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4/17/2003 3:00:12 PM Home School Legal Defense Association New York--Homeschool Freedom Bill Passes Senate Committee, More Calls Needed

---------------------------------------------------------------------- From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- April 17, 2003 Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, Thank you for contacting your legislators about Senate Bill 2060 and Assembly Bill 4598, the New York homeschool freedom bills. I am pleased to report that the Senate Education Committee has approved Senate Bill 2060 which now goes to the full Senate for a crucial vote. It is expected to pass the Senate. Assembly Bill 4598 will be considered by the Assembly Education Committee shortly. This is the tougher battle. Your calls and letters are needed to keep these bills moving. Only with your involvement, can we be successful. Senate Bill 2060 and Assembly Bill 4598 would eliminate 75% of the burdensome restrictions of the current homeschool law. REQUESTED ACTION (1) We urge you to contact your state senator with this message: "Please vote for Senate Bill 2060 which will relieve public school officials and homeschooling parents from burdensome administrative tasks. Home educators have earned the right to regulatory relief after demonstrating their success under the current law for the past 15 years." (2) Please contact the members of the Assembly Education Committee, listed on our website at (http://www.hslda.org/Legislation/State/ny/2003/NYAB4598/default.asp) with this message: "Please vote for Assembly Bill 4598 which will relieve public school officials and homeschooling parents from burdensome administrative tasks. Home educators have earned the right to regulatory relief after demonstrating their success under the current law for the past 15 years." (3) Please contact your own assemblyman and give him the same message. To get the name and telephone number of your senator and assemblyman, use HSLDA's Legislative Toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox. If you do not have Internet access, you can call the legislature. - Assembly Public Information Department: 518-455-4218 (for your assemblyman). - Office of the Secretary of the Senate: 518-455-2051 (for your senator). By far, the most influential method of communicating with your state legislators is by personal letter. Please take time to write to your senator or assemblyman about this important regulation. If you are unable to write, a telephone call is the next most effective means of lobbying your legislators. (4) Plan to attend the Homeschool Rally in Albany on Tuesday, April 29, 2003, to demonstrate your support for these bills. Tom Washburne, Director of HSLDA's National Center for Home Education, will be addressing the rally. You can obtain more information about the rally at www.leah.org/rally. Last year, over 1200 homeschoolers turned out for the rally and then swarmed throughout the capitol. Many assemblymen and senators were convinced to support the homeschool freedom bills. We need to build on this investment again to make this year the bills pass! REASONS WE SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION Senate Bill 2060 and Assembly Bill 4598 would make the following changes in the current law: - eliminate the requirement of an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP); - eliminate the requirement of quarterly reports; - eliminate required subjects at all grade levels; - permit the alternative method of evaluation (instead of standardized testing) every year; - permit parents who wish to test their children to choose any nationally-normed standardized achievement test, in addition to a State Education Department test or another approved test; - eliminate the requirement that the local superintendent consent to the person who administers a standardized achievement test or who conducts the alternative method of evaluation; - lower the minimum standardized test score from above the 33rd percentile to above the 23rd percentile; and - eliminate the provision for home visits while a home instruction program is on probation. BACKGROUND If this legislation is enacted into law, it will not only relieve parents and public school officials of time-consuming administrative tasks, it will significantly increase the freedom of home educators in New York to direct the education of their children. New York has the potential through this legislation to go from the state with the most restrictive homeschool law in the nation to a state with one of the most favorable laws for home educators. To see more information on these and other bills HSLDA is monitoring in New York, visit our website at: http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/NY/default.asp Sincerely, Dewitt T. Black, III HSLDA Senior Counsel {{JoinAd}} ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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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. 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