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| Date: From: Subject: | 1/7/2011 10:42:53 AM Home School Legal Defense Association Montana--Calls Needed to Oppose Compulsory Attendance Age Bill |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Montana--Calls Needed to Oppose Compulsory Attendance Age Bill Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: Your calls and emails are needed to stop Senate Bill 44 which would increase the compulsory school attendance age in Montana from 16 to 18, graduation from high school, or receipt of a GED as the time when a student may leave school. A hearing on this bill is scheduled in the Senate Education Committee at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 12, 2011, in Room 303 of the Capitol Building, so there is not much time left to let members of the Committee know that you oppose this bill. If this bill passes, parents will be required to comply with the homeschool law for an additional two years unless the child first graduates from high school or obtains a GED. This means that parents will be locked into another two years of homeschooling at a time when the child may wish to pursue other educational options or begin a vocation. As freedom-loving homeschoolers, we oppose any effort to expand the state's control over education in any form. Members of the Senate Education Committee need to hear from you today! Action Requested: 1. Please call and/or email as many members of the Senate Education Committee as possible with this message: "Please vote against Senate Bill 44 which would increase Montana's compulsory school attendance age. This bill restricts the right of parents to choose when a child may pursue other educational or work options. Requiring the attendance of students who are unwilling to remain in school beyond age 16 will have a disruptive effect on other students' learning." When calling members of the Committee, do not identify yourself as a homeschooler. This is broader than just a homeschooling issue. The members of the Senate Education Committee are as follows: Last names beginning with A-M please contact: Sen. Ryan Zinke (Chair) (R) (SD 2-Whitefish) ryanzinke@yahoo.com Sen. Rick Ripley (Vice Chair) (R) (SD 9-Wolf Creek) email not available Sen. Gary Branae (D) (SD 27-Billings) garybranae@gmail.com Sen. Taylor Brown (R) (SD 22-Huntley) taylor@northernbroadcasting.com Sen. Jeff Essmann (R) (SD 28-Billings) jessmann@mt.gov Last names beginning with N-Z please contact: Sen. Tom Facey (D) (SD 48-Missoula) facey_tom@hotmail.com Sen. Bob Hawks (D) (SD 33-Bozeman) senator.robert.hawks@gmail.com Sen. Bob Lake (R) (SD 44-Hamilton) lakemill@montana.com Sen. Eric Moore (R) (SD 20-Miles City) mail@senatorericmoore.com Sen. Sharon Stewart-Peregoy (D) (SD 21-Crow Agency) apsaalookewomen@yahoo.com You can leave a message for the Senate Education Committee by calling the Session Information Desk at (406) 444-4800. 2. Please forward this email to every family you know who is not a member of HSLDA, and urge them to contact members of the Committee. Background: A 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. Raising the compulsory attendance age will not reduce the dropout rate. In fact, the two states with the highest high school completion rates, Maryland at 94.5% and North Dakota at 94.7%, compel attendance only to age 16. The state with the lowest completion rate (Oregon: 75.4%) compels attendance to age 18. (Figures are three year averages, 1996 through 1998.) Twenty-nine 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. It 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 will benefit more from valuable work experience than from being forced to sit in a classroom. To view the text of this bill, please go to http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=9952 For more information on compulsory attendance, please see our memorandum at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=9953 Please call or email today! Sincerely, Dewitt T. Black, III HSLDA Senior Counsel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> "I saved my entire membership fee with one discount" "We've been a Liberty Mutual customer for over 12 years. We called and asked about our HSLDA member discount and they lowered our premium by approx $95 per year...coincidentally the same amount as our HSLDA annual membership fee. Thought you'd want to know!!'" 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
