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| Date: From: Subject: | 2/9/2005 10:32:41 AM Home School Legal Defense Association Oregon--Update - Your Calls on Senate Bill 415 are Working! |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== February 9, 2005 Oregon--Update - Your Calls on Senate Bill 415 are Working! Dear HSLDA members and friends: Thank you for your calls on Senate Bill 415! The members of the Senate Education and Workforce Committee heard you loud and clear. Two days ago OCEANetwork was able to testify at the hearing in opposition to the provisions in the bill that would negatively affect homeschool families. Due to your calls the committee members proved receptive to our message. Senate Bill 415 is the first attempt at reorganizing the current public school system in an effort to stop wasteful and unnecessary spending. There is a possibility that this will not be the only bill dealing with the issue of reorganization. At this time we are uncertain if the bill will be defeated or whether we will have an opportunity to correct the problems in the bill. We will continue to monitor this legislation. The committee is scheduled to hold another hearing on Senate Bill 415 on Friday, February 11, 2005. If you have not already contacted the members of the Senate Education and Workforce Committee you still can. Also, we still need your help to expand freedom for homeschoolers in Oregon. Please call your Representative and Senator and ask them to co-sponsor the "Home School Equity Bill", LC 1462. ACTION REQUESTED 1) If you have not already done so please call and email all of the members of the Senate Education and Workforce Committee and give them this message in your own words: "Please vote to remove the section in Senate Bill 415 that would require homeschool parents to report to their local school district rather than the Education Service District. This would cause a lot of unnecessary confusion between parents and public school officials. Please vote to amend Senate Bill 415 to remove the supervision of private home education. The amendments proposed by OCEANetwork will save tax dollars and allow homeschool parents to be free to determine what is best for the education of their children without reporting requirements that add no benefit to their child's education." Senate Education and Workforce Committee members: Senator Vicki L Walker, Chair Phone: 503-986-1707 sen.vickiwalker@state.or.us Senator Charles Starr, Vice-Chair Phone: 503-986-1713 sen.charlesstarr@state.or.us Senator Ryan Deckert Phone: 503-986-1714 sen.ryandeckert@state.or.us Senator Jeff Kruse Phone: 503-986-1701 sen.jeffkruse@state.or.us Senator Bill Morrisette Phone: 503-986-1706 sen.billmorrisette@state.or.us 2) If you have not already done so, please contact your state senator and state representative now to request that he or she co-sponsor Senator Bruce Starr's "Home Education Equity Bill", LC 1462. Please give them this message: "Please co-sponsor the "Home School Equity Bill", LC 1462. This bill will better protect a parent's right to direct their children's education. Homeschoolers continue to excel academically and have earned the right to this relief. You can contact Senator Bruce Starr's office to join as a co-sponsor." You can find your legislator's phone number and address by using HSLDA's legislative toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox or by typing in your street address at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=2067 . By far the best way to approach your Representative or Senator is by personal contact. However, if you are unable to meet with your Representative or Senator, you could talk with them over the phone about the bill. Be prepared to give your name and address so that your Representative or Senator will know that you live in their district. As a constituent of your elected official you have the potential to be very influential in convincing them to co-sponsor the Homeschool Equity Bill. 3) If you make a contact or an appointment, let the OCEANnetwork know by sending a message to williams@oceanetwork.org (with "Equity Bill" in the subject). BACKGROUND Oregon currently has twenty Education Services Districts (ESD's) which oversee all of the local public school districts. Under the home education laws, a homeschool family must submit their notice of intent to teach their children at home and submit, upon request, the test results for grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 to their ESD. This prevents a family from having to be subject to their local school district and removes homeschoolers from scrutiny at the local level. If Senate Bill 415 is enacted, many homeschool families will find themselves reporting to their local public school district. If a child does poorly on one of the standardized achievement tests in grades 3, 5, 8, or 10 they would be required to be given another test the next year. If another poor test result occurs then the local public school superintendent could order the family to be under the supervision of a certified teacher. The homeschool parent would be responsible for paying for their own supervision. If a third test result is negative then the local public school district superintendent would have the ability to order the family to send that child to the public school. To see more information on this and other bills HSLDA is monitoring in Oregon, visit our website at: http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/OR/default.asp Thank you for fighting for freedom in Oregon. Sincerely, Thomas Schmidt HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> What's the shortest distance between two homeschoolers? HSLDA's elert service! When threats to homeschool freedoms arise, you want to be able to respond. We make it possible. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1101 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== 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 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. ====================================================================== | |
