| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 1/29/2007 5:43:13 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Oregon--Calls Needed Immediately to Stop Reporting for 6-year-olds! |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== January 29, 2007 Oregon--Calls Needed Immediately to Stop Reporting for 6-year-olds! Dear HSLDA members and friends: A bill has been introduced in the Oregon Senate that would lower the age a child is required to attend school from 7 to 6, increasing government control over your homeschooled child. Senate Bill 392 would require all children to be in school once they turn 6 years old. This would mean that parents would have to submit their homeschool notice to their local Education Service District (ESD) a year earlier. Additionally, since the Oregon Administrative Rules require homeschool parents to test their children in the 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 10th year a child has been in school, if the compulsory attendance age is lowered, you might have to begin testing your children a year earlier then you had to before. Senate Bill 392 has been referred to the Education and General Government Committee and is scheduled for a public hearing and a possible work session tomorrow, January 30, so we would need you to contact the Committee members listed below immediately. Please call now to oppose lowering the compulsory attendance age from 7 to 6! REQUESTED ACTION: 1. Please call and email the Education and General Government Committee members listed below and give them this message in your own words: "Please oppose Senate Bill 392. Lowering the compulsory school attendance age from 7 to 6 takes away the right of parents to decide whether their children are ready for school and would only waste taxpayers' money." Do not identify yourself as a homeschooler; instead you can identify yourself as a concerned parent and taxpayer. Education and General Government Committee Senator Vicki L Walker, Chair (also sponsor of bill) Phone: 503-986-1707 Email: sen.vickiwalker@state.or.us Senator Jeff Kruse, Vice-Chair Phone: 503-986-1701 Email: sen.jeffkruse@state.or.us Senator Rick Metsger Phone: 503-986-1726 Email: sen.rickmetsger@state.or.us Senator Frank Morse Phone: 503-986-1708 Email: sen.frankmorse@state.or.us Senator Ben Westlund Phone: 503-986-1727 Email: sen.benwestlund@state.or.us BACKGROUND This bill has been introduced at the request of the Oregon Department of Education and is likely part of the bigger movement across the country to lower the compulsory attendance age. Some of the problems with lowering the compulsory attendance are listed below. > Lowering the compulsory attendance age from 7 to 6 would subject Oregon home educators to the requirements of the homeschool laws one year earlier. Homeschool parents would be required to submit the notice of intent to their local ESD one year earlier than they do now. Additionally, the Oregon Department of Education could possibly change the definition of when the "first year" begins for testing purposes from 7 on September 1 to 6 on September 1, effectively requiring parents to test in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 a year earlier than they do now. (You do not need to share this reason with your legislators.) > Many education experts have concluded that beginning a child's formal education too early may actually result in burnout and poor scholastic performance later. > Lowering the compulsory attendance age erodes the authority of parents who are in the best position to determine when their child's formal education should begin. > It would restrict parents' freedom to decide if their children are ready for school. > Another significant impact of expanding the compulsory attendance age would be an inevitable tax increase to pay for more classroom space and teachers to accommodate the additional students compelled to attend public schools. For more information on compulsory attendance, please see our memorandum at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=1421 . If you are not yet a member of HSLDA and would like to help us fight for greater parental rights and homeschool freedom in Oregon please visit http://www.hslda.org/join/apply.asp . If you would like to be put on our email list to receive vital e-lerts you may sign up at https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp?Process=Subscribe . Thank you for your part in fighting for freedom in Oregon! Sincerely, Thomas Schmidt HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Extreme makeovers are for extreme circumstances... Most homeschools don't need an extreme makeover, but there is something to be said for attention to detail and recognition of accomplishments. Watch the media and you'll soon see that not everyone wants home educators and homeschooling to look good. HSLDA works hard to shed light on the good work of home educators so it's obvious that we don't need someone "making-over" our homeschools. Join HSLDA and help us show the world that we're fine as we are . . . thank you! More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1943 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== 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. ====================================================================== | |
