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| Date: From: Subject: | 3/3/2008 1:27:07 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Virginia--Two Homeschool Bills Head to Governor |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Virginia--Two Homeschool Bills Head to Governor Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: Last week two significant homeschool bills cleared a path to the governor's desk. TWO NEW ASSESSMENT OPTIONS H.B. 1183. This bill is headed for the governor's desk! It opens the door for families to file two new kinds of assessments: an evaluation letter from a person who is licensed to teach in any state, or a person with a master's degree in an academic field; and a transcript or report card from a community college or college, a college distance learning program, or a home education correspondence school. Last week the House voted 80 to 1 to adopt the Senate version, even though the House itself had passed a somewhat different version. The primary difference is that the House version established portfolios as a lawful option, but the Senate version did not. Since the House voted to adopt the Senate version, the bill will not need to go to conference committee. Conference committee is where hand-picked lawmakers from both houses try to come to agreement on one version of a bill that both chambers initially passed in different forms. After the speaker of the House and the president of the Senate sign H.B. 1183, mere formalities, the bill will head for the governor's desk for signature. HOMESCHOOL "OPTION" REVISION H.B. 767. The speaker of the House and the president of the Senate signed off on this bill last week. Its next step is the governor's desk. This bill makes some relatively minor changes to what a family is required to show when filing their notice of intent. It merges the options we formerly referred to as the "approved correspondence course" option and the "standards of learning" option. The option of "providing evidence the parent can adequately educate the child," which previously did not have its own number in the law books, will be renumbered as (iv), so we will still speak of four "options." The Department of Education drafted this bill to simplify and rationalize its administrative responsibilities over home education. During the course of the drafting of the bill, the Department sought comment from HSLDA, Home Educators Association of Virginia, and Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers. The Department took to heart many of our comments, and the result is a bill that will modestly simplify the administrative aspects of home education without bringing any disadvantages to families. TAX CREDITS H.B. 1164. Last week the Senate Finance Committee killed this bill that would have increased investment in all types of education by providing tax credits. Sponsor Del. Chris Saxman is to be commended for his bold effort to improve education. The House had earlier crippled the bill by adding amendments that would have dramatically reduced its ability to bring about change. Hopefully, Virginia will soon elect a legislature that is willing to think outside the box and provide the kind of real solution exemplified in H.B. 1164. Thank you for standing with us for freedom. Scott A. Woodruff HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> You can get a little latte or a lotta legal. With our new payment options, you can join HSLDA for as little as $9/month, less than the price of a cup of coffee a week. More reasons to join HSLDA… http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1109 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== 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. ====================================================================== | |
