| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 10/19/2010 3:39:15 PM Home School Legal Defense Association South Dakota--Children's Racial Information Turns "Mandatory" |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== South Dakota--Children's Racial Information Turns "Mandatory" Dear HSLDA Members: Although it was previously listed as "optional", this year's required alternative instruction Application for Exemption says parents "must" provide ethnic and racial information about their children. Today I spoke with a representative of the South Dakota Department of Education. In explaining the change from optional to mandatory, she referred me to a link on the Department's homeschool page, "Race and Ethnicity Reporting." This link says that "new standards issued by the US Department of Education" require "schools across the nation" to "change how they collect and report race and ethnicity for students." With an extremely active government in Washington, D.C., the threat of "new federal standards" must always be taken seriously. However HSLDA works vigorously on Capitol Hill to protect families from all forms of federal encroachment on their right to educate their children. As a result, you can be assured that there simply are no "new federal standards" that require racial information about homeschool students. I explained this to the Department representative, but she was not convinced. I asked her to identify what new regulations or statute required homeschoolers to submit racial information. She could not immediately answer, but said she would do some research and get back to me by the end of the week. While it would have been preferable if the Department had done appropriate research before making new demands, her research this week will confirm that there is no federal mandate for homeschool families to report race or ethnicity. There has been no relevant change in this area since the Department backed down in 2008 after HSLDA insisted that racial information could not be demanded. In the meantime, families should feel comfortable ignoring the questions on the Application for Exemption that call for race and ethnicity. Sincerely, Scott Woodruff HSLDA Senior Counsel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> For as little as 33 cents a day... There's not much you can get for 33 cents a day. Why not put your money toward peace of mind for yourself, your family, and their future? More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1110 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== 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. ====================================================================== | |
