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| Date: From: Subject: | 4/7/2003 4:33:20 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Louisiana-Mandatory Testing Bill Must be Defeated |
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, Senate Bill 465 would require testing for "approved" private schools, in direct violation of a federal law designed to protect private schools and homeschools. While this bill does not directly affect homeschoolers, it must be stopped. We need your help to defeat S.B. 465. ACTION REQUESTED Please contact the members of the Senate Education Committee and urge them to vote "No" on state testing for every private school. Tell them, "Senate Bill 465 is a clear attempt to take over private education, and it violates federal law. It must be defeated." Senate Education Committee members: Senator Gerald J. Theunissen (Chairman) (225) 342-2040 theunisg@legis.state.la.us Senator Willie L. Mount (Vice-Chairman) (225) 342-2040 lasen27@legis.state.la.us Senator Jay Dardenne (225) 342-2040 dardennej@legis.state.la.us Senator Melvin "Kip" Holden (225) 342-2040 lasen15@legis.state.la.us Senator Fred Hoyt (225) 342-2040 hoytf@legis.state.la.us Senator Paulette R. Irons (225) 342-2040 ironsp@legis.state.la.us Senator Bill Jones (225) 342-2040 websen@legis.state.la.us BACKGROUND The United States Congress is trying to make every public school that receives federal funds prove that it is getting results. To do this, the No Child Left Behind Act requires every state to adopt "high stakes testing" to ensure that children are actually learning what they are taught. This means that states must carefully define "content standards" that spell out the actual curriculum of the public schools, and then define "performance standards" to see whether the children are learning that material. While the federal government does not specify the content and performance standards for states, the overall effect of this new federal law is to impose a great deal of "top down" control on federally funded education. Homeschoolers recognize that public schools need reform, but were careful to remind Congress that homeschools and private schools are doing very well. There is no need for top down "content and performance standards" to fix the already successful homeschool movement. Congress expressly protected homeschoolers from these new content and performance standards by adopting 20 USC 7886(b), which prohibits states from forcing homeschoolers to take the new tests referenced in the No Child Left Behind Act. In state after state, this federal protection has proved invaluable to homeschoolers. Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, and South Dakota have all tried to impose "high stakes testing" on homeschoolers, but have been blocked by 20 USC 7886 each time. When homeschoolers call their legislators to tell them that a new bill violates federal law, they get results. Louisiana Senate Bill 465 violates federal law, just like the other states. It is now time for Louisiana homeschoolers to make the contacts necessary to keep it from being enacted in Louisiana. Louisiana defines "private schools" in R.S. sec. 17:236, with a separate definition of "approved" private schools in R.S. sec. 17:11. SB 465 only amends the definition of "approved" private schools, and so should not affect homeschoolers who operate as "private schools" pursuant to R.S. s 17:236. Even though there is no direct effect on homeschoolers, however, the bill is a threat because it violates the federal law that was written to protect homeschoolers. If the "approved" private schools can be taken over today, in violation of federal law, then the unapproved private schools and homeschools can be taken over tomorrow. Very truly yours, Scott W. 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