| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 2/22/2007 2:25:21 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Illinois: Help Needed to Stop Expansion of State Control Over Children |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: Senator Kwame Raoul is back. He is attempting, once again, to pass a bill to lower the compulsory attendance age from seven to five years old and to require all school districts to establish kindergartens for children who are five years old. This bill, SB 541, is a step towards Senator Raoul's continuing goal to lower the compulsory attendance age to three. Senator Raoul expressed this aim in the committee hearing last year. Last year, Senator Raoul introduced SB 409, which was opposed tirelessly by hundreds of homeschoolers. The homeschoolers were so tenacious in their continued calls in opposing the bill, that even though Senator Raoul thought he had the votes, he was never able to pass it out of the House Educational Committee. Even though the bill passed the Senate, it never got to the floor of the House after numerous delays due to the constant barrage of phone calls. Your phone calls and constant pressure made a difference last year. You won the uphill battle; even though the compulsory attendance age bill was targeted for passage and should have been passed, considering the make up of the legislature. Once again we are calling on you to oppose the lowering of the compulsory attendance age to five and the establishing of mandatory kindergarten which would result from Senator Raoul's new bill, SB 541. We are working closely with Ralph Garcia and the Christian Home Educators Coalition to oppose this bill. REQUESTED ACTION Please call as many members of the Senate Education Committee as possible. You can give them this message: "Please vote against SB 541, which lowers the compulsory attendance age two years and mandates kindergarten. This bill is unnecessary and restricts parental choice, and wastes tax payer's money since there is no study showing any long-term positive benefits from children attending school early." Do not identify yourself as a homeschooler. SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Chair Kimberly A. Lightford, (217) 782-8505 Vice-Chair: Deanna Demuzio, (217) 782-8206 Jacqueline Y. Collins, (217) 782-1607 William Delgado, (217) 782-5652 Susan Garrett, (217) 782-3650 James T. Meeks, (217) 782-8066 A. J. Wilhelmi, (217) 782-8800 Dan Cronin, (217) 782-8107 J. Bradley Burzynski, (217) 782-1977 David Luechtefeld, (217) 782-8137 John J. Millner, (217) 782-8192 BACKGROUND > According to the 2005 NAEP test scores, children from states that have low compulsory attendance ages (5-6) did not score any higher than children from the other states, and in some subjects their average was actually lower. > Many education experts have concluded that beginning a child's formal education too early may actually result in burnout and poor scholastic performance later. > A report published February 6, 2007 by the Goldwater Institute examines Stanford 9 test scores and finds Arizona kindergarten programs initially improve learning but have no measurable impact on reading, math, or language arts test scores by fifth grade. The data show that students in schools with all-day kindergarten programs have statistically significant higher 3rd-grade test scores, but there is no impact on 5th-grade scores. This finding is consistent with previous research. Forcing children into school early delivers short-term benefits at best. > Another significant impact of expanding mandatory schooling is the inevitable tax increase 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. For more information on compulsory attendance, please see our memorandum at http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/Issues/E/Early_Education.asp Thank you for standing with us in this fight for freedom. Sincerely, Christopher J. Klicka ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Who's knocking on your door? When a social service worker arrives at your door, tension can run high. 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
