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| Date: From: Subject: | 3/2/2010 2:49:39 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Maryland: Calls Needed to Oppose Compulsory Attendance Bill |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== March 2, 2010 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 two years of government regulation of their education and discriminate against homeschool graduates. (I previously emailed you about the companion bill in the Senate--this is the House bill.) House Bill 723 will be heard in the House Ways and Means Committee tomorrow at 1 PM. It would extend the age at which compulsory school attendance stops from 16 to 18. Parents alone know whether it's best for their 16 and 17-year-olds to stay in a formal education setting or follow some other path. 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! This might spur a new wave of discrimination against our young people who are seeking college admission and jobs--since it doesn't treat our graduates as "real" graduates. You may be told homeschoolers are exempt. Not so. The bill says, in effect, that homeschool students are exempted if they keep on complying with the homeschool law. This is meaningless. If one can only be exempted from a law by complying with it, it is no exemption at all. ACTION REQUESTED: Please call members of the committee to oppose the bill. 1. Make calls according to the first letter of your last name, as indicated below. 2. Also call your own representative if he or she is listed below as a committee member. Use our Legislative Toolbox to find your representative: http://www.hslda.org/toolbox . You can use the background information below to develop your own thoughts, or your message can be as simple as: "Please oppose HB 723. 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 If your last name begins A-D, call: Chair: Sheila E. Hixson (410) 841-3469, (301) 858-3469 Vice Chair: Ann Marie Doory (410) 841-3476, (301) 858-3476 Joseph R. Bartlett (410) 841-3080, (301) 858-3080 Anne R. Kaiser (410) 841-3036, (301) 858-3036 If your last name begins E-H, call: Kumar P. Barve (410) 841-3464, (301) 858-3464 Peter F. Murphy (410) 841-3247, (301) 858-3247 Joseph C. Boteler III (410) 841-3365, (301) 858-3365 LeRoy E. Myers, Jr. (410) 841-3321, (301) 858-3321; 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3321 (toll free) If your last name begins I-L, call: Jon S. Cardin (410) 841-3833, (301) 858-3833 John A. Olszewski, Jr. (410) 841-3458, (301) 858-3458 D. Page Elmore (410) 841-3433, (301) 858-343 Craig L. Rice (410) 841-3090, (301) 858-3090 If your last name begins M-P, call: C. William Frick (410) 841-3454, (301) 858-3454 Justin D. Ross (410) 841-3652, (301) 858-3652 Ron George (410) 841-3439, (301) 858-3439 Christopher B. Shank (410) 841-3636, (301) 858-3636 If your last name begins Q-T, call: James W. Gilchrist (410) 841-3744, (301) 858-3744 Melvin L. Stukes (410) 841-3544, (301) 858-3544 Carolyn J. B. Howard (410) 841-3919, (301) 858-3919 If your last name begins U-Z, call: Frank S. Turner (410) 841-3246, (301) 858-3246; 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3246 (toll free) Jolene Ivey (410) 841-3478, (301) 858-3478 Jay Walker (410) 841-3581, (301) 858-3581 BACKGROUND > The bill raises the compulsory age to 17 in 2012, and 18 in 2014. > 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. > 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. Sincerely Yours, Scott Woodruff 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. 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
