Date: From: Subject:

3/8/2008 10:45:03 AM Home School Legal Defense Association District of Columbia--Contact Board Members and Ask for More Time

====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== March 4, 2008 Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: Thank you to all who came to the State board meeting to discuss the homeschooling regulations proposed by the Office of the State Superintendant ("OSSE"). As Board Member Ted Trabue noted, this was the largest turn out for a hearing in his memory at the State Board. Your presence sent a clear message to educational authorities in the District that the proposed regulations were unacceptable. The board is currently debating the time frame for voting on proposed regulations. Once the Board votes the regulations will go into effect within thirty days. A vote could happen as early March 19th, the next date for a voting meeting of the Board. This is not enough time for a task force to organize and work on the regulations so we need you to ask board members to postpone that vote until April 16th so that the task force can organize and work on the regulations. Some DC homeschoolers have indicated that they want to develop a more cohesive group to be able to respond to government action. Please mark your calendars for a pre-organizational meeting at a location to be determined for March 18th at 7:00 PM. Ethan Reedy has offered to moderate this initial pre-organizational meeting and I will also be in attendance to provide support, encouragement and up to date information on the status of the regulations. ACTION REQUESTED 1. Please Contact each and every Board Members listed below by email and ask them to allow the OSSE and Homeschool task force more time to work on the proposed regulations. Explain that 2 weeks is not enough time for the task force to organize and work together. 2. Plan to attend the March 18th pre-organizational meeting for DC Homeschoolers. I will contact you again as soon as a location is secured. By the way, if you have access to a central facility that could accommodate this meeting please let me know by calling HSLDA at 540-338-5600. 3. Plan to attend the March 19th or April 16th public hearing where the Board will vote on the proposed regulations. At this hearing there will be an opportunity to speak to the board publicly (albeit briefly) about the new draft of regulations. This could be our last opportunity to voice concern and we need as many people available to attend if the regulations are not drafted in a way the respects homeschoolers liberty. We will notify you of the D.C. Board's decision regarding whether or not they will delay the process for drafting regulations so you know which date to attend the hearing. State board Members contact information Robert Bobb, Elected Board Member Email: Robert.Bobb@dc.gov William Lockridge, Elected Board Member District 4 Member (Wards 7 & 8) Email: William.Lockridge@dc.gov Lisa Raymond, Elected Board Member District 3 Member (Wards 5 & 6) Email: Lisa.Raymond@dc.gov Laura Slover, Appointed Board Member Email: Laura.Slover@dc.gov Ted Trabue, Appointed Board Member Email: Ted.Trabue@dc.gov Sekou Biddle, Elected Board Member District 2 (Wards 3 & 4) Sekou.biddle@dc.gov Mary Lord, Elected Board Member District 1 (Wards 1 & 2) Mary.lord@dc.gov To see the proposed rules and access more information about DC homeschooling, visit our web page at http://www.hslda.org/DC Thank you for your commitment to homeschooling freedom in the District. It is a privilege to serve you and your family! Sincerely, Michael P. Donnelly, Esq. HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> How many of your friends would pay your legal fees? As a member of HSLDA, you have 80,000 families standing with you to protect and advance homeschool freedoms in the United States and foreign countries. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1106 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== 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. ======================================================================