| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
< BACK TO ARCHIVE |
| Date: From: Subject: | 3/13/2009 11:35:22 AM Home School Legal Defense Association Alabama -- Calls Needed to Stop Expansion of State Control over Education |
|
====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== March 13, 2009 Alabama -- Calls Needed to Stop Expansion of State Control over Education Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: Your calls and emails are needed to stop Senate Bill 334, which would raise the compulsory school attendance age in Alabama from 16 to 18. A child between the ages of 17 and 18 would be permitted to withdraw from school if the parent or guardian consented and the school conducted an exit interview with the parent and child. This bill has already passed the Senate and is now being considered by the House Education Committee. If this bill passes, parents will be required to comply with the compulsory school attendance law for at least an additional year. This means that parents will be locked into another year of home instruction at a time when the child may wish to pursue other educational options or begin a vocation. As freedom-loving homeschoolers, we oppose any effort to expand the state's control over education in any form. This bill is moving quickly through the Legislature. Members of the House Education Committee need to hear from you today! Action Requested: 1. Please call and/or email as many members of the House Education Committee as possible with this message: "Please vote against Senate Bill 334 which would increase Alabama's compulsory school attendance age from 16 to 18. This bill restricts the right of parents to choose when a child may pursue other educational or work options. This bill will also waste taxpayer dollars, because requiring the attendance of students who are unwilling to remain in school beyond age 16 will have a disruptive effect on other students' learning." When contacting members of the Committee, do not identify yourself as a homeschooler. This is broader than just a homeschooling issue. The members of the House Education Committee are as follows: Last names beginning with A-H please contact: Yvonne Kennedy, Chair (334) 242-7737 yvonne.kennedy@alhouse.org Terry Spicer, Vice Chair (334) 242-7773 terry.spicer@alhouse.org Mike Ball, Ranking Minority Member (334) 242-7683 mikeball@knology.net Alan Baker (334) 242-7720 staterep@co.escambia.al.us Barbara Boyd (334) 242-7692 bboyd@calhouncounty.org Last names beginning with I-P please contact: Priscilla Dunn (334) 242-7702 priscilla.dunn@alhouse.org Lea Fite (334) 242-7681 lea.fite@alhouse.org Mac McCutcheon (334) 242-7705 macmccutcheon@knology.net Joseph Mitchell (334) 242-7735 house3@alhouse.org John Robinson (334) 242-7728 john.robinson@alhouse.gov Last names beginning with Q-Z please contact: Tommy Sherer (334) 242-7694 tommysherer@yahoo.com Harry Shiver (334) 242-7745 harryshiver@aol.com Allen Treadaway (334) 242-7685 bsketa@aol.com Cam Ward (334) 242-7750 camjulward@aol.com Henry White (334) 242-7712 henrywhite2431e@charter.net 2. Please forward this email to every family you know who is not a member of HSLDA and urge them to contact members of the Committee. 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 work force. Some 16-year-olds who are not academically inclined will benefit more from valuable work experience than from being forced to sit in a classroom. To view the text of this bill, please go to http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6256 For more information on compulsory attendance, please see our memorandum at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6257 Please call or email today! Sincerely, Dewitt T. Black, III HSLDA Senior Counsel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Who's knocking on your door? When a social service worker arrives at your door, tension can run high. Wouldn't it be nice to get your lawyer on the phone, providing you with immediate step-by-step guidance? More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1099 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. Box 3000 Purcellville, Virginia 20134 Phone: (540) 338-5600 Fax: (540) 338-2733 Email: info@hslda.org Web: http://www.hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- How To Subscribe: - Subscribe to the HSLDA E-lert Service at our website: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp?Process=Subscribe - Or send an email with name and complete mailing address to: subscribe@hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscription Information: - You subscribed to the HSLDA E-lert Service as: ##ToAddress## - To unsubscribe from the HSLDA E-lert Service send an email from the email address you want to unsubscribe to: unsubscribe@hslda.org - To change your email address or make other changes to your subscription, visit the HSLDA E-lert Service account web page at: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp ---------------------------------------------------------------------- POSTMASTERS: This message is being sent to the most recent address we have for our subscribers. If this is an invalid email address or you have other problems, please reply to webmaster@hslda.org. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: This is considered a private and confidential message from HSLDA to its bonafide HSLDA E-lert Service subscribers. HSLDA cannot attest to the authenticity of copies posted, forwarded, or sent by any party other than HSLDA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: Please do not reply or otherwise use this email address; hslda@hslda.org is for broadcast purposes only and is not intended to receive incoming messages. We cannot reply to any email sent to this address. If you have comments or questions, please send email to info@hslda.org or call HSLDA at 540-338-5600. HSLDA members can also email staff directly through the Members website at http://members.hslda.org/contact.asp. Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
