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| Date: From: Subject: | 4/29/2011 2:29:11 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Rhode Island--Help Stop Compulsory Age from Rising to 18 |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Rhode Island--Help Stop Compulsory Age from Rising to 18 Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: Rhode Island's Senate Education Committee voted yesterday to hold SB 46 (increases compulsory school attendance age from 16 to 18) for "further study." This means we have more time to press our message home! When the committee finally votes, we want them to protect freedom and vote "no." REQUESTED ACTION 1. If your senator is on the Senate Education Committee (see list below), Please call him or her to let them know you oppose SB 46. Use our Legislative Toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=11040 to find out who your senator is. 2. If your senator is not on the Senate Education Committee, please call the chairperson, secretary or vice chairperson. 3. Your message can be as simple as: "Please vote no on SB 46. Parents, not state officials, know whether their 16-year-old young adult should pursue formal education or some other preparation for life responsibilities. The extra cost of forcing unwilling young adults into a formal school setting should not be added to our tax burden." This bill would undermine the freedom of all parents. It is not necessary for you to identify yourself as a homeschooler. 4. Please pass this message on to all your friends. This bill will negatively impact almost everyone in Rhode Island--children, parents, and taxpayers. CONTACT INFORMATION--SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE Senator Frank A. DeVall, Jr. sen-devall@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 433-4353 Senator Louis P. DiPalma sen-dipalma@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 847-8540 Senator Hanna M. Gallo, Chairperson sen-gallo@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 942-8566 Senator Beatrice A. Lanzi, Secretary sen-lanzi@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 946-7125 Senator Harold M. Metts, Vice Chairperson sen-metts@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 272-0112 Senator Edward J. O'Neill sen-eoneill@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 728-3295 Senator Glenford J. Shibley sen-shibley@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 222-2708 BACKGROUND You may be told there is a "homeschool exception." SB 46 would allow a child to withdraw from school if he has "documented completion of a home school program at the high school level by submitting a certificate or letter to the department of education." But this is vague and too subject to bureaucratic interpretation to offer families any meaningful hope. The department might take a parental letter of completion at face value. Or it might decide to create state standards for what constitutes "completion" and what is necessary to "document" it. Or it might establish state standards for what a high school level homeschool program must contain. In the end, many families might find the new burdens more onerous than filing annual paperwork for two additional years until their child turns 18. Not all 16- and 17-year-olds belong in a formal school setting. Some would be better off in a work training program, apprenticeship, obtaining valuable work experience, etc. 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, please see our memorandum on compulsory attendance age legislation. http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=11041 Thank you for your calls on behalf of freedom in Rhode Island! Sincerely, Scott Woodruff HSLDA Senior Counsel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Is customer service an art or a science? For us, good customer service is both an art and a science -it should appeal to our members and be effective. Consider what our members say about us: We're thankful for the support HSLDA membership provides us. We'd never homeschool without them. We highly recommend HSLDA to all homeschoolers. - North Tonawanda, NY I cannot imagine our homeschool journey without HSLDA's strong leadership, protection, and guidance. 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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. ====================================================================== | |
