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| Date: From: Subject: | 3/6/2007 2:10:53 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Illinois: Calls Needed to Stop Expansion of State Control Over Children |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Illinois: Calls Needed to Stop Expansion of State Control Over Children Dear HSLDA members and friends: Tomorrow, March 7, at 2:30 p.m., the Senate Education Committee will hear two bills which would increase state control over children. Senate Bill 541 and Senate Bill 543 were introduced by Senator Kwame Raoul. His goal is to lower the compulsory attendance age to 3. Last year when Senator Raoul introduced a bill to extend compulsory attendance, your constant barrage of phone calls won the uphill battle. We need your help again. S.B. 541 lowers the compulsory attendance age to 5 from the current age of 7. It also requires that every school district establish a kindergarten program. Lastly, this bill requires school attendance of any child under age 5 or over age 17 who is enrolled in school. S.B. 543 extends the truancy laws to those who are in kindergarten by defining as a "dropout" any child enrolled in grades kindergarten through 12 whose name has been removed from the district enrollment roster and has not transferred to another school. Both of these bills would be a strong step towards Senator Raoul's goal of having all children in school by age 3. We are working closely with Ralph Garcia and the Christian Home Educators Coalition to oppose these bills. REQUESTED ACTION Please call as many members of the Senate Education Committee as possible before the hearing tomorrow at 2:30. You can give them this message: "Please vote against S.B. 541 and S.B. 543. These bills take control away from the parents and give it to the state by making kids start school before they may be ready. These bills are unnecessary, restrict parental choice, and waste tax payers' 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 the 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 HSLDA Senior Counsel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> How many acorns can a chipmunk hold in its cheeks? We don't know! But we do know that gathering little by little enables ordinary folks to prepare for hard times. That principle is behind HSLDA's payment plan: by paying a month at a time, families can receive an annual HSLDA membership. Meanwhile, they can feel secure as they homeschool and focus on other priorities -- their children. Don't go nuts trying to pay for membership all at once. Choose one of our convenient payment plans. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1937 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== 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. ====================================================================== | |
