| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
< BACK TO ARCHIVE |
| Date: From: Subject: | 1/27/2005 5:55:30 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Title Correction--Homeschool Freedom Threatened in Montana |
|
====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== January 27, 2005 Title Correction--Homeschool Freedom Threatened in Montana Dear HSLDA members and friends, Senate Bill 291 introduced by Senator Don Ryan (D-SD 22) represents the greatest threat to homeschool freedom ever in Montana! Senate Bill 291 would make the following restrictive changes in the law: * Require that parents be (a) licensed to teach in Montana, (b) hold a bachelor's degree, or (c) have a high school diploma or GED and be monitored by a state-certified teacher for two years; * Require homeschool students in grades 4, 8, and 11 to take the same "nationally standardized examination" required of public school students; * Prohibit the homeschooling of children determined to have a developmental disability, such as autism or Down's syndrome * Change the definition of "home school" to exclude stepparents and legal guardians from being able to teach a child at home; * Require parents to register their children with the local school district instead of notifying the county superintendent of the child's enrollment in a homeschool; * Require the monitor to evaluate and report the child's academic progress to the school district twice a year; * Require that students scoring below the 30th percentile on the test be evaluated for special education services. This bill must be defeated before it gains any momentum. The sponsor of the bill, Senator Ryan, is Chairman of the Senate Education Committee and has a great deal of power in the Democrat-controlled Senate. He introduced a bill last year which would have mandated state testing for homeschoolers. Due to your actions this legislation failed, but the new political environment has Democrats in control of the Senate, House of Representatives and the Governor's Office. We are in for a real battle! It is crucial that you contact members of the Senate Education Committee as well as your own state senator to express your opposition to this bill. This bill will probably be heard by the Senate Education Committee next week, possibly as early as Monday. Time is of the essence! ACTION REQUESTED: 1. Please contact the members of the Senate Education Committee listed below and your own state senator with this message: "Please vote against Senate Bill 291 which would impose oppressive and unnecessary restrictions on homeschooling families. This bill would require parents to be monitored in their home by a certified teacher, prohibit parents from homeschooling children with developmental disabilities such as Down's syndrome and autism, and add many other onerous regulations on homeschooling families. Vote for freedom by voting against Senate Bill 291." A letter is the most effective means of influencing legislators. If you choose not to write, please call and e-mail the state senators. They need to hear from every homeschooling family in Montana. Senate Education Committee Don Ryan (D) - Chair (406) 761-3261 SENATORDONRYAN@MSN.COM Gregory Barkus (R) (406) 755-8362 GBARKUS@DADCO.COM Jerry Black (R) (406) 434-5363 BLACKS@3RIVERS.NET Jim Elliot (D) (406) 8273671 JIM@JIMELLIOTT.ORG Kim Gillan (D) (406) 248-6063 GLONKY@AOL.COM Bob Hawks (D) (406) 587-1403 Online Message at: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=2054 Sam Kitzenberg (R) (406) 228-8518 SAM@KITZENBERG.NET Jesse Laslovich (D) (406) 563-3141 JESSELAZ@YAHOO.COM Jeff Mangan (D) (406)452-6966 JMANGAN@MOUNTAINPEAKSINC.COM Daniel McGee (R) (406) 628-6534 Online Message at: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=2054 Robert Story (R) (406) 633-2746 Online Message at: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=2054 You can call any of the Senators listed above at: (406) 444-3064 (Montana Legislature) You can write to any of the Senators listed above at: Senator (Insert Name) Montana Senate P.O. Box 200500 Helena, MT 59620-0500 2. Please forward this E-lert to every homeschooling family you know who is not a member of HSLDA and urge them to contact the Committee members and their own state senator. To find the name of your state senator, use HSLDA's Legislative Toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=2055. If you do not have Internet access, call the Montana Legislature at (406) 444-3064. REASONS WE OPPOSE S.B. 291 * State testing would be imposed on homeschool students for the first time in the history of homeschooling in Montana * Only eight states require testing as the only means of evaluating a home instruction program, and no state requires homeschool students to be tested on state content standards. * Studies have shown that increased state oversight of homeschooling does not result in higher academic achievement. * Enactment of this legislation may result in a violation of the federal law if homeschool students are required to take the same tests by which the state complies with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. * Forty-six states, including Montana, now permit persons other than biological parents to teach a child at home. * By requiring homeschool students to register in public school, they may be considered public school students, thereby entitling the school district to receive state funds for homeschool students. * Only North Dakota requires parents with a high school diploma or GED to be monitored by a state certified teacher, and only nine states even require that the parent have a high school diploma or GED. * There is no educational basis for requiring a student scoring below the 30th percentile on a standardized achievement test to be evaluated for a learning disability, especially in light of the fact that the average range is from the 23rd through the 76th percentile. * Only North Dakota currently prohibits the homeschooling of children with developmental disabilities, an unconstitutional law violating the right of parents to direct the education of their children. BACKGROUND There have been unverified reports in Montana over the past several years that there are some homeschooling families who are not teaching their children properly. Instead of enforcing the existing truancy laws against families in violation of the law, Senate Bill 291 represents another effort to impose oppressive restrictions on all homeschooling families. A similar effort was made by Senator Ryan, the sponsor of this bill, during the 2003 legislative session when he introduced a bill that would have imposed state testing on homeschool students. That proposal was soundly defeated, but the political climate is a lot different in Montana now with the Democrats in power. This is the worst homeschool bill seeking to make changes in existing law in any state. We must fight hard to defeat bills that would take away the precious freedoms enjoyed by homeschoolers. To review a copy of the bill text, go to: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=2056 To review a copy of Chris Klicka's memorandum on the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, go to: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=2057 Please contact these Senators today! Sincerely, Dewitt T. Black, III HSLDA Senior Counsel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Will your friends stand by you in trouble? They will if you're an HSLDA member and your homeschool is threatened. HSLDA is ready to stand by your side along with 80,000 other homeschool families. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1105 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. Box 3000 Purcellville, Virginia 20134 Phone: (540) 338-5600 Fax: (540) 338-2733 Email: info@hslda.org Web: http://www.hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- How To Subscribe: - Subscribe to the HSLDA E-lert Service at our website: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp?Process=Subscribe - Or send an email with name and complete mailing address to: subscribe@hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscription Information: - You subscribed to the HSLDA E-lert Service as: {{Email}} - To unsubscribe from the HSLDA E-lert Service send an email from the email address you want to unsubscribe to: unsubscribe@hslda.org - To change your email address or make other changes to your subscription, visit the HSLDA E-lert Service account web page at: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp ---------------------------------------------------------------------- POSTMASTERS: This message is being sent to the most recent address we have for our subscribers. If this is an invalid email 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 email address; hslda@hslda.org is for broadcast purposes only and is not intended to receive incoming messages. We cannot reply to any email sent to this address. If you have comments or questions, please send email to info@hslda.org or call HSLDA at 540-338-5600. HSLDA members can also email staff directly through the Members website at http://members.hslda.org/contact.asp. Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
