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| Date: From: Subject: | 3/8/2006 3:33:44 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Maryland--Calls Needed to Stop Compulsory Attendance Age Increase |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== March 8, 2006 Maryland--Calls Needed to Stop Compulsory Attendance Age Increase Dear HSLDA members and friends: Calls are needed immediately to stop a bill which would increase the compulsory attendance age. Maryland Senate Bill 741 would raise the compulsory attendance age for all students living in Baltimore City from age 16 to 18. S.B. 741 is the Senate version of House Bill 36 which was previously heard in committee. S.B. 741 is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee on Thursday, March 9, at 1 p.m. The committee meets on the second floor, west side, Miller Senate Building, Annapolis, Maryland, in the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs room. Proponents of raising the compulsory attendance age claim it will lead to a higher graduation rate. But the state with the highest graduation rate in the country, New Jersey, at 89%, only requires attendance to age 16. In addition, Hawaii requires attendance to age 18 but has one of the nation's lowest graduation rates at 63%. 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 state senator if he or she is listed below and ask them to vote against this bill. You can express your opposition in your own words. Be concise and courteous. Here is an example: "Please vote against S.B. 741, which would raise the compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18 in Baltimore City. 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. Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee Members: Chairman: Paula C. Hollinger - 410-841-3131 Vice Chairman: Joan Carter Conway - 410-841-3145 or 301-858-3145 Gwendolyn Britt - 410-841-3745 or 301-858-3745 Sharon M. Grosfeld - 301-858-3137 Jim Brochin - 410-841-3648 Andrew P. Harris - 410-841-3706 Richard F. Colburn - 410-841-3590 Allan H. Kittleman - 410-841-3671 Roy P. Dyson - 301-858-3673 Paul G. Pinsky - 301-858-3155 Janet Greenip - 410-841-3568 You can use our legislative toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=2830 to find your senator. 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> 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. 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
