tape and threat of legal action in the event of an alleged violation. It would restrict parents' freedom to decide if their 16 year old is ready for college or 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. 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.) 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. Continue to check the HSLDA website for updates on H.B. 9 or to review the alert we sent out last month, you can visit: http://www.hslda.org/Legislation/State/fl/2003/FLHB9 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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Thank you for your cooperation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
