| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 2/3/2011 12:00:54 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Illinois: Contact Senator Maloney to Stop Homeschool Registration |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Illinois: Contact Senator Maloney to Stop Homeschool Registration Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: Senator Edward Maloney has filed a bill that would force all Illinois homeschoolers to register. The bill, SB 136, gives the Department of Education blanket authority to mandate what information families must submit. SB 136 threatens to expand government power into the realm of private education on an unprecedented scale. ACTION REQUESTED 1. If you live in his district (Senate District 18, which includes parts of Lyons, Palos, Worth, Chicago, and Orland Townships in Cook County) contact Senator Maloney and ask him to withdraw his bill. You can also use our legislative toolbox at http://hslda.org/toolbox/ to find your Senate district. Personal visits and phone calls have the most impact. Letters and emails are useful as well. Your firm but courteous message can be as simple as: "Please withdraw SB 136. Studies show that private education prepares students for college better than public schools. There is no need for government to expand into an area that is already so successful. Existing mandates on private education are sufficient." Springfield Office: Senator 18th District 119A Capitol Building Springfield, IL 62706 (217) 782-5145 (217) 557-3930 FAX District Office: 10400 S. Western Ave. Chicago, IL 60643 (773) 881-4180 (773) 881-4243 FAX Additional District Office: 6965 W. 111th Street Worth, IL 60482 (708) 448-3518 (708) 448-3535 FAX Home: Edward D. Maloney 2808 West 11th Street Chicago, IL 60655 (773) 233-6638 2. After you contact him, call or email us to confirm so we can keep a tally of how many people have contacted him. 3. Pass this message on to other homeschoolers in Senator Maloney's district. BACKGROUND Right now, Illinois homeschools are not required to register because they are classified as "non-public" schools. Many other states likewise do not require homeschoolers to register, including New Jersey, Indiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama, Michigan, Texas, etc. There is a common myth that Illinois homeschools are unregulated. While Illinois homeschools don't waste time processing bureaucratic red tape, they must comply with significant substantive mandates, including the requirement that they teach the branches of education taught to children of corresponding age and grade in the public schools, that they teach in the English language, and, if challenged, meet the burden of showing that they have in good faith provided an adequate course of instruction in the prescribed branches of learning. This sensible combination of no red tape plus meaningful mandates has protected freedom in Illinois and produced outstanding academic results. SB 136 would give the Illinois Department of Education literally unlimited power to dictate what information homeschoolers must submit. Since the Department is composed exclusively of staff who are appointed or hired, rather than elected, they have little or no incentive to respond to the voice of citizens. In other states, when education departments have been given power to act against citizens' wishes, they have sometimes brushed aside overwhelming opposition and done as they pleased to homeschoolers. SB 136 is the greatest threat to Illinois homeschoolers in more than a decade. HSLDA and Illinois Christian Home Educators are united in opposing the bill and are committed to protect your freedom. This fight belongs to every Illinois homeschool family. Thank you for standing with us for freedom! Sincerely yours, Scott A. Woodruff HSLDA Senior Counsel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> What do you look like when you get out of bed? 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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. ====================================================================== | |
