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| Date: From: Subject: | 2/8/2008 10:06:49 AM Home School Legal Defense Association Iowa: Calls Needed to Stop State Power Grab Over 16- and 17-Year-Olds |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Iowa: Calls Needed to Stop State Power Grab Over 16- and 17-Year-Olds Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: Your calls are needed immediately to stop the state from grabbing power away from parents concerning what is best for 16- and 17-year-olds. Right now, when a young person turns 16, parents have the authority to decide what is best--whether to continue in formal education or pursue some other path. Three bills will have a hearing on Monday that mandate a one-size-fits all approach and force all 16- and 17-year-olds to stay in a formal program of education. The government is not a parent. It cannot know what is best for individual youngsters. ACTION REQUESTED Please call all the House Education Subcommittee members below before 10:30 a.m. Monday, especially if they represent your district. Call 515-281-3221 and leave a message. Your message can be as simple as: "Please vote no on H.S.B. 532, H.F. 2144, and H.F. 2039. The government cannot know what is best for every youngster. Parents should continue to have the long-standing authority to decide whether a 16- or 17-year-old continues in formal education or follows another path." It is not necessary to identify yourself as a homeschooler since these bills affect all parents. Use our legislative toolbox to find the name of your state representative: http://www.hslda.org/toolbox . House Education Subcommittee members Lisa Heddens Cecil Dolecheck Art Staed BACKGROUND > You may be told that H.F. 2144 contains an "exemption" for homeschoolers. This bill should still be opposed. It is questionable whether the wording really exempts homeschoolers, and even if it did, it would be an easy target for a legislature to come back in at a later date and remove the exemption. > Raising the compulsory attendance age will not reduce the dropout rate. In fact, many states with the highest high school completion rates compel attendance only to age 16. Some states with low completion rates compel attendance to age 18. > Twenty-eight 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. > Mandating attendance until age 18 would restrict parents' freedom to decide if their 16- or 17-year-old is ready for college or the work force. Some 16-year-olds who are not academically inclined benefit more from valuable work experience than from being forced to sit in a classroom. > Expanding the compulsory attendance age would inevitably cause a tax increase to pay for more classroom space and teachers to accommodate the additional students compelled to attend public school. Thank you for standing with us for freedom. Sincerely Yours, Scott A. Woodruff HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> How many news articles did you read this morning over your oatmeal? We live in a world where concise information presented at the right time can make a big difference in the outcome of important legislative efforts. Yet it's tough to keep up with all the issues that affect you. HSLDA does this for you in the areas that affect your homeschool. Our emails and website enable you to take quick, decisive action. Please consider becoming a part of this team. 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
