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| Date: From: Subject: | 1/25/2007 11:49:04 AM Home School Legal Defense Association West Virginia--Calls Needed to Oppose Expansion of State Control Over Children |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== January 25, 2007 West Virginia--Calls Needed to Oppose Expansion of State Control Over Children Dear HSLDA members and friends, Education Subcommittee B of the West Virginia House of Representatives will meet today to discuss House Bill 2088. If enacted, this bill will raise the compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18. To view the bill, go to http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3646 . ACTION REQUESTED Contact as many of the West Virginia House Education Committee members as possible BY 1 p.m. TODAY to oppose House Bill 2088. Please give them the following message in your own words: "I oppose raising the age of compulsory attendance in West Virginia because it will: > Not accomplish the intended objective of increasing high school completion rates; > Create classroom difficulties by overburdening teachers and administrators; > Place new and unnecessary burdens and restriction on the liberty of all parents; > Unnecessarily restrict the liberty of 16-year-olds who, with their parent's permission, wish to enroll in post secondary education or pursue a vocational calling; > Redirect funds needed from other more important programs." You do not need to mention that you are a homeschooler. This issue affects all parents in West Virginia and it is not necessary that we make this a "homeschool" issue, even though it does affect homeschooling. Members of House Education Subcommittee B: Brady Paxton E-mail: bpaxton@mail.wvnet.edu District: 13 Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3337 Robert D. Beach E-mail: rbeach@mail.wvnet.edu District: 44 Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3153 Robert D. Beach E-mail: rbeach@mail.wvnet.edu District: 44 Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3153 Thomas W. Campbell E-mail: wvdeltc@mail.wvnet.edu District: 28 Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3129 Ray Canterbury E-mail: rcanter1@mail.wvnet.edu District: 28 Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3131 Gerald L. Crosier E-mail: gcrosier@mail.wvnet.edu District: 26 Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3188 Ron Fragale E-mail: rfragale@mail.wvnet.edu District: 41 Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3114 Patrick Lane E-mail: patlane@mail.wvnet.edu District: 32 Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3275 Linda Longstreth E-mail: llongstr@mail.wvnet.edu District: 43 Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3124 Charlene Marshall E-mail: chmarsh@mail.wvnet.edu District: 44 Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3186 Dale Stephens E-mail: dalestephens@adelphia.net District: 16 Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3395 Danny Wells E-mail: dwells@mail.wvnet.edu District: 30 Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3287 Larry A. Williams E-mail: lwillia1@mail.wvnet.edu District: 45 Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3160 Sharon Spencer E-mail: delspencer@aol.com District: 30 Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3218 BACKGROUND 1. Statistics show that raising the compulsory attendance age will not reduce the dropout rate. In fact, the two states with the highest high school completion rates, Maryland at 94.5% and North Dakota at 94.7%, compel attendance only to age 16. The state with the lowest completion rate (Oregon: 75.4%) compels attendance to age 18. (Figures are three-year averages, 1996 through 1998.) 2. Twenty-nine states require school attendance only to age 16. Older children unwilling to learn can cause classroom disruptions and even violence, making learning harder for their classmates who truly want to learn. 3. Another significant impact of expanding the compulsory attendance age is an inevitable tax burden to pay for more classroom space and teachers to accommodate the additional students compelled to attend public schools. When California raised the age of compulsory attendance, unwilling students were so disruptive that new schools had to be built just to handle them and their behavior problems, all at the expense of the taxpayer. 4. A study by Cornell University on raising the age of compulsory attendance found that there was no correlation between passing a law to raise the age of compulsory attendance and high school completion rates. The study shows that specific programs targeted at at-risk youth can help improve completion rates, but a law raising the age of attendance does not. To read the report visit http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3626. Thank you for your vigilance on behalf of all West Virginia parents! Sincerely, Christopher J. Klicka, Esq. HSLDA Senior Counsel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> How long are you in for? Some families are facing what seems like a lifelong commitment to homeschooling, with children at both ends of the spectrum -- some graduating and some just reaching school age. If you're going to be "in" for a while, consider a lifetime membership with HSLDA. It's a good deal for families with more than 10 years of homeschooling ahead. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1936 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== 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. ====================================================================== | |
