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| Date: From: Subject: | 6/22/2010 3:26:09 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Massachusetts--Act Now to Defeat Expansion of State Control Over Homeschools |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== June 22, 2010 Massachusetts--Your Action Needed to Defeat Expansion of State Control Over Homeschoolers! Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: You may recall that last year numerous bills were introduced that would have increased the compulsory attendance age in Massachusetts. These bills were all referred to the Joint Committee on Education. The committee has combined the concepts from these proposals into a single proposal in the form of House Bill 4753. HB 4753 would, among other things, increase the age of compulsory school attendance in Massachusetts from 16 to 18, thereby inflicting two more years of government regulation on homeschool families. In addition to raising the compulsory attendance age, HB 4753 removes a provision in the law that allows 14-16-year-olds who are working to be exempt from school attendance. The committee has reported favorably on the bill and has referred it to the House Committee on Ways and Means. We do not know when a hearing will be held for the legislation, but knowing how things can go in the Massachusetts legislature we believe it is important to register early and continuous opposition to this legislation. Those in favor of raising the compulsory school attendance age feel that it will help graduation rates and reduce the number of dropouts. However, statistics and studies show that raising the compulsory school attendance age does not accomplish this result. In fact, several states with the lowest compulsory school attendance ages have the highest graduation rates. This bill unnecessarily imposes government regulation on the authority of parents to make decisions about what is in the best interest of their children. To learn more you can read the following article "Raise the Bar, Not the Age" http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=8554 ACTION REQUESTED Please call members of the House Committee on Ways and Means and ask them to oppose increasing the compulsory school attendance age. Because this legislation would affect all students, you should not identify yourself as a homeschooler. Use the following message in your own words: "Please oppose HB 4753 and keep the compulsory school attendance age at 16. Increasing the compulsory attendance age to 18 will neither increase graduation rates nor decrease dropout rates. It will, however, raise taxes and unnecessarily subject families to government control for an additional two years. Parents should be the ones making decisions about when children should leave school - not the government. Many children are ready to leave school at 16 and are able to do just fine by getting a GED or starting college early. This bill would interfere with parent's ability to make the decision that is best for each child based on their individual circumstances. I am aware that HB 4753 provides for other changes that may be helpful. However, as a Massachusetts tax payer I oppose increasing the age of compulsory school attendance. Please amend HB 4753 or oppose it." Members of the House Committee on Ways and Means are listed below. Please be sure to call your Representative if listed. Otherwise, if your name begins with A-I call the first 10, if your name beings with J-Q call 11-20, and if your name begins with R-Z call 21-31. Representative Charles Murphy - Chair 617-722-2990 Rep.CharlesMurphy@hwm.state.ma.us Representative Barbara L'Italien - Vice Chair 617-722-2380 Rep.BarbaraL'Italien@hou.state.ma.us Representative Stephen Kulik - Assistant Vice Chair 617-722-2580 Rep.StephenKulik@hou.state.ma.us Representative Angelo Scaccia 617-722-2060 Rep.AngeloScaccia@hou.state.ma.us Representative Gloria Fox 617-722-2810 Rep.GloriaFox@hou.state.ma.us Representative Robert Koczera 617-722-2582 Rep.RobertKoczera@hou.state.ma.us Representative Christine Canavan 617-722-2575 Rep.ChristineCanavan@hou.state.ma.us Representative James Fagan 617-722-2430 Rep.JamesFagan@hou.state.ma.us Representative John Quinn 617-722-2020 Rep.JohnQuinn@hou.state.ma.us Representative Colleen Garry 617-722-2380 Rep.ColleenGarry@hou.state.ma.us Representative Geraldine Creedon 617-722-2305 Rep.GeraldineCreedon@hou.state.ma.us Representative Michael Rodrigues 617-722-2230 Rep.MichaelRodrigues@hou.state.ma.us Representative Ruth Balser 617-722-2460 Rep.RuthBalser@hou.state.ma.us Representative Walter Timilty 617-722-2810 Rep.WalterTimilty@hou.state.ma.us Representative Michael Kane 617-722-2263 Rep.MichaelKane@hou.state.ma.us Representative Christopher Donelan 617-722-2230 Rep.ChristopherDonelan@hou.state.ma.us Representative Michael Rush 617-722-2637 Rep.MikeRush@hou.state.ma.us Representative Joseph Driscoll 617-722-2396 Rep.JosephDriscoll@hou.state.ma.us Representative Denis Guyer 617-722-2210 Rep.DenisGuyer@Hou.State.MA.US Representative Carl Sciortino, Jr. 617-722-2400 Rep.CarlSciortino@Hou.State.MA.US Representative Tom Sannicandro 617-722-2011 Rep.TomSannicandro@Hou.State.MA.US Representative James Welch 617-722-2396 Rep.JamesWelch@Hou.State.MA.US Representative Christopher Speranzo 617-722-2396 Rep.ChristopherSperanzo@Hou.State.MA.US Representative Robert Rice, Jr. 617-722-2014 Rep.RobertRice@Hou.State.MA.US Representative Thomas Conroy 617-722-2460 Rep.ThomasConroy@hou.state.ma.us Representative Viriato deMacedo 617-722-2100 Rep.VinnyDemacedo@hou.state.ma.us Representative Robert Hargraves 617-722-2305 Rep.RobertHargraves@hou.state.ma.us Representative Jeffrey Perry 617-722-2396 Rep.JeffreyPerry@hou.state.ma.us Representative Karyn Polito 617-722-2230 Rep.KarynPolito@hou.state.ma.us Representative Todd Smola 617-722-2240 Rep.ToddSmola@Hou.State.MA.US Representative Daniel Webster 617-722-2487 Rep.DanielWebster@hou.state.ma.us BACKROUND Additional reasons to oppose increasing the compulsory school attendance age: Children who are compelled to stay in school against their will cause classroom disruptions and even violence, making learning harder for their classmates who truly want to learn. This bill restricts parents' ability to decide if their 16-year-old is ready for college or the workforce. Many 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 schools. When California raised the upper age limit of compulsory attendance, unwilling students were so disruptive that new schools had to be built just to handle them and their behavior problems, all at the expense of the taxpayer. For more information, visit our website at: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=8555 Thank you for standing in defense of freedom! Standing with you, Michael P. Donnelly, Esq. Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> You can only do so much... No one can be everywhere at once. And you can't be at home, teaching your children, while monitoring your state's legislature. Through electronic legislative services, HSLDA is monitoring state legislation for you -- watching and listening carefully for any proposed laws that could erode your right to homeschool. Join HSLDA today-we'll watch out for your future. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1942 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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