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From the HSLDA E-lert Service...
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January 25, 2008
Michigan: Calls Needed Now to Oppose
Expansion of State Control Over Education
Dear HSLDA Members and Friends,
Here we go again! God used your calls last year to stop this bill--but
now the forces trying increase state control over your children are
back.
The Michigan legislature is trying to expand the upper age limit of
compulsory attendance by requiring children to be in school until the
age of 18. House Bill 4042 would raise the age of compulsory
attendance from where it is currently at age 16, to age 18.
As you may remember, the Michigan legislature introduced several bills
last year to expand the compulsory attendance age. Your calls,
however, halted the progression of all those bills! H.B. 4042 will be
heard by the House Education Committee next week, and we need you to
call members of this committee now.
We are working closely with INCH, legislative staff, and the Home
School Legislative Action Committee.
REQUESTED ACTION:
We are requesting you to do two tasks:
1. Please call through Jan. 31 the members of the House Education
Committee designated for you (by the initial of your last name) and
give them this message:
"Please vote against H.B. 4042, which will raise the age of compulsory
school attendance. It only serves as a waste of taxpayer's money by
forcing unwilling, disruptive students into the classroom. Studies of
all 50 states show that raising compulsory attendance ages does not
increase graduation rates."
You do not need to identify that you homeschool--just that you are a
concerned parent and taxpayer.
Be sure to put the message in your own words.
2. Also, please send a short email opposing H.B. 4042 to ALL the
committee members AND a blind copy to elert@inch.org so we can keep
track of the number of responses for lobbying purposes.
HOUSE EDUCATION MEMBERS:
If your last name begins with A-I, please call the following members:
Chair Tim Melton (D), 517-373-0475, timmelton@house.mi.gov
Kathy Angerer (D), 517-373-1792, kathyangerer@house.mi.gov
Terry L. Brown (D), 517-373-0476, terrybrown@house.mi.gov
Barb Byrum (D), 517-373-0587, barbbyrum@house.mi.gov
Brenda Clack (D), 517-373-8808, brendaclack@house.mi.gov
Jacob Hoogendyk (R), 517-373-1774, jackhoogendyk@house.mi.gov
Glenn Steil, Jr. (R), 517-373-0840, glennsteil@house.mi.gov
If your last name begins with letters J-R, please call these members:
Vice-Chair Mary Valentine (D), 517-373-3436,
maryvalentine@house.mi.gov
Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D), 517-373-0852, hoon-yunghopgood@house.mi.gov
Steven Lindberg (D), 517-373-0498, stevenlindberg@house.mi.gov
Fred Miller (D), 517-373-0159, fredmiller@house.mi.gov
Tom Pearce (R), 517-373-0218, tompearce@house.mi.gov
Gino Polidori (D), 517-373-0847, ginopolidori@house.mi.gov
Bettie Cook Scott (D), 517-373-1776, bettiecookscott@house.mi.gov
Marty Knollenberg (R), 517-373-1783, martyknollenberg@house.mi.gov
If your last name begins with letters S-Z, please call these members:
Minority Vice Chair John Moolenaar (R), 517-373-1791,
johnmoolenaar@house.mi.gov
Marc R. Corriveau (D), 517-373-3816, marccorriveau@house.mi.gov
Andy Meisner (D), 517-373-0478, andymeisner@house.mi.gov
Robert Dean (D), 517-373-2668, robertdean@house.mi.gov
Judy Emmons (R), 517-373-0834, judyemmons@house.mi.gov
Dave Hildenbrand (R), 517-373-0846, rephildenbrand@house.mi.gov
Tonya Schuitmaker (R), 517-373-0839, tonyaschuitmaker@house.mi.gov
Paul E. Opsommer (R), 517-373-1778, paulopsommer@house.mi.gov
BACKGROUND:
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.)
Twenty-nine states only require attendance 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.
It would restrict parents' freedom to decide if their 16-year-old is
ready for college or the workforce. (Some 16-year-olds who are not
academically inclined benefit more from valuable work experience than
from being forced to sit in a classroom.
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. When California raised the upper age limit
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 legislation please go to
our website at
http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/Issues/E/Early_Education.asp.
Thanks for taking the time to call or email!
Sincerely,
Christopher J. Klicka
HSLDA Senior Counsel
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