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| Date: From: Subject: | 2/8/2010 4:29:27 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Oklahoma: Action Needed--Home Education Freedom Threatened! |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Oklahoma: Action Needed--Home Education Freedom Threatened! Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: We sent out an alert last month regarding two bills currently being considered in the Oklahoma Legislature, HB 3099 and SB 1403. Both of these bills have now been assigned to a committee in their respective chambers. It appears that the intent of House Bill 3099 is to modify the constitutional protection of the right of parents to provide other means of education to their children. While the legislature could certainly add several different ways in which "other means of education" could be provided, it would violate the state Constitution by restricting or prohibiting what is currently protected. Senate Bill 1403 has also been introduced and would require parents teaching their children at home to notify their local school district within 10 days of beginning their home education program. We need your calls and emails to the committee that will be hearing these bills to express your opposition. While you should certainly let these legislators, and their staff, know where you stand on these bills, please be courteous in your communication. We have provided a suggested message, but your own personal message will be the most effective way to let the legislature understand that these bills are not needed and would damage the freedom of "other means of education" that Oklahoma has recognized for over 100 years. REQUESTED ACTION: 1. Please call and email the entire Appropriations/Sub-Education Committee, and give them this message in your own words: "Please remove House Bill 3099 from consideration by the Appropriations/Sub-Education Committee immediately. Under the Oklahoma Constitution a parent may provide for 'other means of education' to their children. This bill is an unconstitutional infringement of parents' rights to direct their child's education and determine what is in their best interest. This legislation is unnecessary, and we will oppose it." When calling each representative's office understand that they will probably be receiving a lot of calls. Please be courteous but firm in your opposition to House Bill 3099. For a list of committee members: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=7642 2. Please call and email all of the senators on the Senate Education Committee, where Senate Bill 1403 will be considered, and give them this message in your own words: "Please remove Senate Bill 1403 from consideration by the legislature immediately. Under the Oklahoma Constitution a parent may provide for 'other means of education' to their children. Study after study has shown that children taught at home on average perform above their nonhomeschooled peers academically. There is no reason why parents should be required to notify their local school officials of their intent to teach their children at home. This bill is an unacceptable infringement of parents' rights to direct their child's education." When calling each senator's office understand that they will probably be receiving a lot of calls. Please be courteous but firm in your opposition to Senate Bill 1403. Senator Easley, the author of this bill, sits on the Senate Education Committee http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=7643 . 3. Pray that these bills are defeated and plan on attending the Oklahoma Home Educators' Capitol Day on February 9. Because of the hard work of Oklahoma Christian Home Educators Consociation (OCHEC) and Christian Home Educators Fellowship of Oklahoma (CHEF of OK), many legislators look favorably on homeschooling families. However, it just takes a few legislators to introduce bad legislation. If homeschoolers are complacent, freedom could be lost. Your attendance at the Oklahoma Home Educators' Capitol Day is vital in the battle to keep the freedom you have. This event will provide you with a great opportunity to impact these bills, to get to meet your legislators and to create a positive impression for home education. For more information on the upcoming Capitol Day go to: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=7644 . BACKGROUND Under House Bill 3099 the new "appropriate education by other means" would require parents to provide "educationally appropriate and age or grade appropriate instruction." The instruction would have to ensure that each child attained "at least a minimum level of competencies in a variety of core subject areas" for not less than the time public schools in the state are required to provide instruction. Some of you may remember that in the 2007 and 2009 legislative session Senator Jim Wilson introduced a bill that would have added several requirements to the freedom that homeschoolers have in Oklahoma. Both times those bills were successfully defeated by the prayers and hard work of families all across Oklahoma. Outstanding attendance at the Oklahoma Home Educators' Capitol Day also played a big part in the defeat of these bills. While House Bill 3099 is a greater threat to undermining the freedom that homeschoolers have in Oklahoma, we pray that working together we will again be able to defeat these attempts to restrict the freedom of home education in Oklahoma. The freedom of the right to provide "other means of education" should not be undermined. If you are not yet a member of HSLDA and would like to help us fight for greater parental rights and homeschool freedom in Oklahoma please visit http://www.hslda.org/join/apply.asp . If you would like to be put on our e-mail list to receive vital e-lerts you may sign up at https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp?Process=Subscribe . Thank you for your part in fighting for freedom in Oklahoma! Feel free to send this to others who are supportive of home education freedom. Sincerely, Thomas Schmidt 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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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. ====================================================================== | |
