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| Date: From: Subject: | 2/9/2010 11:48:48 AM Home School Legal Defense Association Maryland--Calls Needed to Oppose Discriminatory Compulsory Attendance Bill |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Maryland--Calls Needed to Oppose Discriminatory Compulsory Attendance Bill Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: Your calls are needed immediately to stop a bill that would subject families to another year of government regulation of their education and discriminate against homeschool graduates. Senate Bill 239 would extend the age at which compulsory school attendance stops from 16 to 17. Parents alone know whether it's best for their 16-year-olds to stay in a formal education setting or follow some other path. The government cannot know the needs of individual students. One size does not fit all when it comes to school attendance. There is an exemption for students who graduate from a Maryland high school, an out-of-state high school, or get a GED--but no exemption for students who complete their secondary education in a homeschool setting. Studies show that homeschool students perform better on tests. Why should the students who perform best not be exempted? Worse, there is a distinct possibility that a law treating homeschool graduates as if they weren't "really" graduates could spur a new wave of discrimination against our young people who are applying for college or jobs. You may be told homeschoolers are exempt from the increased compulsory age. Not so. The bill says, in effect, that homeschool students are exempted from the higher compulsory age if they keep on complying with the homeschool law. This is basically meaningless. If one can only be exempted from a law by complying with it, it is no exemption. Please call before Wednesday, February 10 at 1 p.m., when a hearing is scheduled in the Senate Education Health and Environmental Affairs Committee. ACTION REQUESTED: Please call members of the committees to express your opposition. 1. Call your own senator, if he or she is on one of the committees (see list below). Use our Legislative Toolbox to see who your senator is at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox . 2. Whether or not your senator is on the committee, call the other committee members. You can use the background information below to develop your own thoughts, or your message can be as simple as: "Please oppose Senate Bill 239. This multimillion dollar proposal will force unwilling, unmotivated older teens to remain in classrooms where they will cause disruption. Protect the right of parents to decide what educational or vocational paths their 16-year-olds should follow." It is not necessary to identify yourself as a homeschooling family, since this bill undermines the rights of all parents. CONTACT INFORMATION Joan Carter Conway, Chair (410) 841-3145, (301) 858-3145 Roy P. Dyson, Vice-Chair (410) 841-3673, (301) 858-3673 Richard F. Colburn (410) 841-3590, (301) 858-3590 David C. Harrington (410) 841-3745, (301) 858-3745 Andrew P. Harris (410) 841-3706, (301) 858-3706 Michael G. Lenett (410) 841-3151, (301) 858-3151 Paul G. Pinsky (410) 841-3155, (301) 858-3155 Edward R. Reilly (410) 841-3568, (301) 858-3568 James C. Rosapepe (410) 841-3141, (301) 858-3141 BACKGROUND > The graduation "exception" applies to students who have obtained a "Maryland High School Diploma." This means a public school or state-issued diploma. > Raising the compulsory school attendance age will not reduce the dropout rate. Some states with the lowest completion rates compel attendance to age 18. > More than 20 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 17 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 benefit more from valuable work experience than from being forced to sit in a classroom. >Another significant impact of expanding the compulsory attendance age would be an inevitable tax increase to pay for more classroom space and teachers to accommodate the additional students compelled to attend public school. For more information on compulsory school attendance, please see our memorandum at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3623 . Thank you for standing with us for freedom. 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
