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From the HSLDA@Capitol Hill E-lert Service...
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March 6, 2001

MINNESOTA - URGENT! CALLS NEEDED TO SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Dear Minnesota Members and Friends,

Senate Bill 866, sponsored by Senator Sandra Pappas, is currently in
the Senate Education Committee. In addition to many other provisions,
this bill would change the home school law in two very unfavorable
ways.

First, parents would be required to submit their children's
standardized test scores to the public school superintendent every
year. This would change the current law which requires that children
be tested, but does not require the scores to be submitted.

Second, parents desiring to teach their children at home would be
required to have a high school diploma. Currently, parents without
such a diploma can home school by sending in quarterly reports, but
these bills would remove that option.

ACTION

HSLDA and the Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators urge
you to do the following:

1. Please call as many of the members of the Senate Education
Committee as you can and give them this message: "Please vote to
remove the new home school restrictions from Senate Bill 866. Home
schooling has worked well over the last 14 years without these
unnecessary and costly restrictions." (See committee phone numbers
listed at the end of this e-mail.)

2. Also, please call your state senator and give him or her this
message: "Please vote to remove the new home school restrictions from
S.B. 866. Home schooling has worked well over the last 14 years
without these unnecessary and costly restrictions." You can find your
senator's telephone number on our website,
http://www.hslda.org/toolbox, or by calling the Minnesota Senate
Information Office at (651) 296-0504.

BACKGROUND

Under Minnesota's current home school law, parents are required to
submit annual notices of intent, meet certain teacher qualifications
(or else file quarterly reports), and administer annual standardized
tests to their children. This is more than restrictive enough.
However, this bill would amend the law to require even more
restrictions.

ANALYSIS

Home schoolers are required by current state law to administer annual
standardized tests. However, they do not have to submit the test
scores to anyone. The scores are for the benefit of the home school,
not to check up on the home school. This policy was verified in 1994
by a Minnesota attorney general's opinion.

HSLDA believes that parents have the right to teach their children
even if the parent does not have a high school diploma. Numerous
studies have indicated that parents' academic level does not affect
their children's test scores. See http://www.hslda.org for copies of
these studies.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Chair: Sandra L. Pappas (651) 296-1802
Vice chair: Becky Lourey (651) 296-0293
Ranking Minority member: Martha R. Robertson (651) 296-4314
Michele M. Bachmann (651) 296-4351
Satveer Chaudhary (651) 296-4334
Richard J. Cohen (651) 296-5931
Chuck Fowler (651) 296-5713
Debbie J. Johnson (651) 296-3219
Steve Kelley (651) 297-8065
Bob Kierlin (651) 296-5649
Anthony G. "Tony" Kinkel (651) 296-4913
Dave Kleis (651) 296-6455
David L. Knutson (651) 296-4120
Jane Krentz (651) 296-7061
Keith Langseth (651) 296-3205
Cal Larson (651) 296-5655
Arlene J. Lesewski (651) 296-4125
Warren Limmer (651) 296-2159
Steve Murphy (651) 296-4264
Gen Olson (651) 296-1282
Lawrence J. Pogemiller (651) 296-7809
Leonard R. Price (651) 297-8060
Jane B. Ranum (651) 297-8061
Ann H. Rest (651) 296-2889
Claire A. Robling (651) 296-4123
Julie A. Sabo (651) 296-4274
Kenric J. Scheevel (651) 296-3903
Linda Scheid (651) 296-8869
Grace S. Schwab (651) 296-9248
Sam G. Solon (651) 296-4188
LeRoy A. Stumpf (651) 296-8660
Roy Terwilliger (651) 296-6238
David J. Tomassoni (651) 296-8017
Deanna L. Wiener (651) 297-8073
Charles W. Wiger (651) 296-6820

Thank you for standing with us in the fight for home school freedom!

Sincerely yours,

Darren A. Jones
Staff Attorney

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Home School Legal Defense Association
P.O. Box 3000
Purcellville, Virginia 20134
540-338-5600
www.hslda.org
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Other Resources

More information on Minnesota's Senate Bill 866