| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 3/23/2011 12:25:25 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Rhode Island--Please Call Now to Oppose Compulsory School Age Increase |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Rhode Island--Please Call Now to Oppose Compulsory School Age Increase Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, A bill that would place young people under compulsory education for an additional two years is going to be heard in the House Education and Welfare Committee today after 4:00 p.m. Compulsory school attendance in Rhode Island ends at age 16 right now. House Bill 5061 would raise that age limit to 18. The committee will probably vote on the bill within a few days. They need to hear from you that making an additional two years of a young person's life subject to state mandate is not acceptable. REQUESTED ACTION: 1. Please call your representative if he or she is a committee member (see list below). Use our Legislative Toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox to find out who your representative is. Even representatives whom you think already oppose the bill need to hear from you. 2. If your representative is not on the committee, call the chairperson, the vice chairperson, and secretary (see below). 3. Your message can be as simple as: "Please vote NO on HB 5061. Parents, not state officials, know whether their 16-year-old young adult should pursue formal education or some other preparation for life responsibilities. The additional cost of forcing unwilling young adults into a formal school setting should not be added to the current taxpayer burden." This bill would undermine the freedom of all parents. It is not necessary for you to identify yourself as a homeschooler. CONTACT INFORMATION Representative Joseph M. McNamara Chairperson rep-mcnamara@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 941-8319 Representative Grace Diaz Vice Chairperson rep-diaz@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 467-8413 Representative Samuel A. Azzinaro Secretary rep-azzinaro@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 596-1434 Representative David A. Bennett Member rep-bennett@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 648-1171 Representative Maria E. Cimini Member rep-cimini@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 421-1404 Representative Arthur J. Corvese Member rep-corvese@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 353-8695 Representative Daniel P. Gordon Jr. Member rep-gordon@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 252-9882 Representative Arthur Handy Member rep-handy@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 785-8996 Representative James N. McLaughlin Member repmclaughlin@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 333-4946 Representative Patricia L. Morgan Member rep-morgan@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 222-2259 Representative Deborah Ruggiero Member rep-ruggiero@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 423-0444 Representative Patricia A. Serpa Member rep-serpa@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 828-5687 Representative Lisa P. Tomasso Member rep-tomasso@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 965-2719 BACKGROUND Not all 16- and 17-year-olds belong in a formal school setting. Some would be better off in a work training program or apprenticeship, obtaining valuable work experience. This decision belongs to parents, not state officials. Pushing unwilling older students into the classroom will disrupt the other students who truly want to learn. Since many 17-year-olds have the size and strength of adults, classrooms could become even more violent. Raising the compulsory age does not help young people. Some of the states with the highest graduation rates have the lowest compulsory attendance cut-off age. Most states have a compulsory attendance cut-off age of 16 or less. Taxes would inevitably rise to pay for more classroom space and teachers. When California raised the upper age limit of compulsory attendance, taxpayers were forced to pay for the building of new schools just to handle the older, unwilling students and their behavior problems. For more information on compulsory attendance, please see our memorandum at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=7918 Thank you for your calls on behalf of freedom in Rhode Island. Sincerely, Scott Woodruff HSLDA Senior Counsel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Will your children's inheritance retain its value? If you pass on a legacy of freedom, your children and their children's children will thank you. But freedom is never secure; it must always be guarded. Membership with HSLDA is an investment in the future that can be passed on to future generations of families wanting to teach their children at home. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1944 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== 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. ====================================================================== | |
