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| Date: From: Subject: | 4/19/2007 11:34:17 AM Home School Legal Defense Association Vermont--More Calls Needed to Oppose Prekindergarten Bill |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== April 19, 2007 Vermont--More Calls Needed to Oppose Prekindergarten Bill Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, More calls are needed to stop expansion of government control over children. If you have not contacted the Vermont Senate about House Bill 534, you still have time to make your voice heard. The Senate Education Committee is currently debating House Bill 534 which allows unlimited taxpayer dollars for education of 3- and 4-year-olds. This bill opens the door for lowering the compulsory attendance age. In addition, it will impose a greater financial burden on Vermont taxpayers. Most importantly, this bill is potentially harmful to Vermont children and families. Experts agree that families are vital to positive childhood development and that it is better for children to be in a nurturing family environment than away from their parents in a formal educational program during their early years. Studies have shown that not only do children who participate in early childhood educational programs not score higher on tests than children who begin their formal education later, but they may also burn out earlier, and show poor scholastic performance later in life. It appears that the bill is poised to be rubber-stamped by the Vermont Legislature. While Home School Legal Defense Association opposes this type of legislation, Representative Carolyn Branagan has proposed an amendment that would limit spending and improve the bill fiscally. However, this amendment was rejected on House floor. Please take a few moments to consider the actions we've requested below. ACTION REQUESTED 1) If you have not yet done so, contact all of the Senate Education Committee members (listed below), and, in your own words, give them the following message: "Please oppose the expansion of state-funded prekindergarten programs. House Bill 534 will cost taxpayers millions of dollars to fund programs that do not produce long-term positive results and that create a dangerous framework for lowering the compulsory attendance age." You do not need to mention that you are a homeschooler. This issue affects all families, as all Vermont residents pay taxes that will increase along with prekindergarten spending. Though it would be best for the committee to kill the bill, at the very least, they need to add Representative Branagan's amendment to it. 2) Contact your own Senator as well. You can find your Senator's contact information at this link http://www.leg.state.vt.us/legdir/districts.cfm?Body=S (listed by district). If the bill passes the committee, your Senator will vote on it. Senate Committee on Education (call, email, fax, or snail mail) Senator Donald "Don" Collins of Franklin District (D), Chair 23 Broadway Street, Swanton, VT 05488 Phone: 802-868-7975 Fax: 802-868-9816 Email: dcollins@leg.state.vt.us Senator Bill Doyle of Washington District (R), Vice-Chair 186 Murray Road, Montpelier, VT 05602 Phone: 802-223-2851 Fax: 802-635-2356 Email: wdoyle@leg.state.vt.us Senator Harold Giard of Addison District (D) 1786 Crown Point Road , Bridport, VT 05734 Phone: 802-758-2577 Email: hgiard@leg.state.vt.us Senator Alice Nitka of Windsor District (D), Clerk P.O. Box 136 , Ludlow, VT 05149 Phone: 802-228-8432 Email: anitka@leg.state.vt.us OR maples@ludl.tds.net Senator Robert Starr of Essex-Orleans District (D) 958 VT RTE 105W, North Troy, VT 05859 Phone: 802-988-2877 Starr's Transportation Box 319, North Troy, VT 05859 Work Phone: 802-988-2281 BACKGROUND Reasons to Oppose Voluntary Universal Preschool Education 1) Education of 4-year-olds in the public schools has been proven ineffective. See HSLDA's position paper on Mandatory Kindergarten and Early Education visit: http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000000/00000028.asp 2) Creating a program for pre-schoolers to attend school will likely lead to compulsory attendance of pre-schoolers in the future. 3) Education of pre-schoolers across the state will raise everyone's taxes. 4) This will create a "constitutional right" for families to have a public school education for their pre-schoolers. 5) Prekindergarten educational programs seek to develop young children in early emotional, social, academic, and moral growth--this is a function better performed by the parents. Blessings to you and your family! Michael P. Donnelly, Esq. HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Can you call your attorney at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning? Our members can get in touch with their attorney even after business hours, when they have a legal emergency. Wouldn't you like this level of service? 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
