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| Date: From: Subject: | 1/18/2005 3:48:38 PM Home School Legal Defense Association South Dakota--Calls Needed Now to Stop Bill Reducing Homeschool Freedom |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== January 18, 2005 South Dakota--Calls Needed Now to Stop Bill Reducing Homeschool Freedom Dear HSLDA members and friends: Calls are needed urgently to stop a bill that would end many homeschool freedoms. Senate Bill 11 would take away the right of homeschoolers to choose which nationally standardized test to use and transfer this decision to the Department of Education. SB 11 would also force homeschool students to take tests at a public school--or allow a school employee to come into their home to watch the test. It would also force school districts to forbid homeschooling if a child has a single unsatisfactory test result. The bill is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Education Committee this Thursday, January 20, at 7:45 AM. Please call now! REQUESTED ACTION 1. Please call your Senator and ask him to oppose this bill if he is on the Senate Education Committee. A list of committee members is below. Use our legislative tool box at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox if you do not know who your Senator is. Your message can be as simple as: "Please oppose SB 11. It unnecessarily infringes on the right of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their own children, it will increase the tax burden on South Dakota citizens, dramatically increase administrative costs, and will not help children." 2. If your Senator is not on the committee, call the chairman of the committee, Ed Olson, with the same message. 3. Attend the hearing to show your opposition. It will be in Room 423 in the State Capitol, 500 East Capitol Avenue, Pierre. Contact Information: You can leave a message for a member of the committee by calling 605-773-3821. Committee members: Chairman Ed Olson Vice Chairman Eric H. Bogue Jay Duenwald Clarence Kooistra Al Kurtenbach John J. Reedy Paul N. Symens REASONS TO OPPOSE SB 11 1. There are many nationally standardized achievement tests. There is no rationale for giving the state the right to choose which test a child must take. 2. South Dakota law currently gives a school district the option of monitoring the administration of a standardized test. Schools can monitor the test if they believe it is justified in a particular situation. SB 11 takes a one-size-fits-all approach. It forces every school district to monitor every required standardized test every homeschooled child takes. This would unnecessarily increase administrative expenses since there is no evidence that monitoring is needed at all. 3. South Dakota law currently gives a school board the option of refusing to renew a certificate of excuse if a test shows unsatisfactory progress. It is good that school boards have discretion so they can respond in a way that fits each individual case. For example, if a child has been ill. However, after receiving a low test score, SB 11 forbids a school district from relying on its own good judgment to address the situation. SB 11 forces school boards to refuse to renew the certificate of excuse under any circumstances. 4. Fewer than half the states require homeschool students to take any test whatsoever. Almost without exception, every state that has changed its testing requirements for homeschoolers in the past ten years has made the requirements less burdensome. The trend is away from testing because state testing of homeschoolers is ineffective. 5. Homeschool students in states with high regulation have equal scores with homeschool students in states with low regulation. Increasing regulation does not help students. It just wastes parents' time and taxpayers' money. 6. Homeschool students have already proved themselves. In every major study of the academic accomplishment of homeschool students, they perform as well or better than other students. There is no reason for suddenly ratcheting up testing requirements for homeschool students in South Dakota. Thank you for standing with us for homeschool freedom in South Dakota. Sincerely, Scott A. Woodruff HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> How many news articles did you read this morning over your oatmeal? We live in a world where concise information presented at the right time can make a big difference in the outcome of important legislative efforts. Yet it's tough to keep up with all the issues that affect you. HSLDA does this for you in the areas that affect your homeschool. Our emails and website enable you to take quick, decisive action. Please consider becoming a part of this team. 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
