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| Date: From: Subject: | 2/10/2006 12:48:16 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Maryland--Calls Needed to Stop Rise in Compulsory Attendance Age |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== February 10, 2006 Dear HSLDA members and friends: Calls are needed immediately to stop two bills which would increase the compulsory attendance age. House Bill 36 would raise the compulsory attendance age for all students living in Baltimore City from age 16 to 18. House Bill 74 would raise the compulsory attendance age for all students in Maryland from age 16 to 18, or until graduation. Both are scheduled for a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, February 14, at 1 p.m. Proponents of raising the compulsory attendance age claim it will lead to higher graduation rates. But the state with the highest graduation rate in the country, New Jersey, at 89%, only requires attendance to age 16. In addition, Florida requires attendance to age 18 but has one of the nation's lowest graduation rates at 59%. The facts demonstrate that forcing unwilling students to stay in school longer does not increase graduation rates. Furthermore, it does not reduce juvenile crime. In addition, it is certain that your tax bill will increase. When California raised its compulsory attendance age, taxpayers were forced to pay for a whole new school system to handle the numerous problems these unruly, unwilling students caused. ACTION REQUESTED: Please immediately call your representative if he or she is listed below and ask them to vote against these bills on Tuesday morning. You can express your opposition in your own words. Be concise and courteous. Here is an example: "Please vote against H.B. 36 and H.B. 74, which would raise the compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18. It will raise taxes, but statistics show it will not reduce juvenile crime or the dropout rate, and it will not increase the graduation rate." This bill affects all students, so DO NOT identify yourself as a homeschooler. House Ways and Means Committee Members: Chairman: Sheila E. Hixson - 301-858-3469. Vice Chairman: Anne Healey - 301-858-3961. Joseph R. Bartlett - 301-858-3107. Henry B. Heller - 301-858-3528. David G. Boschert - 410-841-3510 or 301-858-3510. Carolyn J. B. Howard - 301-858-3074. K. Bennett Bozman - 410-841-3431. Anne R. Kaiser - 301-858-3380. Jon S. Cardin - 410-841-3342. Nancy J. King - 301-858-3037. Jean B. Cryor - 301-858-3090. Salima Siler Marriott - 410-841-3255. Clarence Davis - 410-841-3257. Robert A. McKee - 301-858-3447. D. Page Elmore - 410-841-3433. LeRoy E. Myers, Jr. - 301-858-3435. Terrill R. Gilleland, Jr. - 410-841-3370. Obie Patterson - 301-858-3210. Marshall T. Goodwin - 410-841-3030. Victor R. Ramirez - 301-858-3326. Michael R. Gordon - 301-858-3744. Justin D. Ross - 301-858-3058. You can use our legislative toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=2830 to find your representative. BACKGROUND: 1. The statistics above come from the February, 2005, publication of the Manhattan Institute's Center for Civic Innovation, "Public High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991-2002," by Dr. Jay P. Greene. 2. States which compel attendance only to age 16 have better high school completion rates than states that compel attendance to 17 or 18, on average. (Source: "Dropout Rates in the United States: 2000," pp. 9-10, 40-41; National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, Office of educational Research and Improvement, Doc. No. NCES 2002-114.) 3. States which compel attendance only to age 16 also have lower dropout rates than states that compel attendance to 17 or 18, on average. (Source: same as above.) 4. According to statistics published by the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Dropout Prevention, a higher compulsory attendance age is not correlated to a reduction in juvenile crime. (Source: "Juvenile Arrests 1999." Washington, D.C.: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2000.) Thank you for standing with us for freedom. Sincerely, Scott Woodruff HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> How many of your friends would pay your legal fees? As a member of HSLDA, you have 80,000 families standing with you to protect and advance homeschool freedoms in the United States and foreign countries. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1106 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== 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. ====================================================================== | |
