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| Date: From: Subject: | 10/18/2011 2:03:26 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Take Action to Defeat Expansion of State Control Over Homeschoolers in Lawrence! |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Take Action to Defeat Expansion of State Control Over Homeschoolers in Lawrence! Dear HSLDA Members and Friends in Lawrence: Representative Marcos Devers has introduced House Bill 3674, which would give the city of Lawrence, Massachusetts the authority to increase the maximum age of compulsory school attendance from 16 to 18, thereby inflicting two more years of government regulation on homeschooling families in Lawrence. Such an example could result in legislation for other towns, or perhaps the entire state, and therefore must be opposed. The Joint Committee on Education is currently considering this bill. Statistics and studies show that raising the compulsory school attendance age does not help graduation rates or reduce the number of dropouts. In fact, several states with the lowest compulsory school attendance ages have the highest graduation rates. This bill unnecessarily imposes government regulation on the authority of parents to make decisions about what is in the best interest of their children. To learn more you can read the following article: "Raise the Bar, Not the Age" (http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=12681) ACTION REQUESTED Please call the following sponsors of the bill: Representative Marcos Devers (16th Essex) Phone: 617-722-2011 Email: Marcos.Devers@mahouse.gov Representative David Torrisi (14th Essex) Phone: 617-722-2396 Email: David.Torrisi@mahouse.gov Senator Barry Finegold (Second Essex and Middlesex) Phone: 617-722-1612 Email: Barry.Finegold@MASenate.gov Because this legislation would affect all students in Lawrence, it is not necessary to identify yourself as a homeschooler. Feel free to use some or all of the following message in your own words: "Please withdraw HB 3674. Increasing the compulsory school attendance age to 18 will neither increase graduation rates nor decrease dropout rates. It will, however, raise taxes and unnecessarily subject families in Lawrence to government control for an additional two years. Parents should be the ones making decisions about when children should leave school - not the government. Many children are ready to leave school at 16 and are able to do just fine by getting a GED or starting college early. This bill would interfere with parent's ability to make the decision that is best for each child based on his individual circumstances. As a Massachusetts taxpayer and resident of Lawrence, I oppose increasing the age of compulsory school attendance." BACKGROUND Additional reasons to oppose increasing the compulsory school attendance age: > Children who are compelled to stay in school against their will cause classroom disruptions and even violence, making learning harder for their classmates who truly want to learn. > This bill restricts parents' ability to decide if their 16-year-old is ready for college or the workforce. Many 16-year-olds who are not academically inclined benefit more from valuable work experience than from being forced to sit in a classroom. > Another 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 schools. When California raised the upper age limit of compulsory attendance, unwilling students were so disruptive that new schools had to be built just to handle them and their behavior problems, all at the expense of the taxpayer. For more information, visit our website at: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=12682 Thank you for standing in defense of freedom! Standing with you, Michael P. Donnelly, Esq. Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> 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. ====================================================================== | |
